Karl-Adolf Hollidt


Karl-Adolf Hollidt was a German army commander and war criminal during World War II. He was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the 6th Army.

Career

Hollidt enlisted in the German army in 1909. During World War I, Hollidt served on the Western Front and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class. He remained in the Reichswehr. Beginning in 1935, he served on the General Staff and as a chief-of-staff of an army corps in the Wehrmacht.
At the beginning of World War II, Hollidt served as commander of the 52nd Infantry Division. From 1 November 1939, he served as a Chief-of-Staff with Commander-in-Chief Ost, General Johannes Blaskowitz. From October 1940 he served as the commander of the 50th Infantry Division in Greece. Promoted to the rank of general, Hollidt commanded XVII Army Corps, which was planned to take part in Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve the 6th Army encircled at Stalingrad. After the surrender of the 6th Army, it was reconstituted in March 1943 and Hollidt was given its command. He was promoted to generaloberst on 1 September 1943. In 1944, his 6th Army suffered severe losses during its retreat from the Dnieper. Hollidt was dismissed from his command and put into reserve.

Trial and conviction

In 1945, Hollidt was taken prisoner by US forces. After a High Command trial held at Nuremberg, he was convicted of the unlawful use of prisoners of war and of the deportation and enslavement of civilians. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment, and was released on good time credit in December 1949. He died in 1985, the last surviving Generaloberst of the Wehrmacht.

Awards