Dietrich von Choltitz
Saviour of Paris
Last updated
Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was a German general. Sometimes referred to as the Saviour of Paris, he served in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II, as well as serving in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, and the Royal Saxon Army during World War I.
Background
Born into a Moravian-Silesian noble family, Choltitz joined the army at a young age and saw service on the Western Front during the First World War. He was promoted to Leutnant within a year of joining his regiment. He is chiefly remembered for his role as the last commander of Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, when he disobeyed Adolf Hitler's orders to destroy the city, and instead surrendered it to Free French forces on 25 August.
Did You Know?
- Choltitz was born in his family's castle in Gräflich Wiese (now Łąka Prudnicka, Poland) in the province of Silesia.
- He enrolled in the Dresden Cadet School in 1907.
- During the Battle of Rotterdam, he intervened to prevent the execution of surrendering Dutch officers after Kurt Student was injured.
- His regiment was reduced from 4,800 men to just 349 during the siege of Sevastopol.
More in European Military Leaders Of The Early Modern Era
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dietrich von Choltitz (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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