Nickname: Hitler's Austrian Fireman
Date of Birth: 23.10.1887 - Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria (Austria-Hungary)
Date of Death: 17.01.1971 - Fraham near Eferding, Upper Austria (Austria)
Battles and Operations: World War I (Eastern Front, Italian Front, Galicia, Carpathians), Operation Barbarossa, Battle of Kursk, defensive battles at Orel salient, Operation Rösselsprung (Drvar Raid), Lapland War (Finland withdrawal), Courland Pocket, defense of East Prussia and Austria, Prague Offensive
NSDAP-Number: unknown (joined Austrian NSDAP May 1932)
SS-Number: none (Heer)
Religion: No information
Parents: Father Lukas Rendulic (Oberst in the k.u.k. Army), Mother no information
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Anna Nella Zöbl
Children: Helmut Rendulic (born 1928)
Title: Doctorate in law
Promotions:
08.08.1910 k.u.k. Leutnant
04.08.1914 k.u.k. Oberleutnant
01.05.1917 k.u.k. Hauptmann
00.00.1925 Major (österreichisches Bundesheer)
00.00.1929 Oberstleutnant i.G. (österreichisches Bundesheer)
00.00.1933 Oberst (österreichisches Bundesheer)
01.04.1938 Oberst i.G. (Reichsheer)
01.12.1939 Generalmajor
01.12.1941 Generalleutnant
01.12.1942 General der Infanterie
01.04.1944 Generaloberst
Career:
00.00.1910 - 00.00.1918 various positions in k.u.k. Army (99. Infanterie-Regiment, 31. Infanterie-Division, XXI. Korps)
00.00.1920 - 00.00.1938 Austrian Bundesheer (staff and instructional roles, military attaché in Paris and London 1934-1936)
01.04.1938 - 00.00.1940 transferred to Wehrmacht, staff officer
23.06.1940 - 10.10.1940 Kommandeur 14. Infanterie-Division
00.10.1940 - 00.00.1942 Kommandeur 52. Infanterie-Division
00.00.1942 - 00.00.1943 Kommandierender General XXXV. Armeekorps
00.00.1943 - 06.1944 Oberbefehlshaber 2. Panzerarmee (Yugoslavia)
06.1944 - 01.1945 Oberbefehlshaber 20. Gebirgsarmee and Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Norwegen
01.1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Kurland
01.1945 - 03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord
03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Kurland (second time)
04.1945 - 05.1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Ostmark (formerly Süd)
05.1945 - 02.1948 prisoner of war, tried at Nuremberg Hostages Trial
02.1948 - 01.02.1951 imprisoned Landsberg am Lech
00.00.1951 - 17.01.1971 author and local politician in Austria
Awards and Decorations:
Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern
Orden der Eisernen Krone III. Klasse mit Schwertern (twice)
Militär-Verdienstmedaille in Bronze and Silver
Karl-Truppenkreuz
Verwundetenmedaille mit Streifen
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Eisernes Kreuz 1939 2. Klasse 20.09.1939
Eisernes Kreuz 1939 1. Klasse 10.10.1939
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 26.12.1941 als Generalmajor und Kommandeur der 52. Infanterie-Division
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (06.03.1942) as Generalleutnant and Kommandeur 52. Infanterie-Division. In the bitter winter of 1941-1942 on the central sector of the Eastern Front, southwest of Juchnow in the Lidijagrund area, Rendulic led his 52nd Infantry Division in a daring counterattack against Soviet forces that had penetrated deep into the German rear. Amid freezing temperatures, deep snowdrifts, and relentless Soviet pressure, the division launched an assault on 9 February 1942 to seal off and destroy the enemy thrust threatening supply lines and rear areas.
Rendulic’s troops advanced through waist-deep snow under artillery barrages and machine-gun fire, engaging in close-quarters fighting with bayonets and grenades as Soviet infantry and tanks attempted to break through. The general personally directed the operation from forward positions, coordinating infantry assaults with limited artillery and anti-tank support. His men cleared fortified Soviet pockets house by house and bunker by bunker in the wooded and frozen terrain, ultimately eliminating the threat and restoring the integrity of the German lines. This successful local counterstroke, which prevented a larger enemy breakthrough near the critical Juchnow sector, highlighted Rendulic’s calm leadership and tactical skill in desperate defensive situations. The award recognized this outstanding command performance during the defensive battles of Army Group Center in the harsh winter fighting.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #271 (15.08.1943) as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General XXXV. Armeekorps. Following the failure of Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, the Red Army unleashed a massive counteroffensive against the Orel salient. Rendulic’s XXXV Army Corps, positioned on the eastern edge of the salient, faced the full fury of Soviet tank armies and infantry waves in some of the most savage defensive fighting of the war.
From mid-July onward, Soviet forces hurled hundreds of T-34 tanks and waves of infantry supported by heavy artillery and air strikes against the German positions. Rendulic’s corps, lacking sufficient armor and facing overwhelming numerical superiority, conducted a masterful fighting withdrawal while inflicting heavy losses. In the rolling hills and river valleys east of Orel, his troops dug in behind hasty fortifications, using anti-tank guns, mines, and Panzerfausts in desperate close-range ambushes. Entire Soviet tank brigades were shattered in the blazing summer heat as German defenders held key strongpoints under relentless bombardment.
Rendulic coordinated multi-division counterattacks and timely retreats, preventing the collapse of the entire salient and buying critical time for the orderly evacuation of Orel itself. Despite being pushed back, the corps maintained cohesion and repeatedly blunted Soviet breakthroughs through skillful use of terrain and concentrated fire. The Oak Leaves were awarded for this outstanding leadership in the defensive battles on the eastern edge of the Orel salient immediately after Operation Citadel, where Rendulic’s corps played a pivotal role in stabilizing the front during one of the largest Soviet offensives of 1943.
Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP 19.09.1944
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #122 (18.01.1945) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber 20. Gebirgsarmee. After assuming command of the 20th Mountain Army in northern Finland and Norway in June 1944 (following the death of Generaloberst Eduard Dietl), Rendulic faced the collapse of German-Finnish cooperation. When Finland signed an armistice with the Soviet Union in September 1944, the Germans were ordered to withdraw their forces rapidly to Norway under the threat of attack from former Finnish allies and advancing Soviet troops.
Rendulic orchestrated one of the most challenging large-scale fighting withdrawals of the war across hundreds of kilometers of Arctic terrain – dense forests, swamps, rivers, and frozen tundra – in the face of harsh autumn and winter conditions, limited roads, and constant harassment. His mountain troops, reinforced with various units, conducted a series of delaying actions and rearguard battles while destroying infrastructure to deny it to the enemy. Columns of soldiers, horses, and vehicles moved northward under snow, rain, and fog, often fighting off Finnish and Soviet probes.
Despite enormous logistical difficulties and the vast distances involved, Rendulic managed to evacuate the bulk of his army intact, preserving “Germany’s best army” in the far north. The operation involved tactical brilliance in timing demolitions, coordinating naval support along the coast, and maintaining discipline amid exhaustion and isolation. Hitler personally congratulated Rendulic in January 1945, stating that he had saved the army. The Schwerter recognized this outstanding command achievement in directing the successful withdrawal of the 20th Mountain Army from Finland during the Lapland War.
Ärmelband Kurland 1945
Lapplandschild 1945
Wehrmachtbericht mentions 06.06.1944, 28.12.1944, 14.03.1945, 09.05.1945
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Lothar Rendulic was an Austrian-born officer who rose to the rank of Generaloberst in the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War and became known as Hitlers Austrian Fireman for his repeated success in stabilizing collapsing fronts across multiple theaters. Born on 23 October 1887 in Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria within the Austro-Hungarian Empire he came from a military family with his father Lukas serving as an Oberst in the k.u.k. Army. After completing his law studies and earning a doctorate in jurisprudence Rendulic joined the Austro-Hungarian forces in 1910 as a Leutnant and saw extensive combat throughout the First World War on the Eastern Front and in the Carpathians and Galicia where he participated in fierce mountain battles and earned several imperial decorations including the Military Merit Cross and the Iron Crown Order. Following the collapse of the empire he transferred to the new Austrian Bundesheer in the 1920s advancing through staff and instructional posts while also serving as military attache in Paris and London during the mid-1930s. An early supporter of the Austrian Nazi movement he joined the party in May 1932 which briefly led to his forced retirement in 1936 before the Anschluss of 1938 reactivated him into the Wehrmacht at the rank of Oberst im Generalstab.
During the opening campaigns of the Second World War Rendulic served initially in staff roles before assuming command of the 14th Infantry Division in June 1940 and later the 52nd Infantry Division. It was in this latter position on the central sector of the Eastern Front during the brutal winter fighting of 1941-1942 that he earned his first major decoration. In February 1942 southwest of Juchnow in the Lidijagrund area his division faced a deep Soviet penetration that threatened German supply lines amid waist-deep snow freezing temperatures and relentless artillery barrages. Rendulic personally directed a counterattack from forward positions coordinating infantry assaults through snowdrifts with limited anti-tank support as his men engaged in savage close-quarters fighting with bayonets grenades and small-arms fire to clear fortified Soviet pockets house by house and bunker by bunker. The successful operation sealed off the enemy thrust restored the front and prevented a larger breakthrough earning him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 6 March 1942 as Generalleutnant and divisional commander for his calm leadership and tactical skill under extreme pressure.
By the summer of 1943 Rendulic had advanced to command the XXXV Army Corps as General der Infanterie and found himself at the center of one of the most intense defensive struggles of the war following the failure of Operation Citadel at Kursk. When the Red Army launched its massive counteroffensive against the Orel salient in July his corps on the eastern edge absorbed the brunt of Soviet tank armies and infantry waves supported by heavy artillery and air strikes. In the rolling hills and river valleys east of Orel German troops under his direction dug into hasty fortifications using anti-tank guns mines and Panzerfausts in desperate ambushes that shattered entire Soviet tank brigades in the blazing summer heat. Rendulic orchestrated skillful multi-division counterattacks and timed withdrawals maintaining unit cohesion despite overwhelming numerical superiority and preventing the immediate collapse of the salient. His leadership during these savage battles which bought critical time for the orderly evacuation of Orel itself resulted in the award of the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 15 August 1943 as the 271st recipient recognizing his outstanding performance in stabilizing the front after the failed German summer offensive.
In June 1944 following the death of Generaloberst Eduard Dietl Rendulic was promoted to Generaloberst and took command of the 20th Mountain Army in northern Finland and Norway just as German-Finnish cooperation collapsed. When Finland signed an armistice with the Soviet Union in September 1944 he faced the enormous task of executing a fighting withdrawal of his forces across hundreds of kilometers of Arctic terrain including dense forests swamps rivers and frozen tundra under constant harassment from former Finnish allies and advancing Soviet troops. His mountain divisions conducted a series of delaying actions and rearguard battles while destroying infrastructure to deny it to the enemy with long columns of soldiers horses and vehicles moving northward through snow rain and fog often fighting off probes in isolated engagements. Despite severe logistical challenges vast distances and exhaustion among the troops Rendulic maintained discipline coordinated coastal naval support and timed demolitions with tactical precision preserving the bulk of his army intact in what became known as the Lapland War. Hitler personally congratulated him in January 1945 for saving Germanys best army in the far north and this achievement earned Rendulic the Swords to his Knights Cross with Oak Leaves on 18 January 1945 as the 122nd recipient.
Following the successful evacuation from Finland Rendulic was transferred in rapid succession to command Army Group Kurland in January 1945 then Army Group North and again Kurland before taking over Army Group Ostmark the former Army Group South in April 1945 for the final defense of Austria and Bohemia. In these desperate late-war battles he oversaw rearguard actions in the Courland Pocket and the defense of East Prussia where his forces fought against overwhelming Soviet superiority in bitter winter conditions. His reputation as a crisis manager led to his repeated deployment to the most threatened sectors but the strategic situation had deteriorated beyond recovery. At the end of the war in May 1945 he was captured by American forces and held as a prisoner until his trial in the 1948 Nuremberg Hostages Trial where he was convicted of war crimes related to hostage executions in Yugoslavia although acquitted on charges stemming from scorched-earth policies in Lapland. He served ten years in Landsberg Prison before his release on 1 February 1951.
In the years after his release Rendulic settled in Upper Austria where he worked as an author publishing several books reflecting on his military experiences and strategic views of the war. He also engaged in local politics while maintaining a low public profile. Lothar Rendulic died on 17 January 1971 in Fraham near Eferding and was buried in the Pfarrfriedhof in Leonding. He was survived by his wife Anna Nella Zöbl and their son Helmut born in 1928. Throughout his career Rendulic had demonstrated a consistent talent for defensive operations under extreme adversity rising from a junior officer in the imperial army to one of only three Austrians to reach the highest general officer rank in the Wehrmacht.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothar_Rendulic
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/16522/Rendulic-Lothar.htm
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/rendulic-lothar/
https://www.geni.com/people/Lothar-Rendulic/6000000024316674172
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
Scherzer, Veit: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 (various editions referencing awards and dates)
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