Johannes Blaskowitz

Johannes Blaskowitz(1883-1948) was a Generalobertst in the Second World War German Army, who served in the Austrian, Sudetenland, Polish campaigns on the Western Front. He was indicted in the High Command Case of the Nuremberg Military Tribunals, but committed suicide, possibly under suspicious circumstances, before trial.

Early Wehrmacht
In 1935, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General and Commander of Defence District II, Stettin. In 1938 he was appointed Field Commander of Army Group 3 (Dresden), and took part in the invasion of Austria and Bohemia, leading the Third Army into the Sudetenland in March 1939.

Polish campaign
He was the chief planner for the operation, commanded the 8th Army in the attack on Poland and then was Military Governor of the occupied country,  On September 27, 1939, Blaskowitz received the surrender of Warsaw and on October 22, 1939, he was made Military Governor of the German occupying forces in Poland.

He wrote memos of complaint, between November 1939 and February 1940, to   Army Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch. Blaskowitz documented many instances of raping, horsewhipping, murder and looting of Jewish and Polish shops, by both the Einsatzkommandos and other SS personnel, and warned that the SS “might later turn against their own people in the same way.”  Hitler relieved him for his "childish attitude."

In 1944, he was given command of Army Group G, reporting to Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt which was preparing to defend against the expected Allied invasion in France. Relieved of his command after the defeat in Lorraine, he was transferred to the Netherlands in early 1945, in command of Fortress Holland, where he surrendered to the British.

High Command Case
"He committed suicide on February 5, 1948, in Nuremberg prison, shortly before his trial as a minor war criminal was due to begin. Fellow prisoners believed that he had been murdered by SS men, but this has never been substantiated."

Assignments
As a senior officer, his commands were: 1930 - 1932 Commanding Officer 14th Regiment 1932 - 1935 Inspector of Weapons Schools Ministry of War 1935 - 1938 General Officer Commanding Military District II 1935 General Officer Commanding 2nd Division 1935 - 1938 General Officer Commanding II Corps 1938 - 1939 General Officer Commander in Chief 3rd Army Group Command 1939 General Officer Commanding 8th Army, Poland 1939 - 1940 Commander in Chief East 1940 General Officer Commanding 9th Army 1940 Military Commander Northern France 1940 In reserve 1940 - 1944 General Officer Commanding 1st Army, France 1944 General Officer Commanding Army Group G, France 1944 In reserve 1944 - 1945 Commander in Chief Army Group G, France 1945 Commander in Chief Army Group H, The Netherlands 1945 Commander in Chief Fortress Holland 1945 - 1948 Prisoner of War 1948 Committed suicide

Law reports BLASKoWITz-Genera1oberst (General); November, 1939, to August, 1939,· Commander-in-Chief Army Group Command (Heeresgruppenkommando) 3; September, 1939, to October, 1939, Commanderin-Chief 8th Army; October, 1939, Commander-in-Chief 2nd Army; October, 1939, to May, 1940, Commander-in-Chief East (Oberbefeh1shaber Ost); May, 1940, Commander-in-Chief 9th Army; June, 1940, Military Commander (Mi1itarbefeh1shaber) Northern France; October, 1940, to May, 1944, Commander-in-Chief 1st Army; May, 1944, to September, 1944, Acting Commander-in-Chief Army Group G; December, 1944, to January, 1945, Commander-in-Chief Army Group G; January., 1945, to April, 1945, Commander-in-Chief Army Group H; April, 1945, Commander-in-Chief Netherlands and 25th Army.