Anton Dostler
Encyclopedia
General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry is a rank of general in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht - the second-highest regular rank. The same rank spread to the Imperial Russian Army and the Defence forces of Finland between the world wars...
in the regular German army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the first allied war trial after the war, Dostler was tried and found guilty of war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s and sentenced to death by firing squad.
Military career
Anton Dostler joined the German Army in 1910 and served as a junior officer during WWI. From the start of WWII to 1940, he served as Chief of Staff of the 7th Army. Subsequently, he commanded the 57th Infantry Division57th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 57th Infantry Division was a German division in World War II. It was formed on 26 August 1939 in Landshut.-History:...
(1941-1942), the 163rd Infantry Division (1942) and the 42nd Army Corps (1943-1944). He was appointed to command the 75th Army Corps in January 1944.
Execution of U.S. soldiers
On March 22, 1944, fifteen men of the U.S. Army, including two officers, landed on the ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
coast about 100 kilometres north of La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, 250 miles behind the then established front. Their mission was to demolish a railroad tunnel between La Spezia and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. Two days later, the group was captured by a party of Italian Fascista soldiers and members of the German Wehrmarcht. They were taken to La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, where they were confined near the headquarters of the 135th Fortress Brigade, which was under the command of German Colonel Almers. The immediate, superior command was that of the 75th Army Corps, commanded by Dostler.
The captured U.S. soldiers were interrogated and one of the U.S. officers revealed the story of the mission. This information was then sent to Dostler at the 75th Army Corps. The following day (March 25), Dostler sent a telegram to the 135th Fortress Brigade ordering that the captured soldiers be executed. Officers at the 135th Fortress Brigade contacted Dostler in an attempt to achieve a stay. Dostler then sent another telegram ordering Almers to carry out the execution. Two last attempts were made by the officers at the 135th, including some by telephone. These efforts were unsuccessful and the fifteen Americans were executed on the morning of March 26, 1944. Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten
Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1899-1997)
Alexander, Prince of Dohna-Schlobitten was a German Junker, soldier, business man and author.-Life:Dohna was born in Potsdam, the son of Richard Emil Fürst zu Dohna-Schlobitten by his marriage to Marie Mathilde Solms-Hohensolms-Lich...
, who refused to sign the execution order, was dismissed from Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
for insubordination.
Trial, execution and notoriety
In the first Allied war trial, Dostler was accused of carrying out an illegal order, while Dostler maintained that he did not issue the order, but only passed along an order to Colonel Almers from supreme command. The trial found General Dostler guilty of war crimes.He was sentenced to death and shot by a firing squad on December 1, 1945 in Aversa
Aversa
Aversa is a town and comune in the Province of Caserta in Campania southern Italy, about 15 kilometres north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the agro aversano, producing wine and cheese...
. The execution was photographed on black and white still
Still camera
A still camera is a type of camera used to take photographs. Traditional cameras capture light onto photographic film. Digital cameras use electronics, usually a charge coupled device to store digital images in computer memory inside the camera...
and movie cameras.
External links
- The Dostler Case
- Dostler's defense Explained by Kent Emery, Jr., son of one of Dostler's defense attorneys.
- Video of General Dostler's last minutes on December 1st, 1945