Hermann Hoth
Hermann Hoth was born on the 14th of April 1885 in Neuruppin, Prussia. He grew up in Demmin and attended the Cadet Corps at Potsdam from 1900 to 1904. His education instilled a strong authority bias that he never discarded. The educators also taught him monarchism and rejection of social democracy. He was commissioned as an officer in the Prussian Army in 1903. His rise through the ranks remained slow during these early years. He later attended the Prussian Staff College from 1910 to 1913 where he learned Russian. This language skill would prove vital for his future assignments.
In the 1920s, Hermann Hoth had little interest in the Nazi Party. He viewed their activities as disruptive for the Reichswehr. His views changed after the 1930 German federal election when the Nazis became the second-strongest political force. Hoth began to approve of Hitler's nationalist ambitions. He admired how the party addressed workers' issues. Like officers Heinz Guderian and Georg-Hans Reinhardt, Hoth hoped a Nazi government would allow motorization ideas. In October 1932, he was appointed head of the 17th Infantry Regiment. By August 1933, he commanded the 6th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to Generalmajor in 1934. Following military reorganization in 1935, he led the 18th Infantry Division. He became one of the most modern Wehrmacht officers at that time.
Under Hermann Hoth command, units of the 17th Army took part in hunting and murdering Jews. He maintained good working relationships with Einsatzgruppen death squads. These groups carried out mass murders in rear areas. In November 1941, Hoth issued an order of the day decrying Jewish influence. The document promised annihilation of the Soviet Union as an enslaved country. It directed troops to kill suspected partisans without mercy. He advised officers to cultivate hatred for Soviet troops among common German soldiers. Any civilians encountered in woods could be shot if they supported partisans. In December 1941, Einsatzkommando 6 initiated massacres killing thousands of civilians. Reports confirmed he transmitted the Commissar Order with full knowledge. Several reports showed he approved mistreatment of prisoners of war. A report by the 17th Army chief quartermaster dated the 25th of November 1941 outlined cases of murder and
deliberate starvation.
After release from Landsberg am Lech prison, Hermann Hoth settled in Goslar. In 1956, he wrote a book titled Panzer-Operationen. This text described Germany's Panzer Group 3 during the invasion of Russia. It was translated into Russian as Tankovye operacii in 1961. Hoth penned articles for Wehrkunde journal appealing for strong tank divisions in West Germany. He maintained contacts with officers recruited into Bundeswehr like Friedrich Foertsch. During the 1960s, he spoke out against historians studying Nazi war crimes. He claimed veterans should shape perception on the conflict. His accounts aimed to maintain a heroic image of the Wehrmacht. He worked closely with Paul Carell writing Unternehmen Barbarossa published in 1963. Reviewers noted this work exhibited pro-Wehrmacht bias while skipping over German atrocities. Historians Ronald Smelser and Edward J. Davies stated it portrayed the Wehrmacht as heroes fighting Asiatic hordes.
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Common questions
When and where was Hermann Hoth born?
Hermann Hoth was born on the 14th of April 1885 in Neuruppin, Prussia. He grew up in Demmin and attended the Cadet Corps at Potsdam from 1900 to 1904.
Why did Hermann Hoth support the Nazi Party after initially opposing it?
Hermann Hoth began to approve of Hitler's nationalist ambitions following the 1930 German federal election when the Nazis became the second-strongest political force. He admired how the party addressed workers' issues and hoped a Nazi government would allow motorization ideas like officers Heinz Guderian and Georg-Hans Reinhardt.
What specific war crimes did Hermann Hoth commit during World War II?
Under Hermann Hoth command units of the 17th Army took part in hunting and murdering Jews while maintaining good working relationships with Einsatzgruppen death squads. In November 1941 he issued an order of the day promising annihilation of the Soviet Union as an enslaved country and directed troops to kill suspected partisans without mercy.
How did Hermann Hoth contribute to post-war military literature and memory?
In 1956 Hermann Hoth wrote a book titled Panzer-Operationen which described Germany's Panzer Group 3 during the invasion of Russia. He worked closely with Paul Carell writing Unternehmen Barbarossa published in 1963 and maintained contacts with officers recruited into Bundeswehr like Friedrich Foertsch.