Valter Geytz Hitler's general. Country: Germany

Biography of Walter Geitz

Walter Geitz (1878-?) was a German general during the era of Adolf Hitler. Born in Berlin in 1878, Geitz began his military career in the field artillery before the turn of the 20th century. Known for his strict demeanor and right-wing views, Geitz was a professional soldier whose passion included fox hunting.

Geitz served as the commandant of Königsberg when Hitler came to power. In 1936, he became the chairman of the Reich Military Tribunal. When the war broke out, his hatred towards the Poles led him to become the commander of the forces in the Danzig area. On September 10, 1939, Geitz enthusiastically wrote, "I must manage the zone primarily with the help of armor! Military personnel have an excessively inflated sense of chivalry."

During the Third Reich period, Geitz quickly climbed the ranks, attaining the rank of Major General in 1933, Lieutenant General in 1934, and General of Artillery in 1937. Despite his advanced age (nearly 61 years old at the time), Geitz was appointed as the commander of the VIII Corps on October 25, 1939. Under his leadership, the corps participated in military actions in France in 1940 and Central Russia in 1941.

In the autumn of 1941, Geitz was sent to Paris to oversee the occupation regime. In the spring of 1942, his corps, under his command, was redeployed to the Soviet Union and attached to the 6th Army in April.

Unlike Friedrich Paulus, another Nazi fanatic, General Walter Geitz attempted to take his own life but was prevented by his Chief of Staff, Oberst Schillknecht. On January 30, 1943, the 10th anniversary of Hitler's rise to power, Geitz was promoted to Colonel General, becoming the second-highest-ranking German prisoner captured at Stalingrad and the third highest among the Allies at that time (after Rudolf Hess and Paulus).

Like many others who became prisoners in Stalingrad, Geitz did not survive the hardships of Soviet captivity. He passed away in Moscow in 1944 under unknown circumstances.