Fritz Thiele
Encyclopedia
General Fritz Thiele was a member of the German resistance who served as the communications chief of the German Army during World War II
.
Thiele was born in Berlin
and joined the Imperial Army in 1914. Working closely with Chief of army communications General der Nachrichtentruppe
Erich Fellgiebel
, he was part of the assassination attempt
against Adolf Hitler
on July 20, 1944. He was responsible as part of the coup attempt in the effort to sever communications between officers loyal to Hitler and armed forces units in the field and from the communications centre at the Bendlerstrasse in Berlin he relayed a crucial message from Fellgiebel to General Friedrich Olbricht
and the other conspirators that the assassination attempt had failed but the coup attempt should still proceed. There are differing accounts of the time when he provided this report.
Thiele himself did not want to proceed with the coup attempt when he knew that the assassination attempt had failed and he left the Bendlerstrasse and visited Walter Schellenberg
at the Reich Central Security Office in an attempt to extricate himself.
Following Fellgiebel's arrest he was directed to assume his duties before he was himself arrested by the Gestapo
on August 11, 1944. He was condemned to death on August 21, 1944 by the Volksgerichtshof and hanged on September 4, 1944 at Plötzensee
prison in Berlin.
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...
.
Thiele was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and joined the Imperial Army in 1914. Working closely with Chief of army communications General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940....
Erich Fellgiebel
Erich Fellgiebel
Fritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.-Military career:...
, he was part of the assassination attempt
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...
against 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...
on July 20, 1944. He was responsible as part of the coup attempt in the effort to sever communications between officers loyal to Hitler and armed forces units in the field and from the communications centre at the Bendlerstrasse in Berlin he relayed a crucial message from Fellgiebel to General Friedrich Olbricht
Friedrich Olbricht
General Friedrich Olbricht was a German general and one of the plotters involved in the attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolfsschanze in East Prussia on 20 July 1944.-Early life:...
and the other conspirators that the assassination attempt had failed but the coup attempt should still proceed. There are differing accounts of the time when he provided this report.
Thiele himself did not want to proceed with the coup attempt when he knew that the assassination attempt had failed and he left the Bendlerstrasse and visited Walter Schellenberg
Walter Schellenberg
Walther Friedrich Schellenberg was a German SS-Brigadeführer who rose through the ranks of the SS to become the head of foreign intelligence following the abolition of the Abwehr in 1944.-Biography:...
at the Reich Central Security Office in an attempt to extricate himself.
Following Fellgiebel's arrest he was directed to assume his duties before he was himself arrested by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
on August 11, 1944. He was condemned to death on August 21, 1944 by the Volksgerichtshof and hanged on September 4, 1944 at Plötzensee
Plötzensee
Plötzensee is a small glacial lake in Berlin. It is situated near the Rehberge public park in the former borough of Wedding, now a part of Mitte. The name stems from Plötze, one name for the roach in German, as the lake formerly teemed with it....
prison in Berlin.