Walter Von Reichenau

Reichenau, Walter Von

 

Born Oct. 8, 1884, in Karlsruhe; died Jan. 17, 1942, in Poltava. Fascist German field marshal (1940). Son of a diplomat.

Reichenau fought in World War I and then served in the Reichswehr. He was chief of staff of a military district from 1930 and chief of a department at the Ministry of the Reichswehr from 1933 to 1935. Reichenau participated in building up the Wehrmacht. He was one of the most fanatic Nazi generals. He was commander of the Tenth Army in the attack on Poland in September 1939. In October 1939, Reichenau became commander of the Sixth Army, which he led in the aggression against France and the USSR. He became commander of Army Group South on the Soviet-German front in December 1941. In the same month he issued an order concerning the extermination of Soviet prisoners of war and Soviet civilians. He died of a heart attack.