Franz Pöschl

Generalleutnant

Franz Pöschl
Born2 November 1917
Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Died25 January 2011(2011-01-25) (aged 93)
Hamburg, Hamburg Metropolitan Region, Federal Republic of Germany
Allegiance
Service / branch
Rank
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
See Awards and Decorations
Other workHead of the Defense Department for the Bavarian State Chancellery (1955-1959)

Franz Pöschl (2 November 1917 in Munich – 25 January 2011 in Hamburg) served as an Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War and later as a Generalleutnant in the Bundeswehr during the Cold War. During the Second World War, he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 February 1944 for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Monte Cassino. His final Wehrmacht duty assignment was as the Regimental Commander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143.

In 1960, Pöschl joined the newly established Bundeswehr, where he rose to the rank of Generalleutnant and served as the Commanding General of the III.Korps, which comprised a third of the entire army, and contributed significantly to West Germany's defense during the Cold War.

After his passing in 2011, Generalleutnant Franz Pöschl was honored as a Kämpfer für Demokratie ("Fighter for Democracy").[1] In July 2024, he was recognized by The Tradition of the Bundeswehr as one of its most distinguished generals, celebrated as "an example of military excellence and soldierly virtues." This recognition reflects his exceptional service as a highly decorated front-line officer during the Second World War, his contributions to the Bundestag Personnel Evaluation Committee, his successful leadership of the III.Korps, the universal respect he earned from his soldiers for his compassionate leadership style, and his decisive actions to eliminate Schleifermethoden ("harsh training methods") while in command of the 1.Luftlandedivision.[2]

Wehrmacht Military Service (1936-1945)

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Hauptmann Franz Pöschl, Munich, March 1944.

Franz Pöschl enlisted in the Heer in 1936 as an aspiring officer candidate in the 9.Kompanie/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, 1.Gebirgs-Division, after completing his required service in the Reich Labor Service.

Officer Candidate Pöschl participated in the 1938 Annexation of Austria from 12 March 1938 to 20 March 1938. He earned his commission as a Leutnant on 31 August 1938 and was assigned as a Zugführer for the 3.Kompanie/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100.

In the opening days of the Second World War, Leutnant Pöschl was severely wounded in action on 14 September 1939 during the Battle of Lemberg as part of the invasion of Poland. His courage in the face of intense urban combat during the Battle of Lemberg earned him the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 25 September 1939 and the Wound Badge in Black for the injuries that he sustained within the first two weeks of the war on 1 April 1940. The personal trauma he experienced in this early battle had a profound impact on his worldview, making him acutely aware of the devastating effects of war. This transformative experience compelled him to reassess the true meaning of war and significantly influenced the path of his life thereafter.

Leutnant Pöschl required an extensive eight-month period of medical care for his severe injuries and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 19 July 1940.

On 2 January 1941, Oberleutnant Pöschl became the Commander of the 3.Kompanie/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, 5.Gebirgs-Division. In April 1941 his unit participated in the Invasion of Greece and follow-on the air assault on Crete. For his combat heroism during the Battle of Crete, Oberleutnant Pöschl was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 23 June 1941.

After the successful invasion and occupation of Crete, his unit was deployed to the Eastern Front, where they fought with Army Group North in the Wolchow Swamps during the Battle of Leningrad in the Soviet Union.

Oberleutnant Pöschl was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 30 July1942 for combat bravery during an enemy tank incursion, where he destroyed one of the enemy tanks with a satchel charge under heavy fire. His successful defense and counterattack broke the encirclement of I.Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100.

Oberleutnant Pöschl was wounded again on 23 August 1942 and was hospitalized for five months.

After recovering from his wounds, Oberleutnant Pöschl was assigned as the Regimental Adjutant for Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100. He was promoted to Hauptmann on 20 April 1943 and awarded the Wound Badge in Silver. On 1 October 1943, Hauptmann Pöschl became the Battalion Commander of I.Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100.

In November 1943, the 5.Gebirgs-Division was withdrawn from the Soviet Union and sent to Italy to defend Monte Cassino against the Western Allied forces as part of the Wehrmacht's defense of Italy.

On 13 January 1944, the French Expeditionary Corps attacked Hauptmann Pöschl's entrenched positions along the Gustav Line in the Acquafondata area near Monte Cassino. The Algerian 3rd Infantry Division was tasked with taking the summits of Monna Casale and Monna Acquafonda and advancing against S.Elia. Hauptmann Pöschl prevented the 5.Gebirgs-Division from being outflanked at a crucial point and the destruction of his battalion by personally leading multiple counterattacks with his machine pistol. Hauptmann Pöschl was seriously wounded by shrapnel during the intense combat, which included instances of hand-to-hand fighting after he was wounded. His Battalion Adjutant, along with many members of his personal security attachment, were killed in action during this battle. Hauptmann Pöschl was later awarded the Wound Badge in Gold on 28 January 1944.

Due to his extroditary heroism and combat leadership on 13 January 1944, a proposal was submitted for Hauptmann Pöschl to be awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 January 1944.

On 24 January 1944, at 10 p.m., the Algerian 3rd Infantry Division attacked the 5.Gebirgs-Division north of Monte Cassino. The 2nd Battalion of the 4th Tunisian Infantry Regiment (Tirailleurs) attempted to conquer Monte Cifalco but failed due to the vigorous resistance of I.Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100 under Hauptmann Pöschl’s brave and energetic leadership. As a result, advanced German artillery observers on Monte Cifalco were able to direct artillery fire effectively against the remaining battalions of the Tunisian forces, preventing them from taking Colle Belvedere in the neighboring sector.

Monte Cifalco remained in German hands until the end of the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Generalleutnant Franz Pöschl's Knights Cross of the Iron Cross awarded on 23.02.1944.

Hauptmann Pöschl, Commander of I.Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, 5.Gebirgs-Division, was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 February 1944.

On 16 February 1944, Hauptmann Pöschl became the Regimental Commander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100 and was promoted to Major on 20 April 1944.

Major Pöschl was transferred to the Führer-Reserve OKH from 5 May 1944 to 30 July 1944 to recover from the wounds he had sustained during the Battle of Monte Cassino. Afterward, he attended General Staff Training with the 15.Panzergrenadier-Division from 31 July 1944 to 6 August 1944.

Upon successfully completing his training, Major Pöschl was assigned as an officer instructor at the Gebirgsjäger School in Mittenwald, where he served from 7 August 1944 until 10 September 1944.

On 11 September 1944, Major Pöschl took command of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143, 6.Gebirgs-Division, 20.Gebirgs-Armee in Finland at the start of the Lapland War between the Greater German Reich and the Republic of Finland. The 6.Gebirgs-Division began its evacuation from Finland to Norway in October 1944. Major Pöschl bravely defended Liinakamari against a massive Soviet assault on the strategically critical Arctic port on 13 October 1944. He was awarded the Honor Roll Clasp of the German Army on 15 February 1945. Major Pöschl was promoted to his final wartime rank of Oberstleutnant on 15 January 1945.

Oberstleutnant Pöschl and Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143 surrendered to British forces north of Narvik, Norway, in May 1945 at the time of the German Capitulation.

Release from Captivity & Civil Service (1946-1959)

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After the Second World War and his release from French captivity as a prisoner of war in February 1946, Pöschl worked as a laborer in a marble factory in Kiefersfelden from April 1946 to March 1947. Between May 1947 and May 1948, he completed an agricultural apprenticeship at the Benedictine Scheyern Abbey in Pfaffenhofen. He then pursued advanced studies to become a teacher at the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. After passing his teaching examinations, he worked as a primary school teacher in Oberaudorf from May 1948 to December 1951.

In January 1952, he became a Civic Education Officer for the Bavarian State Police Bereitschaftspolizei and taught at the Police Academy in Munich, focusing on instilling democratic values to ensure the effective functioning of law enforcement within a democratic society. From April 1953 to February 1955, he was assigned as an instructor for civic education at the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior.

In 1955, Pöschl became an active member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and participated in the Grünwalder Arbeitskreis, a working group focused on the non-partisan institutional safeguarding of democratic political education in Bavaria. As a result of this group's work, the Law on the Establishment of an Academy for Political Education was passed in 1957, leading to the creation of the Academy for Political Education in Tutzing, the first such institution in Germany established under public law.[3]

On 13 July 1955, Pöschl was appointed by Federal President Theodor Heuss of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Personnel Evaluation Committee (Personalgutachterausschuss für die Streitkräfte) of the Deutscher Bundestag. This Personnel Evaluation Committee was responsible for evaluating former Wehrmacht officers, ranked Major and above, for reassignment to the Bundeswehr.[4] The committee was dissolved on 4 September 1967 after the signing of the Repealing the Personnel Assessment Committee Act (Gesetz zur Aufhebung des Personalgutachterausschuß-Gesetzes).[5]

From October 1955 to December 1959, Pöschl served as an Oberregierungsrat (Chief Administrative Officer) and Head of the Defense Department in the Bavarian State Chancellery.[6] He also acted as the personal advisor for military affairs to Bavaria's Minister-President, Dr. Wilhelm Hoegner. Hoegner, a fellow Social Democrat, was a well-known opponent of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) who had returned from exile in Switzerland under the supervision of the American occupying forces. During this period, Pöschl played a significant role in establishing the newly founded Bundeswehr in Bavaria by overseeing the procurement of land for new barracks and training areas.[7]

Bundeswehr Military Service (1960-1978)

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Generalleutnant Franz Pöschl's Grand Cross of Merit (Commander's Cross) awarded on 21.08.1973.

In January 1960, Pöschl accepted a commission in the Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany. He first commanded the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 in 1961, followed by the 1.Luftlandedivision in 1966, and eventually became the Commanding General of the III.Korps in 1972, a third of the entire German army.

During the Cold War, Pöschl played a crucial role in building strategic military partnerships within NATO, particularly with the United States Armed Forces and the French Armed Forces, to strengthen international cooperation and prevent war with the Soviet Union.

For his efforts in establishing these strategic military partnerships, he was awarded the Legion of Merit (Officer) by the United States of America on 3 March 1978 and the National Order of Merit (Commandeur) by the French Republic on 11 April 1979. These are the highest military honors from both nations that can be awarded to foreign nationals for military merit.

In 1971, during NATO's "Winter Exercise" (WINTEX 71), Pöschl gained international recognition as the only general to openly criticize NATO's newly adopted nuclear deployment strategy. He famously described it as a "wahnwitzige und stupide Form militärischer Führung" ("insane and stupid form of military leadership"). This strategy proposed using United States nuclear weapons on German territory as a last resort to deter a potential Soviet military invasion—a plan Pöschl deemed illogical. He argued that defending Germany by turning it into a nuclear wasteland was a futile and reckless approach.[1]

After 27 years of active military service, Franz Pöschl retired in March 1978 at the rank of Generalleutnant. In recognition of his meritorious service, he was awarded the Grand Cross of Merit (Commander's Cross) on 21 August 1973 and the Star of the Grand Cross of Merit (Knight Commander's Cross) on 8 February 1977.

Awards and Decorations

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The Greater German Reich

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The Kingdom of Bulgaria

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The Federal Republic of Germany

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The United States of America

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The French Republic

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The Italian Republic

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Käppner, Joachim (31 January 2011). "Kämpfer für Demokratie" [Fighter for Democracy]. Süddeutsche Zeitung. Vol. 3, no. 24. Munich, Bavaria. p. 6.
  2. ^ Rohrschneider, Kai (12 July 2024). "Weisung zur Herausgabe der ergänzenden Hinweise zu den Richtlinien zum Traditionsverständnis und zur Traditionspflege der Bundeswehr" (PDF). Bundesvereinigung Opfer der NS-Militärjustiz e.V. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Akademie für Politische Bildung – Historisches Lexikon Bayerns". www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  4. ^ Renner, Rombach. "Personalgutachterausschuß für die Streitkräfte" (PDF). Deutscher Bundestag. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  5. ^ "Bundesgesetzblatt BGBl. Online-Archiv 1949 - 2022 | Bundesanzeiger Verlag" (PDF). www.bgbl.de. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  6. ^ "Bundeswehr – Historisches Lexikon Bayerns". www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  7. ^ "Bundeswehr – Historisches Lexikon Bayerns". www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de. Retrieved 2024-10-15.

Bibliography

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  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Military offices
Preceded by
Generalmajor Hubert Sonneck
 Commander of the 1. Luftlande-Division (Bundeswehr)
October 1966 – 30 September 1972 		Succeeded by
Generalmajor Heinrich Schwiethal
Preceded by
Generalleutnant Gerd Niepold
 Commander of III. Corps (Bundeswehr)
1 October 1972 – 31 March 1978 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Paul-Georg Kleffel
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