Günther von Kluge

Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge, known as Günther von Kluge (Posen, German Empire; October 30, 1882-Metz, France; August 19, 1944), nicknamed "Kluger Hans" (equivalent to Clever John, a play on words in German, since klug means clever, intelligent), was a German soldier with the rank of Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht.

Beginnings

Born into a Prussian family with a great military tradition, von Kluge was a master in Blitzkrieg and was appointed Generalfeldmarschall of Germany in July 1940. During the First World War he had been an officer of the General Staff, participating in the Battle of Verdun in 1916.

World War II

In 1936 he was a lieutenant general and in 1937 he obtained command of the VI Army Corps, which became the German IV Army, which he led in the war with Poland in 1939.

Battle of France

Before the beginning of activity on the Western Front he opposed the attack plans against France, but was placed in command of the Fourth Army in its advance in the Ardennes, which would culminate in the defeat of the French army. At this time Kluge developed a covert rivalry with General Heinz Guderian over his impetuosity in attacking the English at Dunkirk and maintained a hidden animosity against Marshal Erwin Rommel.

He was promoted to Field Marshal on July 19, 1940 at the Field Marshal Ceremony, along with twelve other senior German officers who had had an outstanding participation in the recent campaigns in France and Poland.

Russian front

In 1941 he was appointed commander of Army Group Center on the Russian front, with the famous Heinz Guderian, the tank general, as his subordinate (although the reality was that he acted on his own initiative, ignoring Kluge's instructions).).

In December of that year, at the gates of Moscow, faced with the compromised situation and at the suggestion of Guderian, Kluge tried to persuade Hitler about the need for a limited withdrawal by sectors, in the face of the Soviet winter counteroffensive. Kluge personally telephoned the Führer's headquarters repeatedly, but was told that "small retreats always constitute a total retreat."

Hoepner's forces attempted to take Moscow and reached just 42 km from the center of the Russian capital. However, due to a lack of fuel and supplies, he had to retreat in the face of a counterattack by Siberian squads and workers. Kluge ordered Guderian to cross the Oka River and support these forces from the south, but the II Panzer Corps encountered well-armed Siberian divisions that stopped it and therefore, to Kluge's knowledge, it had to retreat to avoid being defeated. Kluge used Guderian as a scapegoat for the failure to take Moscow before Hitler, making him appear insubordinate and dismissed him. Guderian resigned from the army and retired.

When the situation became unsustainable, in command of the entire Army Group Center, he demonstrated his tactical qualities in the defensive battles to maintain a stable front, until the second German offensive in Russia began, in the summer of 1942..

Western Europe

On October 27, 1943, Kluge was seriously injured when his vehicle overturned on the road from Minsk to Smolensk. He was unable to return to active service until July 1944, when he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Western Front, after Gerd von Rundstedt was dismissed following the Allied landings in Normandy. He tried in vain to counterattack in the Avranches area (Operation Lüttich), but his forces proved insufficient to stop the US VII Corps, a failure that plunged him into a deep depression.

Participation in conspiracies

Kluge was involved in some way with the military resistance, or at least knew some details. Although he did not actively participate, he made an omission before his superiors. He maintained a lukewarm attitude and did not reveal the plans, which he knew of von Tresckow, one of the leaders of the resistance (Widerstand) (and who served as chief of staff in Army Group Center), to finish off Hitler during a visit. to Army Group Center. However, Kluge (like Fromm) refused to support the conspirators of the July 20 plot as soon as he learned that Hitler had survived the assassination attempt by Claus von Stauffenberg.

Later, he was called to Berlin to meet with Hitler after the failed Stauffenberg coup. Convinced that Hitler would punish him for conspiracy (and for alleged attempts at negotiation with the Allies - in fact, Himmler and Bormann had already raised suspicions about this before Hitler -), he committed suicide by taking cyanide on the plane that took him to Berlin.

However, SS-Gruppenführer Jürgen Stroop confessed that it was he who personally killed Kluge with an accurate bullet during the flight to Berlin. In his will, Kluge reaffirmed his loyalty to Hitler.

Decorations

• Cross of Iron 2.a Class 1914 (Eisernes Kreuz 1914, II. Klasse).
• Iron Cross 1.a Class 1914 (Eisernes Kreuz 1914 I Klasse).
• 1918 in bronze (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Bronze).
• Air observation badges for officers 1914 (Abzeichen für Beobachtungsoffiziere aus Flugzeugen 1914).
• Cross to the Military Merit of Austria of third class with insignia of war (Österreichisches Militär-Verdienstkreuz, 3. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration).
• Cross of Knights with Swords of the Order of the Royal House of Hohenzollern of Prussia (Preußischer Königlicher Hohenzollern-Hausorden, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern).
• Order to the Military Merit of Bavaria Fourth Class with Swords (Bayerischer Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern).
• Cross to the Merit of 2.a Mecklenburg-Schwerin Class (Militärverdienstkreuz, 2. Klasse (Mecklenburg-Schwerin).
• Medal of Oldenburg Merit “für Rettung aus Gefahr” (Oldenburgische Verdienstmedaille “für Rettung aus Gefahr“).
• Front Combatant Honorary Cross 1914-1918 (Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer).
• Brooch of the Iron Cross 1939 of 2.a Class (1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuzes 2. Klasse 1914) – 05 Set 1939.
• Brooch of the Iron Cross 1939 of 1.a Class (1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuzes 1. Klasse 1914) – 17 Set 1939.
• Cross of Knights of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) – 30 Set 1939.
• Mentioned in the Armed Forces Report (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) – 07 Aug 1941.
• Mentioned in the Armed Forces Report (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) – 18 Oct 1941.
• Mentioned in the Armed Forces Report (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) – 19 Oct 1941.
• Robles leaves for the RK N° 181 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub Nr. 181) – 18 Jan 1943.
• Mentioned in the Armed Forces Report (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) – 03 Set 1943.
• Swords for RK N° 40 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten 40) – 29 Oct 1943.
• 1.a Class Armed Forces Service Cross 25 years (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 1. Klasse, 25 Jahre) – 13 Mar 1938.
• Fourth Class Armed Forces Service Medal 4 years (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung 4. Klasse, 4 Jahre).
• Medal of the Eastern Front Campaign (Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42").
• Medal of the annexation of Austria (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938).
• Medalla de Anexión de los Sudetes (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938).