Rudolf Toussaint (2 May 1891 – 1 July 1968)[1] was a German Army officer. Toussaint saw action in both World Wars. During World War II he was appointed Commissioner of the German army in the office of the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia.[2]
Rudolf Toussaint | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 2 May 1891 Egglkofen, Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 1 July 1968 (aged 77) Munich, West Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Bavarian Army (to 1918) Reichsheer (to 1933) Wehrmacht |
| Years of service | 1911–1945 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | German Cross, in silver War Merit Cross, with Swords Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class |
Biography edit
He was born on 2 May 1891 in Egglkofen. He joined the Royal Bavarian Army on 21 September 1911 in the rank of Fahnenjunker (cadet). He was commissioned as a Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 25 October 1913 and assigned to the 18th Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment. He fought in World War I, where he was wounded, and was awarded the Iron Cross (First Class) and the Iron Cross (2nd class) in 1914. After the war, he remained in the army and, on 1 December 1935 was promoted to Oberstleutnant; on 1 April 1938 he was promoted further to the rank of Oberst (colonel). From 1 April 1939 till 1941 he served as a military attaché in the German embassy in Rome. After that, he was promoted on 1 October 1941 as Generalmajor and on 1 October 1942 as Generalleutnant.
In September 1943, as General der Infanterie (promoted on 1 September 1943), he became commissioner of the German army in Italy (Bevollmächtigter General der deutschen Wehrmacht in Italien). On 26 July 1944, he was replaced in this position by SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff and Toussaint became commissioner of the German army in the office of the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, replacing Ferdinand Schaal and, simultaneously, held the position of Commander of the Military District of Bohemia and Moravia.[3] As such, he was the last Nazi commander of Prague. After World War II, he was captured by US troops in Pilsen and, on 19 April 1947, he was transferred into Czechoslovakia, where on 26 October 1948 he was condemned to life imprisonment for the murder of civilians in the Prague uprising.[4]
In 1955, he agreed to collaborate with Czechoslovak State Security,[5] but the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia refused to consent to his release from prison. While still in prison, he provided them information relating to the West German military leaders and political figures. In 1961, as part of an exchange for two communist agents, he was released to West Germany, where he died in 1968.
Awards edit
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Prince Regent Luitpold Jubilee Medal
- Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords
- Wound Badge in Black
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st Class
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords
- War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords
- Officer Cross of the Order of St Alexander (Bulgaria)
- Commander's Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania)
- German Cross in Silver
References edit
- ^ Dermot Bradley: Generaloberst Heinz Guderian und die Entstehungsgeschichte des modernen Blitzkrieges. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1986, ISBN 3-7648-1486-1, p. 377
- ^ "Podívejte se do věznice na obrazy od velitele wehrmachtu v Čechách - iDNES.cz". Plzen.idnes.cz. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
- ^ "General der Infanterie Rudolf Toussaint – Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
- ^ "Podívejte se do věznice na obrazy od velitele wehrmachtu v Čechách – iDNES.cz". Plzen.idnes.cz. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
- ^ "Toussaint, Rudolf :: T :: Německo (DEU)". Forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2012-05-27.