Bio of Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (1883-1948)

Full name: Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz.  
Nickname: No information

Date of birth: 10 July 1883 - Peterswalde, East Prussia (German Empire)
Date of death: 5 February 1948 - Nuremberg, Bavaria (Germany)

Religion: Protestant (evangelisch‑lutherisch)
Parents: Hermann Adam Franz Blaskowitz (1848–1919), a Protestant pastor, and Marie Blaskowitz, née Kuhn (1852–1886)
Siblings: Blaskowitz had three sisters, with whom he grew up in East Prussia after his mother’s early death in 1886 and his father’s second marriage
Spouse: Anna Blaskowitz, née Riege (married 1906)
Children: One son and one daughter. Exact first names are not consistently recorded in major biographical sources but are listed as “1 Sohn, 1 Tochter” in regional biographical registers. [ostpreussen]

Promotions:
00.00.1899: Kadett
02.03.1901: Fähnrich
27.01.1902: Leutnant - Patent 10.07.1900
27.01.1910: Oberleutnant
17.02.1914: Hauptmann
01.06.1921: Major
06.04.1926: Oberstleutnant
01.10.1929: Oberst
01.10.1932: Generalmajor
01.12.1933: Generalleutnant
01.08.1936: General der Infanterie
01.10.1939: Generaloberst

Career:
00.00.1894: Kadett in Köslin
00.00.1897: Hauptkadettenanstalt, Groß-Lichterfelde, Berlin
02.03.1901: Fähnrich, Infanterie-Regiment „von Grolmann" (1. Posensches) Nr. 18, Osterode
00.00.1901: Kriegsschule Engers
27.01.1902: promoted to Leutnant
00.00.1908-00.00.1911: Kriegsakademie in Berlin
00.00.1911: promoted to Oberleutnant, 3. Kompanie, 9. Badischen Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 170, Offenburg
01.04.1914: Olt., Stab, Infanterie-Regiment „Markgraf Ludwig Wilhelm" (3. Badisches) Nr. 111
00.00.1914-00.00.1918: Hauptmann und Kompaniechef - Eastern front, Lothringen, Flandern, Tirol, Serbia
00.04.1916: Generalstabsoffizier - Kovel, Riga
00.00.1919: Hauptquartier, X. Armee-Korps, Hannover
00.00.1919: Generalstabsoffizier, Hauptquartier, Wehrkreis V, Stuttgart
01.10.1924: Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, 13. (Württembergischen) Infanterie-Regiment, Ulm
00.00.1926: promoted to Oberstleutnant
00.00.1928: Chef des Stabes, 5. Division, Stuttgart
01.10.1929: promoted to Oberst und Landeskommandant Baden
00.10.1930: Oberst, Kommandeur, 14. (Badisches) Infanterie-Regiment „Seehasen", Konstanz
01.10.1932: promoted to Generalmajor
01.02.1933: Generalmajor, Inspekteur der Waffenschulen, Reichswehrministerium Berlin
01.12.1933: promoted to Generalleutnant
00.00.1935: Generalleutnant, Kommandierender General, Wehrkreis II, Stettin
00.00.1936: promoted to General der Infanterie
00.00.1938: Oberbefehlshaber (OB), Heeresgruppe 3, Dresden
00.10.1938: occupation of the Sudetenland
00.04.1939: occupation of the remain of Czecho-Slowakia
00.09.1939: Befehlshaber, 8. Armee - invasion of Poland, Bzura, Leczyca, Lodz
28.09.1939: received the surrender of Warsaw
01.10.1939: promoted to Generaloberst
26.10.1939: Oberbefehlshaber Ost
00.11.1939: Chef des deutschen Besatzungsheeres in Polen, replaced by Hans Frank after protest against the brutality shown by SS troops
00.05.1940: Befehlshaber, 9. Armee - campaign in the West
09.06.1940-00.05.1944: Militärbefehlshaber Nordfrankreich, fighting the resistance
00.05.1944: Kdr, Armeegruppe G
15.08.1944: moved to Elsass
00.09.1944: Kdr, Heeresgruppe G - to prevent the Allies from staging an invasion in the south of France
00.01.1945: ordered to launch an offensive, comparable to the Ardennes offensive that failed
00.01.1945: Kdr, Heeresgruppe H - participated in the negotiations concerning the dropping of food, Operation Manna, to relieve the starving population in those parts of the Netherlands that had not yet been liberated by the Allies
06.04.1945: Oberbefehlhaber, 25. Armee und Oberbefehlshaber, „Festung Holland"
06.05.1945: capitulated to Canadian general Foulkes in hotel 'De Wereld', Wageningen
07.05.1945: POW camp Dachau, then POW camp Allendorf bei Marburg and finally in POW camp Nürnberg
00.00.1946: indicted for war crimes
00.02.1948: committed suicide by jumping off a balcony in prison, Nürnberg

Awards and Decorations:
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (27 September 1914)
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (2 March 1915)
Ritterkreuz II.Klasse des Grossherzoglich Badischen Ordens vom Zähringer Löwen mit Schwertern (1915)
Kaiserlich und königlich Österreichische Militär-Verdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration (10 February 1916)
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstorden IV.Klasse mit Schwertern (15 May 1916)
Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz II.Klasse (26 May 1916)
Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz I.Klasse (26 May 1916)
Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse (4 June 1916)
Turkish Harp Madalyası / Gallipoli Star (11 July 1917)
Ritterkreuz des Königlicher Preußischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (1 September 1917)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1918 in Schwarz (1918)
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (10 November 1934)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse, 4 Jahre (2 October 1936)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse, 12 Jahre (2 October 1936)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht II. Klasse, 18 Jahre (2 October 1936)
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht I.Klasse, 25 Jahre (2 October 1936)
Hungarian Haborus Emlékérem kardokkal és sisakkal (11 December 1936)
Österreichische Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Medaille mit Schwertern (12 January 1937)
Bulgarian Royal WW1 Veteran Medal (19 January 1937)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938 (1938)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1 Oktober 1938 (1939)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1 Oktober 1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg” (1939)
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (11 September 1939)
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (21 September 1939)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (27 September 1939)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (30 September 1939) as General der Infanterie and Oberbefehlshaber 8. Armee. His forces handled the northern sector, advancing toward Warsaw and Łódź while facing heavy fighting. The pivotal action was the Battle of the Bzura (9–19 September 1939), the largest engagement of the Polish campaign and a major Polish counteroffensive. Polish forces from Army Poznań and Army Pomorze (under Tadeusz Kutrzeba) launched a surprise attack against the exposed northern flank of the German 8th Army, initially overrunning parts of the thinly stretched 30th Infantry Division and elements of the 24th Infantry Division. Polish infantry and cavalry brigades (supported by light tankettes) inflicted thousands of casualties, took prisoners, and threatened to disrupt the German advance on Warsaw.
Blaskowitz responded decisively: he halted the 8th Army's push toward Warsaw, redirected units to form a cohesive front, and coordinated with reinforcements (including panzer divisions from the 10th Army and elements of the 4th Army). German forces, backed by intense Luftwaffe bombing and dive-bomber strikes that pounded Polish concentrations along the Bzura River, gradually encircled the Poles. Fierce close-quarters fighting occurred in areas like Łęczyca, Kutno, and the forests, with Polish cavalry charges clashing against German infantry and armor in one of the last major uses of horse-mounted troops against mechanized forces.
By mid-September, the Germans sealed the pocket. The Poles suffered catastrophic losses (tens of thousands killed/wounded, ~170,000 captured), while the 8th Army absorbed heavy initial blows but held and counterattacked effectively. Blaskowitz later accepted the surrender of Warsaw on 28 September. His leadership in stabilizing the front, preventing a breakthrough, and contributing to the destruction of major Polish armies earned him the Ritterkreuz (one of the earliest awards!), promotion to Generaloberst, and appointment as Commander-in-Chief East.
Ordine della Corona d'Italia - Cavaliere della Croce Grande (28 January 1941)
Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse mit Schwertern
Kriegsverdienstkreuz I.Klasse mit Schwertern
Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (30 October 1943)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #640 (29 October 1944) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe G. His forces were understrength, with many second-rate units (including Ostlegionen) and limited air support after transfers to Normandy. On 15 August 1944, the Allies launched Operation Dragoon, landing overwhelming forces on the French Riviera. Blaskowitz faced massive numerical and material superiority (U.S. Seventh Army and French forces). He organized a stubborn defense, stabilized lines where possible, and executed a skillful fighting withdrawal northward up the Rhône Valley and through the Vosges Mountains to avoid encirclement. His troops conducted delaying actions, rearguard fights, and coordinated retreats, preserving much of the force in battle-worthy condition despite heavy pressure.
A contemporary Führer Headquarters press notice highlighted: "his determination and superior leadership proved sufficient to ensure that his subordinated formations were able to escape all enemy encirclement attempts. All while fighting heavy battles against a much-larger enemy, he led his Armeegruppe back in a completely battle-worthy state."
He was briefly relieved after a failed counterattack near Arracourt (ordered by Hitler against his and Manteuffel's advice) but later regained command. The Oak Leaves recognized this orderly retreat that prevented total collapse in the south.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #146 (25 April 1945) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber Niederlande. He conducted a prolonged fighting withdrawal against the British 2nd Army (and Canadian forces) over several months in harsh winter conditions, across flooded terrain and defensive lines in the Netherlands. His forces delayed the Allied advance effectively, holding key positions and managing retreats that preserved combat capability amid fuel/ammo shortages and overwhelming pressure. This defensive stand in the north, including operations around the Rhine and into "Fortress Holland," earned the Swords shortly before the final surrender in May 1945 (he capitulated to Canadian Lt. Gen. Charles Foulkes on 5 May).
Vivid description: In the waterlogged Dutch polders, German troops manned dike defenses and flooded fields under gray skies, launching local counterattacks with dwindling panzers and infantry while British artillery and air power pounded positions. Blaskowitz's leadership maintained discipline during the grim, attritional retreat, buying time as the Reich crumbled.

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Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz was a German generaloberst during World War II who commanded major formations on both the Eastern and Western fronts. Born on 10 July 1883 in Paterswalde, East Prussia, he pursued a military career from an early age, entering cadet school and joining the Prussian army as a fahnenjunker in 1901. He served with distinction throughout World War I on both the Eastern and Western fronts, rising to command an infantry company and earning the Iron Cross First and Second Classes along with other decorations for bravery in actions that included raids and staff duties. After the war, Blaskowitz continued in the small Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, advancing steadily through staff and command positions due to his professional competence and apolitical stance as a traditional soldier.

In the years leading up to World War II, Blaskowitz held increasingly senior posts, including command of forces involved in the Anschluss of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland and the remainder of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939. Promoted to general der infanterie, he was given command of the 8th Army just before the invasion of Poland in September 1939. His forces formed part of Army Group South and played a critical role in the northern sector of the advance. During the intense Battle of the Bzura, Blaskowitz's troops absorbed a major Polish counteroffensive by armies Poznan and Pomorze, which initially overran thinly held German lines along the river. Through rapid redeployment, coordination with reinforcements, and effective use of Luftwaffe support, he helped stabilize the front and contribute to the encirclement and destruction of the Polish forces, resulting in tens of thousands of prisoners. On 28 September 1939, he personally accepted the surrender of Warsaw. For these achievements, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, promotion to generaloberst, and appointment as commander in chief in the east and military governor of occupied Poland.

As occupation commander, Blaskowitz clashed with Nazi authorities over the conduct of SS and Einsatzgruppen units. Appalled by reports of mass executions, looting, and other atrocities against Polish civilians and Jews, he issued memoranda protesting these actions, court-martialed SS members for crimes, and warned that such behavior undermined military discipline and Germany's reputation. His complaints, forwarded to higher command, provoked Hitler's fury, who dismissed them as naive and relieved Blaskowitz of key posts in 1940. Despite this setback, he held lesser commands during the Battle of France and the occupation of Vichy France in Operation Anton in 1942, where his 1st Army participated in the unopposed advance but failed to prevent the scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon. In May 1944, he was appointed commander of Army Group G in southern France, overseeing understrength forces tasked with defending against an expected Allied invasion.

When Operation Dragoon commenced on 15 August 1944, Blaskowitz faced overwhelming Allied superiority in numbers, equipment, and air power. Demonstrating skillful leadership, he organized delaying actions, stabilized threatened sectors where possible, and orchestrated a fighting withdrawal northward through the Rhone Valley and Vosges Mountains. His troops evaded major encirclements despite heavy pressure, preserving much of Army Group G as a battle-worthy formation amid continuous rearguard engagements and difficult terrain. This performance earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross in October 1944. Briefly relieved after a failed counterattack ordered by Hitler near Arracourt, he regained command in late 1944 and led forces during Operation Nordwind in Alsace in January 1945, where his armies attacked the U.S. Seventh Army and forced temporary withdrawals before being halted.

In the final months of the war, Blaskowitz commanded Army Group H in the Netherlands, later overseeing Fortress Holland as the 25th Army. He conducted a determined fighting withdrawal against advancing British and Canadian forces across flooded landscapes and defensive lines, delaying the Allied push under severe shortages of supplies and manpower. For this defensive effort in early 1945, he was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 25 April. On 5 May 1945, he formally surrendered German forces in the Netherlands to Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Foulkes at the Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen. Postwar, Blaskowitz was arrested and charged with war crimes in the Nuremberg High Command Trial, though he had a record of opposing certain Nazi excesses. He died on 5 February 1948 in Nuremberg prison by suicide, jumping from a balcony on the day his trial proceedings were to intensify. His career exemplified the tensions faced by professional Wehrmacht officers caught between military duty and the regime's ideological demands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Blaskowitz
https://www.leo-bw.de/web/guest/detail/-/Detail/details/PERSON/kgl_biographien/119093480/Blaskowitz+Johannes+Albrecht
https://www.lexikon‑der‑wehrmacht.de/
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Blaskowitz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Blaskowitz
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=583
https://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rksc/b/SC146Blaskowitz.pdf
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/7599/Blaskowitz-Johannes.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20091028003722fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generaloberst/BLASKOWITZ_JOHANNES.html