Klaus Reinhardt
Encyclopedia
Klaus Reinhardt is a former German Army General
.
He used to be commander of the German Army Forces Command
, of the NATO Joint Headquarters Center (formerly Headquarters Allied Land Forces Central Europe), and of KFOR
in Kosovo
.
, and later continued as operations officer from October 1966 to Oktober 1967.
From 1967 to 1972 he studied history and political sciences at the University of Freiburg
, earning a doctoral degree with his dissertation about the strategic failure of Hitler
in the Battle of Moscow
. In 1968 he already was promoted to Captain and served as company commander with Gebirgsjägerbataillon 221 in Mittenwald. From 1973 to 1975 he passed the General Staff course at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg
. In 1975 he additionally passed the US Command and General Staff officer course in Fort Leavenworth
.
In October 1976 Reinhardt was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and served as operations staff officer (G-3
) of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in Heidelberg
. From January 1978 to October 1980 he used to be assistant to the Vice Inspector General of the German Military, General Jürgen Brandt at the ministry of defence in Bonn
. From 1982 he took command of the Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 in Bad Reichenhall
. From 1982 to 1983 he served as operations officer (G-3) in the staff of the 1st Mountain Division in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
. After his promotion to full colonel he served as military assistant to the then minister of defence Manfred Wörner
and in 1986 till September 1988 as commander of the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 in Bad Reichenhall.
In 1 October 1988 he was promoted to Brigadier General
and the same day took over as Chief of Staff Section IV (Planning; NATO Forces, conception of the Federal Armed Forces, coordination of the budgetary means for the military and planning of armament) within the Armed Forces Staff of the German Ministry of Defence in Bonn.
Im October 1990 he was appointed Major General
and a commander of the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
in Hamburg
. During this times he also used to be vice president of the Clausewitz Society and member of the scientific advisory council of the German Military History Research Office (MGFA). As commander of the command and general staff college he changed the academy to a strategic and operational think tank and opened it to officers from Eastern European countries, one reason why he was awarded a honorary doctarate of the University of Budapest
.
In June 1993 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
and appointed commander of the 3rd Army Corps in Koblenz
, which he also had to disband due to military reforms. In 1994 built up the German Army Forces Command in Koblenz as commanding general and made it a key element for the German military missions abroad. He formally led the German military missions in Somalia
(UNOSOM), Croatia
, and Bosnia and Herzegowina (IFOR
, SFOR
).
In April 1988 he was promoted to General
] and appointed Commander NATO Joint Headquarters Centre (today Allied Land Component Command - Headquarters Heidelberg). He actively participated in the NATO structure reform process. From October 1999 to April 2000 he served as commander KFOR
in Pristina, Kosovo and was in charge of 50,000 soldiers from 39 nations. In march 2001 Reinhard retired.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
He used to be commander of the German Army Forces Command
German Army Forces Command
Army Command in Falckenstein Barracks in Koblenz is one of the two leadership pillars of the German Army, together with the German Army Office....
, of the NATO Joint Headquarters Center (formerly Headquarters Allied Land Forces Central Europe), and of KFOR
KFOR
The Kosovo Force is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
Military career
In 1960 entered the German Army as a officer candidate with the mountain infantry forces. From 1963 on he served as a platoon leader with the Gebirgsjägerbataillon 222 in MittenwaldMittenwald
Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria.-Geography:Mittenwald is located approx. 16 kilometers to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen...
, and later continued as operations officer from October 1966 to Oktober 1967.
From 1967 to 1972 he studied history and political sciences at the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, earning a doctoral degree with his dissertation about the strategic failure of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in the Battle of Moscow
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
. In 1968 he already was promoted to Captain and served as company commander with Gebirgsjägerbataillon 221 in Mittenwald. From 1973 to 1975 he passed the General Staff course at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. In 1975 he additionally passed the US Command and General Staff officer course in Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
.
In October 1976 Reinhardt was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and served as operations staff officer (G-3
G3 (NATO)
G3, in NATO, is the Assistant Chief Of Staff or senior staff officer on Operations and Plans at the division level and higher ....
) of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. From January 1978 to October 1980 he used to be assistant to the Vice Inspector General of the German Military, General Jürgen Brandt at the ministry of defence in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
. From 1982 he took command of the Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 in Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgauer Alps ....
. From 1982 to 1983 he served as operations officer (G-3) in the staff of the 1st Mountain Division in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
. After his promotion to full colonel he served as military assistant to the then minister of defence Manfred Wörner
Manfred Wörner
Manfred Hermann Wörner was a German politician and diplomat. He served as the defense minister of West Germany between 1982 and 1988. He then served as the seventh Secretary General of NATO from 1988 to 1994. His term as Secretary General saw the end of the Cold War and the German reunification...
and in 1986 till September 1988 as commander of the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 in Bad Reichenhall.
In 1 October 1988 he was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and the same day took over as Chief of Staff Section IV (Planning; NATO Forces, conception of the Federal Armed Forces, coordination of the budgetary means for the military and planning of armament) within the Armed Forces Staff of the German Ministry of Defence in Bonn.
Im October 1990 he was appointed Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and a commander of the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
The Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr is the highest military academy of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr. Established in 1957, and since 1958 located in Hamburg, it is the successor of the Prussian Military Academy that was established in 1810...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. During this times he also used to be vice president of the Clausewitz Society and member of the scientific advisory council of the German Military History Research Office (MGFA). As commander of the command and general staff college he changed the academy to a strategic and operational think tank and opened it to officers from Eastern European countries, one reason why he was awarded a honorary doctarate of the University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
.
In June 1993 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and appointed commander of the 3rd Army Corps in Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
, which he also had to disband due to military reforms. In 1994 built up the German Army Forces Command in Koblenz as commanding general and made it a key element for the German military missions abroad. He formally led the German military missions in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
(UNOSOM), Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and Bosnia and Herzegowina (IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
, SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
).
In April 1988 he was promoted to General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
] and appointed Commander NATO Joint Headquarters Centre (today Allied Land Component Command - Headquarters Heidelberg). He actively participated in the NATO structure reform process. From October 1999 to April 2000 he served as commander KFOR
KFOR
The Kosovo Force is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244...
in Pristina, Kosovo and was in charge of 50,000 soldiers from 39 nations. In march 2001 Reinhard retired.