 |
Felix SteinerGerman military leader, SS-Obergruppenführer, general of the SS troops
Date of Birth: 23.05.1896
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Felix Steiner
Felix Martin Julius Steiner was born in 1896 in Stalluponen, East Prussia, to a family of Austrian immigrants. He joined the army in 1914 and fought in the First World War in assault units on the Eastern and Western fronts. In 1919, he was demobilized from the army with the rank of Oberleutnant and served in the Prussian State Police as a Major. During this time, Steiner actively participated in the creation of units for the Volunteer Corps.
In 1921, Felix Steiner began working for the Reichswehr as an adjutant in an infantry regiment, and later served in the training department of the Reichswehr. He worked there until 1933 and achieved the rank of Captain. Since 1930, Steiner had been a member of the paramilitary units of the SS, which later became the armed forces of the SS. In 1933, he also joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Felix Steiner became one of the founders of the SS troops and the closest assistant to Paul Hausser. He was also among the organizers of the SS Junker School and one of the authors of the educational programs for the SS troops. In June 1933, he was appointed commander of the SS regiment 'Deutschland'. Steiner participated in the occupation of the Sudetenland, Poland, France, and other regions. In 1940, as a divisional commander, he was involved in the establishment of the SS 'Wiking' Division. His division fought on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1941 and was stationed near Rostov and Tuapse. Steiner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
In November 1942, Steiner's units, now the 5th SS Motorized Division, were the first to enter the Caucasus. From November 1942 to January 1943, Steiner commanded the SS Corps group, later known as the 'Steiner Group'. In 1943, he became the commander of the 3rd SS Panzer Corps, and in January 1944, his actions saved the 18th Army from destruction near Leningrad. The Steiner Corps then fought near Narva, Estonia.
For his outstanding military achievements, Felix Steiner was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords in 1944. By that time, he had gained a reputation as 'the most disobedient of Himmler's generals'. Steiner attempted to resign from his command due to his declining health, but Himmler soon appointed him as the commander of the 11th Army, which operated in Pomerania as part of Army Group Vistula. In 1945, when the army was greatly weakened and its numbers were very small, the counterattack ordered in northwest Poland ended in failure. Steiner was accused of lacking leadership skills for large units, and in March 1945, he was replaced.
On April 22, 1945, Steiner received an order from Hitler to unite all available forces under his command and launch a counterattack against the Russian forces. The battle was already taking place in the southern suburbs of Berlin. However, the stubborn general completely ignored the order that would send him and his men to certain death and led his troops west, where he surrendered to the British forces on May 3, 1945. The war ended for Steiner with almost three years of captivity. After his release, he returned to his homeland and participated in the work of the HIAG, a mutual assistance society for former SS members. Felix Steiner authored several books in which he attempted to "whitewash" the SS troops and separate them from the Gestapo and the concentration camp guards. However, the Nuremberg Trials recognized the SS troops as a criminal organization, so Steiner's views were heavily criticized.
