Karl Freiherr von Thüngen
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Karl Freiherr von Thüngen (26 June 1893 – 24 October 1944) was a German
army officer who was the inspector of the army in Berlin
and
was executed after the failed July 20 Plot
in 1944.
He was born in Mainz
. After service in the World War I
he served in the Reichswehr
.
In World War II he served on the Eastern Front, in 1942 and 1943 with the 18th Panzer Division
. On 6 April 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
.
On 20 July 1944, he was appointed by the conspirators as the commander of the defense group III (Berlin) as the successor to the arrested General Joachim von Kortzfleisch
. He did not follow the conspirators orders and later took part in the interrogation of Major Hans-Ulrich von Oertzen
, a supporter of the plot under his command.
He was nevertheless subsequently arrested by the Gestapo. He was dismissed from the army by the court of honor
and was then tried by the People's Court, sentenced to death by Roland Freisler
on 5 October 1944 and shot by firing squad in Brandenburg prison on 24 October 1944.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
army officer who was the inspector of the army in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and
was executed after the failed July 20 Plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
in 1944.
He was born in Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. After service in the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
.
In World War II he served on the Eastern Front, in 1942 and 1943 with the 18th Panzer Division
18th Panzer Division (Germany)
The 18th Panzer Division was a German World War II armoured division that fought on the Eastern Front from 1941 until disbandment in 1943.- Commanding officers :*General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring, 26 October 1940...
. On 6 April 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
.
On 20 July 1944, he was appointed by the conspirators as the commander of the defense group III (Berlin) as the successor to the arrested General Joachim von Kortzfleisch
Joachim von Kortzfleisch
General Joachim Otto August Achatius Kortzfleisch was a German army officer who was the commander of the defense group III and had a role in ensuring the failure of the attempted coup after the July 20 Plot attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Biography:Joachim von Kortzfleisch was born into an...
. He did not follow the conspirators orders and later took part in the interrogation of Major Hans-Ulrich von Oertzen
Hans-Ulrich von Oertzen
Hans Ulrich von Oertzen was a German officer who served in Army Group Centre of the Wehrmacht during World War II...
, a supporter of the plot under his command.
Court of Honor
A court of honor is a semi-official or unofficial tribunal constituted to determine various questions of social protocol, breaches of etiquette, and other allegations of breaches of honor, or entitlement to various honors...
and was then tried by the People's Court, sentenced to death by Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
on 5 October 1944 and shot by firing squad in Brandenburg prison on 24 October 1944.