Siegfried Kasche Diplomat, German envoy to the Independent State of Croatia Date of Birth: 18.06.1903 Country: Germany

1. Siegfried Kasche: A Notorious Diplomat and Nazi Leader
2. Early Life and Education
3. Political Involvement and SA Career
4. Diplomatic Mission to Croatia
5. Failed Appointment as Reichskommissar of Moscow
6. Arrest, Trial, and Execution

Siegfried Kasche: A Notorious Diplomat and Nazi Leader

Siegfried Kasche (18 June 1903 – 20 June 1947) was a German diplomat, envoy to the Independent State of Croatia, and a high-ranking leader in the SA (Sturmabteilung), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party.

Early Life and Education

Born in Potsdam, Kasche attended the Viktoria-Gymnasium and later joined the cadet corps in Potsdam and Lichterfelde. After the dissolution of the cadet school in 1918, he participated in volunteer corps activities in Berlin and the Baltics.

Political Involvement and SA Career

In 1925, Kasche joined the SA and the NSDAP (Nazi Party) in 1926. He held various leadership positions in the party and the SA, including Deputy Gauleiter of Ostmark and Group Commander of the SA.

During the "Night of the Long Knives" in 1934, Kasche was arrested for his involvement in the SA's alleged plot. However, thanks to the intervention of Hermann Göring, he escaped execution and was released from detention a month later.

Diplomatic Mission to Croatia

From 1941 until the end of the war in May 1945, Kasche served as the envoy to the Independent State of Croatia, acting as the representative of the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. Ribbentrop's decision to appoint SA leaders as diplomats was an attempt to replace traditional diplomats and curb the influence of the SS in foreign policy.

In this role, Kasche actively supported the fascist Ustaše regime of Ante Pavelić and participated in the mass deportations and killings of Serbs, Roma, and Jews in Croatia.

Failed Appointment as Reichskommissar of Moscow

Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Kasche was considered as a candidate for the post of Reichskommissar of Moscow. However, the unfavorable course of the war prevented him from taking up this position.

Arrest, Trial, and Execution

After the war, Kasche was captured by the Allies and handed over to Yugoslav authorities. In May 1947, he faced trial before the Supreme People's Court of the Republic of Croatia. He was found guilty of participating in deportations and mass murders and sentenced to death by hanging on 7 June 1947. The sentence was carried out on 19 June 1947, a day after his 44th birthday.