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Wolfgang Schneiderhan (General)
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Schneiderhan (born 26 July 1946) is a German
general who served as Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr
, the German armed forces, from 2002 to 2009.
, Schneiderhan entered military service on 4 April 1966 as officer cadet (Panzerdivision, Heer
). On 1 October 1968, he was promoted to Lieutenant
. While serving in the Bundeswehr, Schneiderhan was awarded several medals, both in Germany and abroad.
On 27 July 2002, he was promoted to General and was appointed Chief of Staff for the Bundeswehr, the highest-ranking military post in the German armed forces. Before his appointment, he served as director of planning in the Ministry of Defence
.
relating to the 4 September 2009 Kunduz airstrike
in Afghanistan
. The strike was against two fuel tankers that had been hijacked by the Taliban but also resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians
. Schneiderhan was alleged to have failed to provide full information about the incident for several days after the incident maintaining that no civilians had been caught in the strike. The then Defence Minister, Franz Josef Jung
, also played down the possibility of civilian casualties. A video taken by the American F-15 Eagle
fighter bomber involved in the airstrike was leaked to the newspaper Bild and is said to have clearly depicted civilians in the target area.
Schneiderhan's resignation came on the same day as that of Peter Wichert, one of the two then-serving Secretaries of State in the Defence Ministry. The combined resignations were described as Germany's "biggest military shake-up in more than two decades" and have been claimed as proof that the defence ministry actively suppressed information about the incident.
Franz Josef Jung tendered his resignation as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs on 27 November 2009 because of this affair.
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Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
general who served as Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, the German armed forces, from 2002 to 2009.
Military career
Born in RiedlingenRiedlingen
Riedlingen is a town in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of Germany. It is one of the destinations of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. There are ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- Geography :...
, Schneiderhan entered military service on 4 April 1966 as officer cadet (Panzerdivision, Heer
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
). On 1 October 1968, he was promoted to 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...
. While serving in the Bundeswehr, Schneiderhan was awarded several medals, both in Germany and abroad.
On 27 July 2002, he was promoted to General and was appointed Chief of Staff for the Bundeswehr, the highest-ranking military post in the German armed forces. Before his appointment, he served as director of planning in the 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...
.
Resignation
On 26 November 2009, he tendered his resignation as Inspector General after allegations were made against him of a cover-upCover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
relating to the 4 September 2009 Kunduz airstrike
Kunduz airstrike
The Kunduz airstrike took place on Friday 4 September 2009 at roughly 2:30 am local time, southwest of Kunduz City, Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, near the hamlets of Omar Kheil by the border of the Chahar Dara and Ali Abad districts...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The strike was against two fuel tankers that had been hijacked by the Taliban but also resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
. Schneiderhan was alleged to have failed to provide full information about the incident for several days after the incident maintaining that no civilians had been caught in the strike. The then Defence Minister, Franz Josef Jung
Franz Josef Jung
Franz Josef Jung is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . He became Federal Minister of Defence in the Grand coalition cabinet of Angela Merkel on 22 November 2005...
, also played down the possibility of civilian casualties. A video taken by the American F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighter bomber involved in the airstrike was leaked to the newspaper Bild and is said to have clearly depicted civilians in the target area.
Schneiderhan's resignation came on the same day as that of Peter Wichert, one of the two then-serving Secretaries of State in the Defence Ministry. The combined resignations were described as Germany's "biggest military shake-up in more than two decades" and have been claimed as proof that the defence ministry actively suppressed information about the incident.
Franz Josef Jung tendered his resignation as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs on 27 November 2009 because of this affair.
Family
Schneiderhan is married to Elke (née Speckhardt). He has two daughters and three sons. The general is the nephew of violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan.Honours and awards
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, First Class
- Bundeswehr Cross of Honour in GoldBadge of Honour of the BundeswehrThe Badge of Honour of the German Armed Forces is a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany...
- Legion of Honour (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)Order of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
- Eagle's Cross, First Class (EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
) - Medal of MeritState decorations of the Czech RepublicState decorations of the Czech Republic recognize outstanding acts of service to the Czech Republic. They are awarded by the President of the Czech Republic, usually, but not necessarily, on the recommendation of the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate or the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. ...
, First Class, of the Ministry of Defence (Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) - Grand Gross of Military Merit (Jordan)
External links
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