Field marshal general walter model. Otto Moritz Walter Model: Biography Hitler's Firefighter nickname
The hallmark of a good commander is the ability to quickly adapt to an unstable situation on the battlefield. Walter Model was one such commander. A master of defense that Hitler could rely on in the most difficult circumstances. "Fuehrer firefighter" who saved the hopeless situations for the Wehrmacht on Eastern Front... Thanks to his military merit, Model enjoyed the great confidence of Hitler. Guderian recalled him as "a brave and indefatigable soldier ... the most suitable general for the overwhelmingly difficult task of rebuilding the central part of the Eastern Front."
At 53, Model became the youngest field marshal of the Wehrmacht. Coming from a civilian family, he took his place among the Prussian military aristocracy. But even as head of the High Command of the Western Front, Model was equally far from staff work and from the politics of the Third Reich, which was rolling into decline. His element was the battlefield: on the front line, amid shots and explosions, shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers. This is the reason for his brilliant successes ... and unfortunate defeats.
The beginning of a military career
The origin of the Model did not bode well for a bright military career. Otto Moritz Walter Model was born on January 24, 1891 in Gentin, near Magdeburg, in a family of Lutheran teachers. His father taught at a local girls' school, his mother came from a peasant family.
At the end of World War II, Model ordered all of his personal records to be burned, so little is known about his childhood. The future field marshal was distinguished by a weak physique, he loved Latin and history, and was a member of a literary circle. Young Walter got his first impression of the art of war in 1906, when he transferred to a church gymnasium in Naumburg (Saale). At that time the Kaiser's Jaeger Battalion was there. Apparently, the 15-year-old boy was so impressed by the military exercises that he decided to link his life with the army. Two years later, Model entered military school in Neisse as a candidate officer of the 52nd Infantry Regiment of the 6th Brandenburg Division. It was not easy for a man of low birth, but Walter was helped by his uncle, who served there as a reserve officer. According to the recollections of other graduates, brutal orders reigned in the school. As in any closed society, there was an internal hierarchy that allowed the superior to humiliate and beat the inferior; despite the lack of clear service instructions, any cadet could be severely punished for any misconduct. Nevertheless, the Model withstood two years of tests and on August 22, 1910, left the walls of the school with the rank of lieutenant of the Prussian army.
Walter Model in 1918
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The model immediately established himself as a conscientious and ambitious officer. He was not afraid to openly declare his position, made caustic remarks, could argue with his superiors. Model carried these qualities throughout his career. Like his contemporaries, Model took part in the battles of the First World War. There he earned a reputation as a capable and hardworking officer, received several combat wounds and awards. Walter Model met the surrender of Germany with the rank of captain, after which he continued his military career within the walls of the General Staff. In 1920, General von Rantau described him as "having all the makings and qualities necessary for the highest command positions." As time has shown, the general was not mistaken.
Friend of soldiers, foe of staff officers
In 1932, Model was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel. Two years later, already with the rank of colonel, he assumed command of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. For Germany, this was a special period associated with the rise of Hitler to power, the rapid build-up of weapons, the expansion and modernization of the army. In 1935, Chief of the General Staff Ludwig Beck organized an 8th department in his administration to analyze technical innovations. He appointed Model as the head of this department. The colonel, accustomed to the infantry, had difficulty understanding the technical details of innovative projects. However, this did not prevent him from immediately assessing the potential of tanks and aviation and defending innovations.
In 1938, Model in the rank of Major General was transferred to the headquarters of the 4th Army Corps, in which he took part in the Polish campaign of 1939. The following year, at the head of the 16th Army, he participates in the invasion of France, after which he takes command of the 3rd Panzer Division. By this time, a double attitude towards the Model was already in full swing. The soldiers under his direct leadership respected their commander and appreciated his willingness to act swiftly and mercilessly. The general loved to be on the front lines and give orders in the heat of battle. For the same reason, the staff officers did not like him: in an emergency, he acted at his own discretion and did not seek to coordinate every order with his superiors.
On the eastern front of WWII
Model entered the war with Russia on the Eastern Front. His division was in the vanguard of the 2nd Panzer Group of General Heinz Guderian, breaking through the Soviet defenses at Brest-Litovsk, Rogachev, Baranovichi. On July 9, 1941, the Model received the Knight's Cross as a reward for her services. After the rapid capture of Smolensk and Kiev, he was appointed commander of the 41st Motorized Corps. The model took part in Operation Typhoon, during which German troops almost reached Moscow.
The commander of the German 3rd Panzer Division of the 2nd Panzer Group, Major General Walter Model (left), and the commander of the 2nd Panzer Group, Colonel General Heinz Guderian. 1941 year
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When the winter frosts began, Soviet army managed to push the enemy back to the west. Enraged by this failure, Hitler removed several dozen of his generals from their posts. In early 1942, Walter Model was appointed to the vacant post of commander of the 9th Army. The reasons why his personality attracted the Fuhrer can be seen in two ways. On the one hand, his pro-Hitler views could have played a role. A number of biographers speculate on this as the main reason that allowed Model to slip through three steps of the army hierarchy and bypass many of his colleagues on the career ladder: less than half a year has passed since he became colonel general. But no less important are his competent actions during the retreat near Moscow, which could not fail to attract the attention of Hitler.
Model (center) on the Eastern Front, July 1941
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On February 1, Model received the Oak Leaves for the Knight's Cross as an award. Just a couple of weeks earlier, he had had a lively debate with Hitler over strategy and tactics. The model was able to prove that the field commander imagines the situation on the battlefield much better than the generals in Berlin bowing over the maps. Hitler agreed. The general was allowed to regroup on the battlefield, and he received the requested reinforcements. In the battles near Rzhev, Model was able to realize the trust placed in him. Reflecting the advances of Soviet troops, the 9th Army held a bridgehead near the city for over a year, inflicting significant losses on the enemy: about a million people, including prisoners and wounded. Model's army retreated only in the spring of 1943, when the general situation German troops on the Eastern Front has deteriorated markedly.
"Lion of Defense"
The "Lion of Defense" walked along the Soviet soil with a heavy gait, leaving behind a scorched earth and ruined destinies. The Nuremberg Tribunal established a lot of evidence of the atrocities of his 9th Army on Soviet soil. Do not forget that Model has not only brilliant tactical maneuvers and impressive victories, but also thousands of killed civilians. In captured Rzhev, several dozen people were hanged in the central square, thousands were shot, about 100 Jews were brutally killed in Sychevka, 200 people were burnt alive in Drachevo, another 79 in Kharino ... Many fell into the hands of the punitive detachments of the SS. Such was the price of the victories of the Third Reich.
Walter Model speaks to members of the Hitler Youth, October 1944
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After the retreat, Model took an active part in the offensive near Kursk - the famous Operation Citadel. The ranks of the high command of the German army did not agree on the plan of the operation. General Manstein and the immediate superior of the Model, General von Kluge, expected to attack the Kursk Bulge before the Soviet troops could strengthen the defenses. However, Model himself called for caution and refused to lead his 9th Army into the attack until it received sufficient reinforcements. He was supported by Guderian, who warned Hitler that an offensive could be "useless" and bring only heavy losses. And so it happened - but largely because of Model's advice to delay the attack. This was his first major defeat, revealing weak sides his commanding abilities. Being an excellent tactician on the battlefield and skillfully plugging defense gaps with reserves, Model could not become an equally competent strategist " broad profile": To correctly assess the options for the development of the situation, and most importantly - to plan the offensive. Nevertheless, his art of building defenses was extremely useful to Hitler in last years war.
Model, Rundstedt and Krebs study a map of the Western Front, November 1944.
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In January 1944, Model was entrusted with the command of Army Group North, which was experiencing serious problems in connection with the Soviet offensive in the Leningrad region. Finding himself in the natural element of 1942, he was able to stop the enemy troops, which were rapidly advancing towards the Baltic. Hitler appreciated the merits of Model: on March 1, he became the youngest Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht. For the next six months, Model was deployed throughout the Eastern Front to plug gaps in the defenses and ensure the retreat of demoralized German units. For these merits, on August 17, Model received Diamonds for the Knight's Cross and the order to take control of the situation on the Western Front.
The Allied landing in Normandy brought Germany to the brink of defeat. Once in France, Model faced the same problems as on the Eastern Front. In August, he withdrew the encircled troops from the Falaise "pocket", in September he organized the defense of Osterbek after the Allied landing on the Armeniansky bridge. The Ardennes became the second Kursk for the field marshal. After a successful offensive in December 1944, Model never wanted to go over to strategic defense. Despite the superior artillery power of the American army, he led the tanks into the attack. The field marshal again could not assess the development of the situation - and paid dearly for it, having lost not only thousands of soldiers, but also the credibility of Hitler.
Disappointed Model (center) on the Western Front near Aachen, in a Volkswagen Kübelwagen, October 1944.
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Defeats followed one after another, the war went to a predictable end. Realizing this, Model did not wait for imminent captivity and possible execution. Moreover, he could hardly imagine a suitable occupation for himself outside the army, to which he gave his whole life. On April 21, 1945, Field Marshal Walter Model shot himself in the woods near the village of Vedau. Hitlerite Germany surrendered two weeks later.
Literature:
- Stephen Newton. Hitler's "fireman" is Field Marshal Model. M., 2007.
- Correlli Barnett. Hitler's Generals. NY, 1989.
- Liddell, Garth, Basil Henry. Battles of the Third Reich. Memories of the highest ranks of the generals of Nazi Germany. M., 2004
Saxony-Anhalt in the family of a seminary teacher. Graduated from a military school. In the army since 1909, he served as a fan-junker in the 52nd Infantry Regiment. In 1910 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Member of the First World War on the Western Front. For his merits he received the Iron Cross, 1st degree (1917) and a number of other orders, promoted to the rank of captain in November 1917). He was wounded several times.
Between world wars
From 1919 he served in the General Staff, was the head of the personnel training department of the War Ministry, and the head of the technical department of the War Ministry. Lieutenant Colonel (1932). In 1934 he was promoted to colonel, in 1938 - to major general. From October 1938 - Chief of Staff of the 4th Army Corps.
The outbreak of World War II
As chief of staff of the 4th Army Corps, he joined the Second world war and participated in the invasion of Poland. In October 1939 he was appointed chief of staff of the 16th Army and in this position he participated in the French campaign. From November 1940 he was the commander of the 3rd Panzer Division. This division was transferred to Poland and included in the 2nd Panzer Group of General Heinz Guderian.
In battles on the Eastern Front (1941-1944)
On June 22, 1941, he entered the war on the Eastern Front, crossing the state border of the USSR. As part of Army Group Center, he took part in the Battle of the Frontier in Belarus, in the Battle of Vitebsk, and in the Battle of Smolensk. One of the performers of the grand encirclement of Soviet troops in the Kiev operation. In the mobile battles of the summer of 1941, he achieved outstanding successes against the Red Army, and became one of the most famous generals of the Wehrmacht. From October 1941 he commanded the 41st Panzer Corps of the 3rd Panzer Group, took part in the Battle of Moscow. When Hitler, after the defeat near Moscow, removed several dozen of his generals from their posts, Model in January 1942 was appointed to the vacated post of commander of the 9th Army.
In this post, for over a year, he led the actions German troops in the Battle of Rzhev, where he again managed to inflict Soviet troops significant losses (according to various estimates from 1 to 2 million people) and reflect several major offensives of the Red Army: the Rzhev-Vyazemskaya operation in January - April 1942, the First Rzhev-Sychev operation, the operation "Mars". For over a year, Model's army held a bridgehead near Rzhev and in numerous battles repelled the attempts of the Red Army to capture the city. But in the spring of 1943, due to the general deterioration of the situation on the Soviet-German front, Model withdrew its troops from the Rzhev salient, repelling the attempts of the Soviet command to defeat the retreating 9th Army. Colonel General (1.02.1942).
The Model 9th Army, withdrawn from Rzhev, in the summer campaign of 1943, dealt the main blow to the northern face of the Kursk Bulge. However, in the Battle of Kursk, which began on July 5, its troops were able to only slightly advance forward with heavy losses, and then were thrown back to the starting line by the Soviet Central Front under the command of K. K. Rokossovsky. This battle was Model's first defeat. Then, at the head of the army, he acted in the Oryol operation and in the battle for the Dnieper. For the second time he suffered a serious defeat in the Bryansk operation.
On January 31, 1944, Model was appointed commander of Army Group North, which at that time suffered a severe defeat in the Leningrad-Novgorod operation. During February, Model managed to turn a disorderly retreat into a systematic retreat and by the beginning of March finally stop the Soviet offensive near Narva and Pskov, frustrating the plans of the Soviet command for a deep breakthrough into the Baltic. For this success, on March 1, 1944, Model was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. On the same day he was transferred to the south and appointed commander of Army Group South, which was renamed Army Group Northern Ukraine in April. The model is often credited with success in stopping the Soviet offensive near Tarnopol in April 1944, but it must be borne in mind that by that time Soviet troops had been continuously advancing for over three months during the Dnieper-Carpathian operation, fought almost a thousand kilometers and no longer had the opportunity for further continuous offensive.
In post-war German and Anglo-American historiography, Model is considered one of the most successful military leaders of the Wehrmacht, with special emphasis on his victory over Soviet troops. However, even the most loyal to the Model authors of books about him are forced to admit his extreme cruelty towards the Soviet civilian population and towards the partisans.
So, Samuel Mitchum writes about him:
Numerous facts of continuous bullying and massacres of the civilian population and Soviet prisoners of war by military personnel of the Model's 9th Army in the Rzhev salient were published at the Nuremberg trial
Career
Born January 24, 1891 in Gentin. In the army since 1909, a participant in the 1st World War. He was one of the first to support Hitler and always remained loyal to the Nazi regime.
From November 1940 he commanded the 3rd Panzer Division, which took part in the German attack on the USSR. From October 1941, commander of the 41st Panzer Corps, from January 1942 to November 1943 (intermittently), commander of the 9th Army on the Eastern Front. In February-March 1944 he commanded Army Group North, in April-June 1944 - Army Group Northern Ukraine, in June-August 1944 - Army Group Center. He was considered a "master of retreat", carried out the "scorched earth" tactics, was distinguished by particular cruelty. In August 1944, Model replaced Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge (who did not fulfill Hitler's order of August 16, 1944 to "stand to the death" and retreated in the Falaise region in northern France) as commander of the Western forces. From September 1944 he commanded Army Group B in France. In April 1945, Model's troops were defeated during the Ruhr operation and on April 18 surrendered (over 325 thousand soldiers and 30 generals surrendered), after which Model shot himself on April 21 in a forest near Duisburg.
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (17 August 1944)
P.S
Periodically appearing information about the relationship between Model and Lenin requires clarification: Lenin was the eighth cousin of Gertha Guysen, Model's wife, and not himself.
For his actions to restore defense in critical sectors of the front he received the nickname "Fuehrer Firefighter".
Walter Model was born near Magdeburg in 1891 in the family of a Lutheran teacher. Model began his military career as a cadet, in 1910 he became a lieutenant. In World War I, Model fought in the 52nd Infantry Regiment and rose to the rank of Hauptmann.
By 1934, Model rose to the position of regiment commander and the rank of colonel. In 1935 he was appointed head of the Wehrmacht's technical department. The model was a protégé of the all-powerful propaganda minister, Dr. Goebbels. Not without the participation of Goebbels, Model in 1938 became chief of staff of the IV Army Corps. He remained in this post during the Polish campaign. In 1940, on the eve of the West German campaign, he was promoted to chief of staff of the 16th Army and the rank of major general. Upon the successful completion of the campaign in the West, Model became the commander of the 3rd Panzer Division, Lieutenant General.
Walter Model often smiled at photographers, especially if he was photographed by women. In this photo, the Model is already in the rank of Colonel General, awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. The monocle in the right eye is usually associated with the Prussian aristocrats, which Model never was. The model is made up of “new people”, completely devoted to Hitler.
The Model Division, which was part of the troops of Schweppenburg and Guderian, distinguished itself in Operation Barbarossa. The divisional commander attracted the attention of the higher command with his inexhaustible energy and aggressiveness. In July 1942, Model was awarded the Knight's Cross, and in October he was made a general and put at the head of the XLI corps. In early 1942, General der Panzertruppen Walter Model commanded the 9th Army in the central sector of the Eastern Front. The army was at the forefront of the Soviet winter counteroffensive. Near Rzhev, the modelers repelled at least four assaults, but held their ground and inflicted heavy losses on the Soviet 29th and 39th armies. For Rzhev, Model was awarded the rank of colonel-general, and on December 17 - Oak Leaves for the knight's cross. In just three years, Model took off from colonel to colonel general, showing himself to be a great improviser both in defense and offense. Although Model, unlike Rommel, did not care much about saving the lives of his soldiers, he was loved by the troops. The model himself often appeared on the front lines, fate was favorable to him - bullets and fragments passed through the Model's body.
In 1942 and early 1943. The 9th Army repelled several times the attempts of Soviet troops to break through the defenses near Rzhev and Vyazma. For his successes, the commander of the army was awarded on April 2, 1943 with swords on the Knight's Cross. In Operation Citadel, Model commanded the northern group of forces. Under his command were five tank corps (21 divisions, 900 tanks, 730 aircraft), but even these forces were unable to break through the field fortifications erected by Soviet sappers. At first, the Model was successful, but heavy losses did not allow it to develop. From July 13 to August 5, Model commanded not only the 9th Army, but also the 2nd Panzer Army.
After stepping on Kursk Bulge The model, with his inherent energy and talent as an improviser, successfully repelled attacks by Soviet troops in the central sector of the Eastern Front. At the end of January 1944, Model took over as commander of Army Group North. Model was one of the few generals who enjoyed Hitler's unlimited confidence. The Fuehrer even allowed Model a tactical withdrawal of troops without the consent of Berlin. The model has always been successful. On March 30, 1944, Model took command of Army Groups “Northern Ukraine” and “South” from Manstein, a day later he was awarded the rank of Field Marshal - at 53, almost a boy.
In June 1944, General Bush's Army Group Center was on the verge of collapse as a result of the successful development of Operation Bagration. Model was hastily sent to save the situation here, and he officially retained the post of commander of the Army Group "North of Ukraine". In fact, the control of the bulk of the German troops on the Eastern Front was now concentrated in the hands of Model. The model vigorously began to form combat groups from the remnants of the defeated German units, plugging gaps along the entire front with them. When Model arrived at the headquarters of Army Group Center, he asked a colleague of Krebs what reserves he had at his disposal. “I myself,” a colleague replied succinctly. The model resolutely suppressed the panic, cleaned out the rear, sent the rear officers to the front, and adjusted the supply system. Gradually, the resistance of the German troops began to grow and by August 1944 the Red Army stopped, although very close to the borders of the Millennial Reich.
A delighted Hitler declared Model “the savior of the Eastern Front”. On August 17, the newly-minted “savior” was awarded diamonds for the Knight's Cross. Only 28 people received this award in the Reich. In August, he replaced Kluge as commander of Army Group B, at the same time becoming the commander of all German forces in the West. Berlin counted on the rescuer of the Eastern Front in repelling aggression from the West.
Among the officers, the Model was not liked for the soldier's spirit and adherence to strong, even by German standards, discipline. In addition, Model was a loyal member of the NSDAP, a person personally loyal to the Fuehrer, and the German generals of the old leaven professed the principle of “soldiers are out of politics”. In the German generals, ideological Nazis were quite rare.
The model was unable to stop the onslaught of the allies, after three months the Germans left France. The model was replaced by Field Marshal von Runstedt as commander of the troops in the West, but retaining the post of commander of Army Group B.
The model once again proved to be a master of defense when retreating through Belgium to Holland, having managed to stabilize the central sector of the Western Front. Model troops for 80 days did not allow the allies to cross the Scheldt estuary, defeated the British landing in Arnhem in September 1944. Model took an active part in planning and conducting the offensive in the Ardennes. In the Ardennes, Model commanded Manteuffel's 5th Panzer Army and Dietrich's 6th Panzer Army.
Model advocated a retreat east of the Rhine, with only 325,000 men in Model's 21 divisions. These forces were trapped in the Ruhr salient in April 1945. The American offensive had an extremely negative impact on the morale of the German troops. Model's attempts to break through in the northern and southern directions ended in failure. On the eve of the inevitable defeat of his troops and the loss of the war as a whole, Field Marshal Walter Model shot himself in a forest near Duisburg on April 21, 1945.
This edition contains historical portraits of the most famous military leaders of the West who fought against Russia in Patriotic War 1812 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. All these figures are mentioned in general historical works, but nothing more. Therefore, both historians and a wide range of readers will undoubtedly be interested in learning more about the life and work of Napoleon's marshals, military leaders of the Third Reich. The final part presents the commanders of the Great French Revolution who fought for new ideals and brought liberation to the peoples from feudal oppression.
First of all, each character is shown as a military leader with all his merits and demerits, his role and place in history are determined, and the qualities of the commander as a person are revealed.
Walter model
Walter model
German military leader Model Walter (01.24.1891, Gentin, near Magdeburg, - 04.21.1945, Lintorf, near Duisburg), Field Marshal (1944). The son of a music teacher.
He spent his childhood in poverty. In military service since 1909. As a job seeker officer rank(Fanen-Junker) served in the 52nd Infantry Regiment. In 1910 he was promoted to officer, receiving the rank of junior lieutenant. Advancement in the Kaiser's army was very slow, not only for officers from the common people such as Model, but even for those from the nobility. Therefore, until the outbreak of the First World War, the Model remained in the same rank. Member of the First World War on the Western Front. He spent almost the entire war at the front, in combat units, and commanded a company. Such at that time were called "comfrey". He was wounded several times, and was awarded a number of awards for military distinctions, including the Iron Cross of the 2nd and 1st degree. At the end of the war he was transferred to the General Staff (an exceptional case for an officer who does not have a Military Academy behind him).
He ended the war as chief lieutenant. After the liquidation of the Kaiser's army, he was left to serve in the Reichswehr - the army of the Weimar Republic (1919). He served in the 2nd Infantry Regiment, stationed in East Prussia.
In the late 1920s, he was transferred to the Ministry of War, where he served as head of the personnel training department, then the technical department. The author of the most famous book about one of the heroes War of liberation of the German people from the Napoleonic yoke in 1813 by Field Marshal A. Gneisenau. Career advancement in the Reichswehr was also rather slow. Only at the end of 1932, Model received the rank of lieutenant colonel. As a technical specialist in the military delegation visited the Reichswehr.
In January 1933, he supported the rise to power of the Nazis in Germany and immediately became their active supporter, and later - a fanatical adherent. This line of behavior of the Model greatly contributed to his military career... Got acquainted with Goebbels, who introduced him to A. Hitler. Model made a favorable impression on the Fuhrer and won his favor. In 1934 he received the rank of colonel, and in 1938 he was promoted to major general.
During the Czechoslovak Crisis of 1938, at Hitler's instructions, it was planned to appoint Model as chief of staff of the group of forces intended for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. But after the Munich agreement, the need to create such a group disappeared. In October 1938, Model was appointed Chief of Staff of the 4th Army Corps - 4th Military District (headquarters - Dresden), commanded by General W. von Schwedler. In this position, he participated in the Polish campaign of 1939, during which the 4th Army Corps was part of the 10th Army (General W. von Reichenau), operating in the main direction. During the 1940 French campaign, he was Chief of Staff of the 16th Army (General E. Bush).
In November 1940, Model was appointed commander of the 3rd Panzer Division and promoted to lieutenant general. At the head of this division, which was part of the 2nd Panzer Group of General G. Guderian, Model entered the war against Soviet Union(June 1941). Parts of the 3rd Panzer Division fought successfully near Bialystok, Minsk and Smolensk, crossed the Western Bug, Berezina and Dnieper rivers, and took Bobruisk. At the forefront of Panzer Group Guderian's strike, Model's division played important role surrounded and defeated by large groupings of Soviet troops south and southwest of Smolensk (July-August 1941). Then, when 2nd Panzer Group turned south, Model was still operating in the direction of her main attack. On September 15, 1941, his division joined up with the 9th Panzer Division of the 1st Panzer Group of Kleist, advancing from the south, from the Dnieper, towards the 2nd Panzer Group. As a result, the operation to encircle the Kiev group of Soviet troops was completed - the largest encirclement operation in the entire Second World War. In October 1941, he was appointed commander of the 41st Panzer Corps, which was part of the 3rd Panzer Group (General G. Reinhardt), and at the same time received the rank of General of Panzer Forces. For military services in the summer-autumn campaign of 1941, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.
In the fall of 1941, he took part in the offensive on Moscow, which for Nazi troops ended in failure. Here, near Moscow, the Wehrmacht suffered its first major defeat since the beginning of World War II. On the snow-covered fields of the Moscow region, the Red Army, having inflicted a crushing blow on the Nazi troops, dispelled the myth of their invincibility. On January 16, 1942, Model was appointed commander of the 9th Army. His appointment to this high position took place, one might say, out of turn. Despite the objections of some senior military leaders, who believed that 51-year-old General Model, who only 3 months ago commanded only a division, was still young and not experienced enough to occupy such a position, Hitler nevertheless insisted on his candidacy. This time the Fuhrer was not mistaken in his choice. During the fierce battle that unfolded in the winter of 1941-1942 in the Rzhev region, Model not only saved his army from the threat of an encirclement hanging over her and prevented the defeat of the entire left wing of Army Group Center by Soviet troops, but also managed to surround the Soviet 39th army, the defeat of which was completed by the end of February 1942. For successful actions in the Rzhev area, Hitler promoted Model to colonel-general and awarded oak leaves to the Knight's Cross.
Until October 1942, the 9th Army, led by Model, waged successful defensive battles, repelling all attempts by the Soviet troops to eliminate the Rzhevsky ledge of the front occupied by it. Model left this protrusion only after the catastrophe that befell the Nazi Wehrmacht at Stalingrad, when it became clear that the offensive from the Rzhev bridgehead to Moscow in the foreseeable future would not take place and it no longer made sense to hold it. In March 1943, Model carried out a rather skillful withdrawal of his troops (17 divisions) from the Rzhev salient to a new defensive line, located 100-140 km to the west. The evacuation of the Rzhevsky bridgehead was carried out by him skillfully, despite the powerful onslaught of the Soviet troops that had gone over to the offensive, which had a great superiority in forces. After that, the 9th Army was transferred from the northern flank of Army Group Center to the southern one, where it was to take part in the offensive Operation Citadel. General-Field Marshal H. von Kluge, who did not believe in the success of this operation, commander of the forces of Army Group Center, General-Field Marshal G. von Kluge, evaded direct control of it with a clever maneuver, shifting all responsibility to his subordinate, Model.
Thus, Model was entrusted with the leadership of the left (northern) wing of the grouping of German fascist troops, which launched an offensive on the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943.
I must say that Model also doubted the successful outcome of the upcoming operation and opposed its implementation. At his insistence, Hitler postponed the launch of the offensive several times. The Battle of the Kursk Bulge, as Model had foreseen, ended with another crushing defeat of the Nazi Wehrmacht. His 9th Army also suffered a heavy defeat, which, despite all the power of the initial blow it had inflicted, was unable to overcome the in-depth defense of the Soviet troops. By showing greatest courage, fortitude and heroism, the Soviet soldiers repulsed the powerful blow of the enemy, before which, it would seem, nothing could resist. And they not only repulsed, but also inflicted such losses on the enemy's strike group, as a result of which its offensive capabilities were hopelessly undermined. Bloodied in unsuccessful attempts to break through the defenses of the Soviet troops of the Central Front (General K.K. We must pay tribute to Model - after a heavy defeat in the Battle of Kursk, he very skillfully organized the withdrawal of his troops and managed to save the main forces of the 9th Army from complete defeat. During the retreat to the Dnieper, following Hitler's order, he used the "scorched earth tactics" with particular zeal, showed extreme cruelty towards the civilian population, and actively collaborated with the SS punitive organs. By his order, over 250 thousand civilians were deported to Germany. Retreating to the west, the troops of the Model left behind only the smoking ruins of villages and cities burned and destroyed to the ground. Such actions are defined by all international law as war crimes, and military leaders who adhere to such methods of warfare are war criminals. Model managed to stop the offensive of Soviet troops only in October 1943 at the turn of the Dnieper. He commanded the 9th Army until November 1943. On January 31, 1944, he was appointed commander of Army Group North, replacing Field Marshal G. von Küchler in this post. This army group, having been defeated by the Red Army near Novgorod and Leningrad, was in a very difficult situation. To force Hitler to at least partially abandon his extravagant idea of defending the occupied lines at all costs, the Model proposed a new method of warfare, called "shield and sword". Its essence was that a temporary retreat is allowed if it is necessary to prepare a counterattack. Oddly enough, but Model managed to convince Hitler of the expediency of his proposed method and obtain consent to use it.
However, despite all efforts, Model by the beginning of March 1944 was still forced to retreat to the Panther line. Only here, on the approaches to the Baltic States, did he manage to gain a foothold and stabilize the front, which the Nazi troops then held until mid-July. On March 1, 1944, Model was promoted to field marshal general and awarded the Knight's Cross with swords.
But after the stabilization of the front in the zone of Army Group North, it was transferred by Hitler to another sector of the Eastern Front. On March 30, 1944, Model was appointed commander of Army Group South (from April 5, 1944, Army Group Northern Ukraine), replacing Field Marshal E. von Manstein in this post. Here he also had to restore the defense front of the German fascist troops defeated by the Red Army in the Right-Bank Ukraine. The Model successfully coped with this task. The Soviet offensive was stopped and the front in Western Ukraine stabilized until July 1944. After the defeat by the Red Army of Army Group Center in Belarus, Hitler, in order to save the situation on the central sector of the Eastern Front, appoints the remnants of Model as its commander (July 28, 1944). Replacing the commander of Army Group "Center" at the post of his former boss General-Field Marshal E. Bush, Model is making vigorous efforts to rescue the remnants of this army group that suffered a crushing defeat. He managed to stop the advance of Soviet troops only at the border of the Vistula and Narew rivers. Having received reinforcements, Model launched a counterattack, as a result of which he inflicted a serious defeat on the Soviet 2nd Panzer Army on the approaches to Warsaw. In the early autumn of 1944, the strategic breakthrough of the Red Army in the center of the Eastern Front was localized and the front here stabilized until mid-January 1945. Hitler called Model “the savior of the Eastern Front” and awarded him diamonds to the Knight's Cross (17 August 1944). It was the highest military award in the Third Reich. The knight's cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds during the entire Second World War was awarded only 27 people, including 4 field marshals. The model was the third of them.
In mid-August 1944, when the defense front in Poland had not yet been completely stabilized, the Fuehrer set a new task for Model - to save the situation on the Western Front, whose troops suffered a heavy defeat from the allied Anglo-American forces in Normandy.
On August 18, 1944, Model replaced his former chief, Field Marshal G. von Kluge, as commander of the Western Front. At the same time, he led the command of the troops of Army Group B (7th A, 15th A, 5th TA), which was part of this front, the commander of which, Field Marshal E. Rommel, was wounded. Having assumed command, Model immediately gave the order to withdraw the troops of Army Group B (a total of 14 divisions) from the so-called Falaise cauldron. As a result, before the allies completely closed the encirclement ring, he managed to withdraw from the "cauldron" up to half of the troops stationed there. This was a decisive step on the part of the new commander, since his predecessor did not manage to get Hitler's permission for this.
However, despite all his efforts, the Model did not succeed in changing the unfavorable development of events in the West for the Nazi troops. Panzer divisions, the main striking force of the Wehrmacht, suffered especially heavy losses in the battles in Normandy. The enemy completely dominated the air. The fighting efficiency of the troops was inexorably decreasing.
In this situation, despite Hitler's categorical order, Model refused to defend Paris, which was surrendered to the Allies on August 25, 1944. And soon almost all of France was abandoned by fascist German troops. Realizing that Model did not justify the hopes placed on him, Hitler replaced him as commander of the Western Front, Field Marshal G. von Rundstedt (September 5, 1944). The model remained only the commander of the army group "B". In September 1944, he won the battle of Arnhem, where the Allied airborne forces were defeated. At the end of 1944, he opposed the counter-offensive in the Ardennes, believing that with the existing balance of forces and means, it had no chance of success. The commander (from November 17, 1944, commander-in-chief) of the troops of the Western Front, Rundstedt, was of the same opinion. When Hitler nevertheless insisted on conducting a counteroffensive, Rundstedt avoided direct leadership of him, entrusting this matter to Model. Faced with the fact, the latter was forced to submit and did everything in his power to ensure success. On December 16, 1944, the troops led by Model launched an offensive, which at first developed successfully. The allies suffered a serious defeat, since the troops of the 1st American Army, which were attacked by surprise, were unable to provide adequate resistance and, having suffered heavy losses, retreated.
By December 25, German troops, having broken through the Allied front, moved at a depth of more than 90 km and reached the river. Maas. But here their advance was stopped. All attempts to resume it have led nowhere. By January 8, 1945, it became clear to the fascist German command that the counter-offensive in the Ardennes had failed. The transition on January 12 to the offensive on the Eastern Front of the Red Army (Vistula-Oder operation) finally dispelled all the illusions of Hitler's headquarters about the successful outcome of the counteroffensive undertaken in the West. Since the defense front on the Vistula collapsed in the very first days of the Soviet offensive, an urgent transfer of German troops from West to East began. Under the blows of the allies, the troops remaining at the disposal of Model (12 divisions, including 1 tank division) were forced to retreat and by the end of January retreated to their original position. The losses of the Nazi troops in the Ardennes operation amounted to about 82 thousand people.
By mid-March 1945, the Allies had driven the Germans back across the Rhine and launched the Ruhr Offensive (March 23 - April 18, 1945). By this time, Army Group B, led by Model, included a little more than 30 divisions, most of which had a shortage of up to 50%. Crossing the Rhine in the very first days of the offensive, the 1st and 9th American armies began to develop their success in depth, encompassing the main forces of Army Group B from both flanks. On April 1, they linked up in the Lipstadt area. The main forces of Model were surrounded - about 325 thousand people and he himself with his headquarters. With the encirclement of the Ruhr group of German fascist troops, their Western Front actually disintegrated. The Allies, leaving only a part of their forces to eliminate the encircled grouping, concentrated their main efforts on the external front of the encirclement. Meeting almost no resistance, they launched a swift offensive eastward, towards the Elbe River. By April 18, the organized resistance of the German fascist troops in the Ruhr cauldron had practically ceased. The headquarters of Army Group B lost control of the troops, and they began to surrender spontaneously and en masse. On April 17, Model disbanded the remnants of his troops, giving each soldier and officer the opportunity to save themselves as best they could.
All recent months, the field marshal was in an extremely depressed state of mind. Having long been disillusioned with the favorable outcome of the war for Germany, he fought his last battle in the "Ruhr Cauldron" without the same energy and determination. Almost all of his actions were stamped with complete apathy and despair. He no longer tried, as usual, to rigidly demand from the subordinate troops the strict observance of the Fuhrer's order "to hold on at any cost", he ignored Hitler's order to destroy all industrial enterprises of the Ruhr basin.
The model learned that the Russians had put him on the list of war criminals. Therefore, he did not harbor any illusions about the fate awaiting him, being firmly convinced that in the event of surrender to the Allies, he would immediately be surrendered to the Soviet Union. This prospect did not suit him in any way. And the Model decided not to surrender in any case. V the last days The field marshal and his headquarters were not much different from the many thousands of refugees wandering among the ruins of the cities and villages of the Ruhr destroyed by the allied aviation. “A field marshal cannot be captured,” Model has repeatedly declared to his officers these days. "This is impossible!" He was clearly looking for death. At the final stage of the battle, Model, apparently hoping to die like a soldier on the battlefield, repeatedly moved to forward positions, deliberately trying to get under enemy fire. On the morning of April 21, he found himself in a small forest near Duisburg. The Americans were not far away, 2-3 km away. “My hour has struck,” the field marshal said and asked his adjutant to shoot him as a last favor. When the major flatly refused to do this, Model thoughtfully said: "There is nothing worse than falling into the hands of the Russians." Then, taking out his pistol, he asked the bewildered adjutant: "I hope you will bury me?" - and, without waiting for an answer, he shot himself in the temple. For many years, the field marshal's body lay in a secret, unmarked grave, in the very place where he committed suicide. Subsequently, his son Major G. Model reburied the remains of his father in a soldier's cemetery in the Hürtgen forest. Since then, the ashes of this Hitlerite field marshal rest among those soldiers whom he commanded in his last, ingloriously lost battle.
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Like other Hitlerite field marshals, Model was a career officer in the Kaiser's army who began military service shortly before the First World War. He fought bravely on its fronts as a combat officer, was awarded military awards, and gained experience in the General Staff. After Germany's defeat in the war and the dissolution of the Kaiser's army, he continued to serve in the Reichswehr among the few officers. For the vast majority of officers, promotion in the 100,000-strong Reichswehr was very slow. However, for the Model, who was distinguished by a particularly zealous attitude to the performance of his official duties, everything turned out relatively well. In almost 15 years of service in the army of the Weimar Republic, he managed to move up the career ladder from chief lieutenant to lieutenant colonel, moving from an unknown company commander to the head of one of the leading departments of the War Ministry. Very few succeeded in making such a leap in the Reichswehr.
With the coming to power in Germany of the Nazis, who embarked on a course to militarize the country, the situation changed radically. Accelerated promotion of pro-Nazi-minded officers, and Model in a short time proved to be just such, he was given, as they say, " green light". In just some 5 years, Model from lieutenant colonels becomes a general, and after a little more 5 years - a field marshal general.
Unlike most regular Reichswehr officers, Model joined the Nazis immediately after they came to power and soon became their ardent supporter. He made this step quite deliberately, so to speak, out of ideological considerations, despite the fact that the then military leadership did not really like officers who violate the old army principle of "army outside politics." The further course of events showed that the ideology of Nazism adopted by Model largely provided him with successful career in the ranks of the Nazi Wehrmacht. Unlike many of his fellow generals, he was a staunch Nazi, enjoyed great confidence in Hitler, stood out for his personal loyalty to the Fuhrer and was ready to carry out any of his orders without hesitation. It was such military leaders of the new, National Socialist, formation, like Model and the like, that suited Hitler, especially at the final stage of the war, when the initiative finally passed to the enemy, and the German army had only to repel his successive blows, unquestioningly carrying out the order of the Fuhrer "To stand to the end", even contrary to common sense, and even more so, not reckoning with any losses. Gradually encouraged and supported by Hitler, military leaders like Model came to the fore, taking a dominant position in the Wehrmacht. The military leaders of the old formation, who were critical of the Nazis, bearers of "Prussian traditions", the heroes of the victorious campaigns of 1939-1941, were basically either expelled from the army, or pushed into secondary roles, or were used in secondary theaters of military operations.
A distinctive feature of the Model as a military leader was cruelty, which was especially clearly manifested during the war in the East. He was a supporter of waging war with the most barbaric methods, regardless of any restrictions imposed by generally accepted laws and customs of war. On the temporarily occupied Soviet territory, as a rule, a brutal occupation regime was established. Unlike many other military leaders of the Third Reich, Model's cooperation with the punitive organs of the SS, SD and Gestapo has always been the closest, and mutual understanding is complete.
As a high-ranking military leader, Model undoubtedly possessed extraordinary military abilities. He spent the Polish 1939 and French 1940 campaigns in the posts of chief of staff of the corps and army, showing himself as a capable staff worker. His career combat commander began relatively late - only with the beginning of the war against the Soviet Union in 1941. As a commander of a tank division, Model distinguished himself in the summer-autumn campaign of 1941 on the Eastern Front. As the commander of a tank corps in the fall of 1941 and in the winter of 1941-1942, he did not win any special laurels. Attacking Moscow, the 3rd Panzer Group, which included Model's corps, suffered a heavy defeat in the battles on the outskirts of the Soviet capital. Nevertheless, against the background of the general defeat of the Nazi troops on the near approaches to Moscow, Model's actions as a commander of a tank corps were recognized as impeccable, and he went on promotion, while a number of his fellow generals lost their posts. At the same time, the promotion of the Model to a higher position was carried out out of turn, bypassing many applicants who have a solid advantage in seniority over him and have extensive team experience.
As the commander of the 9th Army at the final stage of the Battle of Moscow and in the subsequent battles of 1942 and 1943, Model showed great combat skill. Even the defeat he suffered at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 did not shake Hitler's faith in his military ability.
Subsequently, Model proved to be an outstanding specialist in defensive operations, earning the nickname "Fuehrer's fireman" in army circles. And indeed, where the front of the defense of the German fascist troops collapsed, Hitler immediately sent to save Model's position. In this role, Model especially distinguished himself in the summer of 1944, when he managed to stop the powerful offensive of Soviet troops in the central direction after the disaster of Army Group Center in Belarus, localize the strategic breakthrough of the Red Army to the Vistula and create a new defense front in Poland. At the same time, some clarification should be made here. The fact is that both in the northwestern, and in the southwestern, and in the central directions of the Soviet-German front, the success of the Model was largely relative, since in most cases the troops of the Red Army, having decided in one direction or another After defeating the opposing enemy grouping in fierce battles, advancing during the offensive to great depths, measured by many hundreds of kilometers, and having exhausted their offensive capabilities to a large extent, they themselves were forced to go over to the defensive at the achieved lines. In none of the three cases in 1944 on the Eastern Front did the Model confront the Soviet troops at the beginning of their offensive operations, but appeared only at their final stages. So it was in the North-West, and in Western Ukraine, and in Poland.
As commander of an army and then an army group, Model enjoyed great prestige with Hitler. At the same time, he was not, like some of his colleagues, a weak-willed puppet in the hands of a fascist dictator. On the contrary, this field marshal knew how to defend his point of view before the Fuhrer and was not afraid, if necessary, to enter into an argument with him. At one time (from January to September 1944) his influence on Hitler was quite significant.
The Model's appearance was very unprepossessing - he was below average height, a dense build, with an ugly face and a white hedgehog of short-cropped hair, as well as an invariable monocle. He was a typical Prussian in mind and manner of action. The model possessed great courage, personal courage and enviable energy. Often he appeared in the most responsible and most dangerous sectors of the front, and sometimes he personally could lead the attack of a regiment or even a battalion. He was distinguished by clarity in defining goals and setting tasks for subordinates. In the German army, he was considered an excellent tactician. At the same time, many were irritated by Model's tendency to thoroughly delve into all the little details of the combat situation and the state of the troops, which, as a commander, might simply not interest him. He possessed a valuable gift to inspire and captivate troops to solve assigned tasks. He showed great concern for his subordinates and was quite popular among the troops. This was largely due to his simplicity and ease in dealing with soldiers and junior officers, as well as a subtle understanding of their psychology. At the same time, with officers, especially with the elders, and generals, he was often strict, and sometimes harsh. The end of the career of this Hitlerite field marshal, who put his knowledge and far-from-ordinary military abilities at the service of the Nazis and their criminal goals, was tragic and at the same time logical.
