Bogislaw von Bonin
Encyclopedia
Bogislaw von Bonin was a German Wehrmacht
officer
and journalist
.
, Province of Brandenburg
and joined the 4. Reiterregiment (Cavalry Regiment) of the German Reichswehr
in 1926. He was educated at the Infantry
school Dresden
together with Claus von Stauffenberg and Manfred von Brauchitsch
in October 1927 - August 1928 and was promoted a Lieutenant
in 1930. In 1937/38 he visited the War academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin and became a member of the Army High Command
in 1938.
and for a short time Chief of Staff of the LVI.Panzerkorps of the 1. Hungarian Army in 1944. He attained the rank of a Colonel
, and became the Chief of the Operational Branch of the Army General Staff (Generalstab des Heeres).
during the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive
rejecting a direct command from Adolf Hitler
for them to hold fast. He was arrested by the Gestapo on January 19, 1945 and imprisoned first at Flossenbürg concentration camp
and then Dachau concentration camp.
With several members of the July 20 plot
and other notable prisoners such as Léon Blum
, Kurt Schuschnigg
, Hjalmar Schacht
, Franz Halder
and Fritz Thyssen
he was transferred
to Niederdorf/Hochpustertal. On April 30, 1945 he managed to contact senior Wehrmacht officers who used regular German troops to overwhelm the SS guards . The former prisoners were accommodated at the Pragser Wildsee Hotel until US troops marched into Niederdorf on May 4, 1945
and started working as a freight forwarder in 1947, later on for Daimler Benz. In 1952 he joined the "Amt Blank" (Bureau Blank, named after its director Theodor Blank
), the predecessor of the later Federal Ministry of Defence
, as the head of the subdivision "military planning", to map out a strategy of the German contribution to the European Defence Community
, but came into conflicts with the Adenauer government, as he favored a rather neutral or independent German concept. Already in 1955, before the German Bundeswehr
was established, Bonin was released and became a journalist.
Bonin died in Lehrte
.
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:...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Early life
Bonin was born in PotsdamPotsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, Province of Brandenburg
Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:The first people who are known to have inhabited Brandenburg were the Suevi. They were succeeded by the Slavonians, whom Henry II conquered and converted to Christianity in...
and joined the 4. Reiterregiment (Cavalry Regiment) of the German Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
in 1926. He was educated at the Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
school Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
together with Claus von Stauffenberg and Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch was a German auto racing driver who drove for Mercedes-Benz in the famous "Silver Arrows" of Grand Prix motor racing in the 1930s....
in October 1927 - August 1928 and was promoted a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1930. In 1937/38 he visited the War academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin and became a member of the Army High Command
Oberkommando des Heeres
The Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
in 1938.
World War II
In 1943 he was the Commander of the XIV. Panzerkorps at SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and for a short time Chief of Staff of the LVI.Panzerkorps of the 1. Hungarian Army in 1944. He attained the rank of a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, and became the Chief of the Operational Branch of the Army General Staff (Generalstab des Heeres).
Arrest
On January 16, 1945 Bonin gave Heeresgruppe A the permission to retreat from WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
during the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive
Vistula-Oder Offensive
The Vistula–Oder Offensive was a successful Red Army operation on the Eastern Front in the European Theatre of World War II; it took place between 12 January and 2 February 1945...
rejecting a direct command from Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
for them to hold fast. He was arrested by the Gestapo on January 19, 1945 and imprisoned first at Flossenbürg concentration camp
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
and then Dachau concentration camp.
With several members of the July 20 plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
and other notable prisoners such as Léon Blum
Léon Blum
André Léon Blum was a French politician, usually identified with the moderate left, and three times the Prime Minister of France.-First political experiences:...
, Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Alois Josef Johann Schuschnigg was Chancellor of the First Austrian Republic, following the assassination of his predecessor, Dr. Engelbert Dollfuss, in July 1934, until Germany’s invasion of Austria, , in March 1938...
, Hjalmar Schacht
Hjalmar Schacht
Dr. Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht was a German economist, banker, liberal politician, and co-founder of the German Democratic Party. He served as the Currency Commissioner and President of the Reichsbank under the Weimar Republic...
, Franz Halder
Franz Halder
Franz Halder was a German General and the head of the Army General Staff from 1938 until September, 1942, when he was dismissed after frequent disagreements with Adolf Hitler.-Early life:...
and Fritz Thyssen
Fritz Thyssen
Friedrich "Fritz" Thyssen was a German businessman born into one of Germany's leading industrial families.-Youth:Thyssen was born in Mülheim in the Ruhr area...
he was transferred
Transport of concentration camp inmates to Tyrol
The Transport of Inmates of German Concentration Camps to Tyrol happened in late April 1945 and led to the only time such prisoners were liberated by German troops.- Transfer and liberation:...
to Niederdorf/Hochpustertal. On April 30, 1945 he managed to contact senior Wehrmacht officers who used regular German troops to overwhelm the SS guards . The former prisoners were accommodated at the Pragser Wildsee Hotel until US troops marched into Niederdorf on May 4, 1945
Post World War II
Bonin became a prisoner of warPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and started working as a freight forwarder in 1947, later on for Daimler Benz. In 1952 he joined the "Amt Blank" (Bureau Blank, named after its director Theodor Blank
Theodor Blank
Theodor Anton Blank was a German politician of the CDU. He was one of the founders of the CDU in 1945....
), the predecessor of the later Federal Ministry of Defence
Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of Defence is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
, as the head of the subdivision "military planning", to map out a strategy of the German contribution to the European Defence Community
European Defence Community
The European Defense Community was a plan proposed in 1950 by René Pleven, the French President of the Council , in response to the American call for the rearmament of West Germany...
, but came into conflicts with the Adenauer government, as he favored a rather neutral or independent German concept. Already in 1955, before the German Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
was established, Bonin was released and became a journalist.
Bonin died in Lehrte
Lehrte
Lehrte is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 17 km east of Hanover. Lehrte is a picturesque town with a population of 45,000 and a modern infrastructure, combined with local culture and an interesting history.-History:The first documented...
.
