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Artur Phleps

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Artur Phleps
Artur Phleps wearing Waffen-SS dress uniform
Phleps in 1942
Birth nameArtur Gustav Martin Phleps
Nickname(s)Papa Phleps
Born(1881-11-29)29 November 1881
Birthälm,Szeben County,Austria-Hungary
Died21 September 1944(1944-09-21)(aged 62)
Șimand,Arad,Romania
AllegianceAustria-Hungary
Romania
Germany
Service/branch
Years of service1900–1944
RankSS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS(Lieutenant General)
UnitSS Motorised DivisionWiking
Commands7th SS Volunteer Mountain DivisionPrinz Eugen
V SS Mountain Corps
Battles/wars
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Spouse(s)Grete
ChildrenReinhart Phleps
Irmingard

Artur Gustav Martin Phleps(29 November 1881 – 21 September 1944) was anAustro-Hungarian,RomanianandGermanarmy officer who held the rank ofSS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS(lieutenant general) in theWaffen-SSduringWorld War II.At the post-warNuremberg trials,the Waffen-SS – of which Phleps was a senior officer – was declared to be a criminal organisation due to its major involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity. AnAustro-Hungarian Armyofficer before and duringWorld War I,Phleps specialised inmountain warfareandlogistics,and had been promoted toOberstleutnant(lieutenant colonel) by the end of the war. During theinterwar periodhe joined theRomanian Army,reaching the rank ofGeneral-locotenent(major general), and also became an adviser toKing Carol.After he spoke out against the government he was sidelined and asked to be dismissed from the army.

In 1941 he left Romania and joined the Waffen-SS as anSS-Standartenführer(colonel) under his mother's maiden name of Stolz. Seeing action on theEastern Frontas a regimental commander with theSS Motorised DivisionWiking,he later raised and commanded the7th SS Volunteer Mountain DivisionPrinz Eugen,raised the13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SSHandschar(1st Croatian),and commanded theV SS Mountain Corps.Units under his command committed many crimes against the civilian population of theIndependent State of Croatia,German-occupied territory of SerbiaandItalian governorate of Montenegro.[1][2]His final appointment was as plenipotentiary general in southSiebenbürgen(Transylvania) and theBanat,during which he organised the evacuation of theVolksdeutsche(ethnic Germans) of Siebenbürgen to the Reich. In addition to theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross,Phleps was awarded theGerman Cross in Gold,and after he was killed in September 1944, he was awarded theOak Leavesto his Knight's Cross.

Early life

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rural village landscape with old church steeple in the mid-distance and terraced hills in the background
Phleps' birthplace of Birthälm in Siebenbürgen (modern-dayTransylvania)

Phleps was born inBirthälm(Biertan), nearHermannstadtinSiebenbürgen,then a part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire(modern-day Transylvania,Romania).[3]At the time, Siebenbürgen was densely populated byethnic Germans,commonly referred to asTransylvanian Saxons.He was the third son of a surgeon, Dr. Gustav Phleps and Sophie (née Stolz), the daughter of a peasant. Both families had lived in Siebenbürgen for centuries.[4][5]After finishing the LutheranRealschuleschool in Hermannstadt,[4]Phleps entered theImperial and Royalcadet school inPressburg(modern-daySlovakia) in 1900, and on 1 November 1901 was commissioned as aLeutnant(lieutenant) in the 3rd Regiment of theTirolerKaiserjäger(mountain infantry).[3][6]

In 1903, Phleps was transferred to the 11thFeldjäger(rifle) Battalion inGüns(in modern-dayHungary),[3]and in 1905 was accepted into theTheresian Military AcademyinWiener Neustadt.He completed his studies in two years, and was endorsed as suitable for service in theGeneral Staff.Following promotion toOberleutnant(first lieutenant) he was transferred to the staff of the 13th Infantry Regiment atEsseginSlavonia,then to the 6th Infantry Division inGraz.This was followed by a promotion toHauptmann(captain) in 1911, along with a position on the staff of the XVArmy CorpsinSarajevo.There, he specialised inmobilisationandcommunications,in the difficult terrain ofBosniaandHerzegovina.[5][6]

World War I

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At the outbreak ofWorld War I,Phleps was serving with the staff of the 32nd Infantry Division inBudapest.His division was involved in the early stages of theSerbian campaign,during which Phleps was transferred to theoperations staffof the SecondArmy.This Army was soon withdrawn from the Serbian front and deployed via theCarpathian Mountainsto the Austro-Hungarian province ofGalicia(modern-dayPoland and Ukraine), to defend against a successful offensive by theRussian Imperialarmy. The Second Army continued to fight the Russians in and around the Carpathians through the winter of 1914–1915. In 1915 Phleps was again transferred, this time toArmeegruppe Rohrcommanded byGeneral der Kavallerie(lieutenant general)Franz Rohr von Denta,which was formed in theAustrian Alps,in response to theItaliandeclaration of war in May 1915.Armeegruppe Rohrbecame the basis for the formation of the10th Army,which was headquartered inVillach.Phleps subsequently became the deputyquartermasterof the 10th Army, responsible for organising the supply of the troops fighting the Italians in the mountains.[6][7]

On 1 August 1916, Phleps was promoted tomajor.[3]Later that month, KingFerdinand of Romanialed theKingdom of Romaniain joining theTriple Entente,subsequently invading Phleps' homeland of Siebenbürgen. On 27 August, Phleps became the chief of staff of the 72nd Infantry Division, which was involved in Austro-Hungarian operations to repel the Romanian invasion. He remained in this theatre of operations for the next two years, ultimately serving as the chief quartermaster of the German9th Army,[7]and was awarded theIron Cross2nd Class, on 27 January 1917.[8]In 1918 he returned to the mountains when he was transferred toArmeegruppe Tirol,and ended the war as anOberstleutnant(lieutenant colonel) and chief quartermaster for the entireAlpine Front.[6][7]

Between the wars

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After the war the Austro-Hungarian Empirewas dissolved,and Phleps returned to his homeland, which had become part of the Kingdom of Romania under theTreaty of Trianon.He joined theRomanian Armyand was appointed commander of the Saxon National Guard, amilitiaformed of the German-speaking people of Siebenbürgen. In this role he opposed the Hungarian communist revolutionary government ofBéla Kun,whichfought against Romania in 1919.During a battle at theTiszariver against Kun's forces, Phleps disobeyed direct orders and was subsequentlycourt-martialled.The trial concluded that he had saved the Romanian forces through his actions, and he was promoted toOberst(colonel).[9]He commanded the 84th Infantry Regiment, then joined the general army headquarters and started teachinglogisticsat the RomanianWar AcademyinBucharest.He attended the V Army Corpsstaff collegeinBrașov,and published a book titledLogistics: Basics of Organisation and Executionin 1926, which became the standard work on logistics for the Romanian Army.[10][11]Ironically, after the book was published, Phleps failed his first general's examination on the topic of logistics.[12]He commanded various Romanian units, including the 1st Brigade of thevânători de munte(mountain ranger troops), while serving also as a military advisor to KingCarol IIin the 1930s.[10][11]Phleps reached the rank ofGeneral-locotenent(major general) despite his reported disdain for the corruption, intrigue and hypocrisy of the royal court.[13]After criticising the government's policy[14]and publicly calling King Carol a liar when another general tried to twist his words,[15]he was transferred to the reserves in 1940 and finally dismissed from service at his own request in 1941.[6]

World War II

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SS Motorised DivisionWiking

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In November 1940, with the support of the leader of theVolksgruppe in Rumänien(ethnic Germans in Romania), Andreas Schmidt, Phleps had written to the key Waffen-SS recruiting officerSS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen SS(brigadier)Gottlob Bergeroffering his services to the Third Reich. He subsequently asked for permission to leave Romania to join theWehrmacht,and this was approved by the recently installed RomanianConducător(leader), thedictatorGeneralIon Antonescu.[15]Phleps volunteered for theWaffen-SSinstead,[16]enlisting under his mother's maiden name of Stolz.[6]According to the historian Hans Bergel, Phleps joined the Waffen-SS becauseVolksdeutschewere not permitted to join theWehrmacht.[17]He was appointed anSS-Standartenführer(colonel) byReichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmlerand joined theSS Motorised DivisionWiking,[16]where he commanded Dutch, Flemish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish volunteers.[6]WhenHilmar Wäckerle,the commander of SS-RegimentWestland,was killed in action nearLvovin late June 1941, Phleps took over command of that regiment. He distinguished himself in fighting atKremenchukandDnipropetrovskin the Ukraine, commanded his ownKampfgruppe,[6]became aconfidantofGeneralmajor(brigadier)Hans-Valentin Hube,commander of the16th Panzer Division,and was subsequently promoted toSS-Oberführer(senior colonel).[16]In July 1941 he was awarded the 1939 clasp to his Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class and then the Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class.[8]

7th SS Volunteer Mountain DivisionPrinz Eugen

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On 30 December 1941,Generalfeldmarschall(field marshal)Wilhelm Keiteladvised Himmler thatAdolf Hitlerhad authorised the raising of a seventh Waffen-SS division from theVolksdeutsche(ethnic Germans) of Yugoslavia.[18]In the meantime, Phleps reverted to his birth name from his mother's maiden name. Two weeks later,SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen SSPhleps was selected to organise the new division.[16]On 1 March 1942, the division was officially designated theSS-Freiwilligen-Division "Prinz Eugen".[18]Phleps was promoted toSS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen SS(major general) on 20 April 1942. After recruitment, formation and training in theBanatregion in October 1942, the two regiments and supporting arms were deployed into the southwestern part of theGerman-occupied territory of Serbiaas an anti-Partisanforce. Headquartered inKraljevo,with its two mountain infantry regiments centred onUžiceandRaška,the division continued its training. Some artillery batteries, the anti-aircraft battalion, the motorcycle battalion and cavalry squadron continued to form in the Banat.[19]During his time with the 7th SS Division, Phleps was referred to as "Papa Phleps" by his troops.[20]

an Italian officer and three German officers in uniform standing beneath the wing of an aircraft on a grassed airfield
From left: Italian General Ercole Roncaglia,Kurt Waldheim,OberstMacholz and Phleps (with briefcase) at Podgorica airfield in Montenegro during Case Black, 22 May 1943. This photograph caused much controversy when it was published while Waldheim wasrunning for the Austrian presidency in 1985–1986.

In early October 1942, the division commenced Operation Kopaonik, targeting theChetnikforce of MajorDragutin Keserovićin theKopaonik Mountains.The operation ended with little success, since the Chetniks had forewarning of the operation and were able to avoid contact. After a quiet winter, in January 1943 Phleps deployed the division to theIndependent State of Croatia(NDH) to participate inCase White.[21]Between 13 February and 9 March 1943 he was responsible for the initial aspects of raising the13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SSHandschar(1st Croatian)in the NDH in addition to his duties commanding the 7th SS Division.[22] In his strongly apologetic history of the division which he later commanded,[23]Otto Kummclaims that the 7th SS Division capturedBihaćandBosanski Petrovac,killed over 2,000 Partisans and captured nearly 400 during Case White.[24]After a short rest and refit in April, the division was committed toCase Blackin May and June 1943, during which it advanced from theMostararea into theItalian governorate of Montenegrokilling, according to Kumm, 250 Partisans and capturing over 500.[25]The historian Thomas Casagrande notes that all German units fighting partisans routinely counted the civilians they had murdered as partisans. Therefore, it can be assumed that the reported number of inflicted casualties included many civilians.[26]The division played a decisive role during the fighting. Although Himmler had already planned to award Phleps theKnight's Cross of the Iron Crossfor his role in organising the 7th SS Division, it was for the achievements of his division during Case Black that Phleps received the award. Phleps was also portrayed in the SS-magazineDas Schwarze Korps.[26]He received the Knight's Cross in July 1943,[27]while being also promoted toObergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS(lieutenant general),[3]and placed in command of theV SS Mountain Corps.[28]

In May 1943, Phleps became frustrated by the failure of his Italian allies to cooperate with German operations, which was demonstrated in his reputation for forthright speech. During a meeting with his Italian counterpart inPodgorica,Montenegro, Phleps called the Italian corps commander GeneralErcole Roncagliaa "lazy macaroni".[29]Phleps scolded hisWehrmachtinterpreter,LeutnantKurt Waldheimfor toning down his language, saying "Listen Waldheim, I know some Italian and you are not translating what I am telling this so-and-so".[29]On another occasion, he threatened to shoot Italian sentries who were delaying his passage through a checkpoint.[30]On 15 May 1943, Phleps handed over command of the division toSS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen SSKarl von Oberkamp.[31]

While under Phleps' command, the division committed many crimes against civilian population of the NDH, especially during Case White and Case Black.[32]These included "burning villages, massacre of inhabitants, torture and murder of captured partisans", thence the division thereby developed a distinctive reputation for cruelty.[20]These charges have been denied by Kumm, among others. Still, the divisional orders routinely called for the annihilation of hostile civilian population and Waffen-SS documents show that these orders were regularly put into practice. For example, Himmler's police representative in the NDH,SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der PolizeiKonstantin Kammerhofer,reported on 15 July 1943 that units of the 7th SS Division had shot the Muslim population ofKosutica,about 40 men, women, and children gathered in a "church". The division claimed that "bandits" in the village had opened fire, but the police could not discover any traces of combat. Such incidents, which jeopardized the plan to raise a Muslim SS division, led to a dispute between Kammerhofer and Phleps' successor Oberkamp. Himmler ordered Phleps to intervene, and he reported on 7 September 1943 that he could not discover anything wrong with the shootings in Kosutica and that Kammerhofer and Oberkamp had resolved their dispute.[33]The war crimes committed by the 7th SS Division became the subject of international controversy when Waldheim's service in the Balkans became public in the mid-1980s, during his successful bid for theAustrian presidency.[34]

V SS Mountain Corps

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The formations under the command of V SS Mountain Corps varied during Phlep's command. In July 1944, it consisted of the118th Jäger Divisionand369th (Croatian) Infantry Divisionin addition to the 7th SS and 13th SS divisions. Throughout Phlep's command, the corps was under the overall control of2nd Panzer Armyand conducted anti-Partisan operations throughout the NDH and Montenegro.[35]These operations included Operations"Kugelblitz"(ball lightning) and "Schneesturm" (blizzard), which were part of a major offensive in eastern Bosnia in December 1943, but they were only a limited success.[36]Phleps had met personally with Hitler to discuss the planning for Operation "Kugelblitz".[37]

Due to the unreliable nature of the troops loyal to the NDH government, Phleps utilised Chetnik forces as auxiliaries, stating to a visiting officer that he could not disarm the Chetniks unless the NDH government provided him with the same strength in reliable troops.[38]In January 1944, due to fears that theWestern Allieswould invade along theDalmatiancoastline and islands, V SS Mountain Corps forced the mass evacuation of male civilians between the ages of 17 and 50 from that area. Phleps was criticised by both NDH and German authorities for the harshness with which the evacuation was carried out.[39]During the first six months of 1944, elements of the V SS Mountain Corps were involved in Operation "Waldrausch" (Forest Fever) in central Bosnia,[40]Operation "Maibaum"(Maypole) in eastern Bosnia,[41]andOperation "Rösselsprung"(Knight's Move), the attempt to capture or kill the Partisan leaderJosip Broz Tito.[42]

On 20 June 1944, Phleps was awarded theGerman Crossin Gold.[8]In September, he was appointedplenipotentiarygeneral of German occupation troops in South Transylvania and theBanat,organising the flight of theVolksdeutscheof North Transylvania ahead of the advancingSovietRed Army.[43]

Death and aftermath

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Following theRomanian coup d'état of 23 August 1944which deposed Antonescu, while en route to a meeting with Himmler in Berlin, Phleps and his entourage made a detour to reconnoitre the situation nearArad, Romania,after receiving reports of Soviet advances in that area. Accompanied only by his adjutant and his driver, and unaware of the presence of Red Army units in the vicinity, he enteredȘimand,a village approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Arad, on the afternoon of 21 September 1944. Soviet forces were already in the village, and Phleps and his men were captured and brought in for interrogation. When the building in which they were held was attacked by German aircraft later that afternoon, the prisoners tried to escape and were shot by their guards.[44]Bergel suspects that Phleps had been set up by Hungarian army officers who had found out that he knew of plans for Hungary to switch sides as Romania had done shortly before.[45]Phleps' personal effects, including his identity card, tags and decorations, were found by a Hungarian patrol and handed over to German authorities on 29 September 1944. Phleps had been listed as missing in action since 22 September 1944 when he did not show up for his meeting with Himmler, who had issued a warrant for his arrest.[46]

Phleps was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 24 November 1944,[47]which was presented to his son,SS-Obersturmführer(first lieutenant) Dr.med. Reinhart Phleps,[48]a battalion doctor serving in the 7th SS Division.[49][50]Soon after his death, the 13thGebirgsjägerRegiment of the 7th SS Division was given thecuff titleArtur Phlepsin his honour.[51]Phleps was married; his wife's name was Grete and in addition to their son Reinhart, they had a daughter, Irmingard.[52]One of Phleps' brothers became a doctor, and the other was a professor at theDanzigtechnical university, nowGdańsk University of Technology.[4]

Accusations of war crimes

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Phleps was accused by the Yugoslav authorities of war crimes in association with the atrocities committed by 7th SS Division in the area ofNikšićinMontenegroduring Case Black, while under his command. At theNuremberg trialson 6 August 1946, a document from the Yugoslav State Commission for Crimes of Occupiers and their Collaborators regarding the crimes of the 7th SS Division was quoted as follows:[53]

At the end of May 1943 the division came to Montenegro to the area of Niksic in order to take part in the fifth enemy offensive in conjunction with the Italian troops. [...] The officers and men of the SS divisionPrinz Eugencommitted crimes of an outrageous cruelty on this occasion. The victims were shot, slaughtered and tortured, or burnt to death in burning houses. [...] It has been established from the investigations entered upon that 121 persons, mostly women, and including 30 persons aged 60–92 years and 29 children of ages ranging from 6 months to 14 years, were executed on this occasion in the horrible manner narrated above. The villages [and then follows the list of the villages] were burnt down and razed to the ground. [...] For all of these most serious War Crimes those responsible besides the actual culprits—the members of the SS Division Prinz Eugen—are all superior and all subordinate commanders as the persons issuing and transmitting the orders for murder and devastation. Among others the following war criminals are known: SS Gruppenfuehrer and Lieutenant General of the Waffen-SS Phleps; Divisional Commander, Major General of the Waffen-SS Karl von Oberkamp; Commander of the 13th Regiment, later Divisional Commander, Major General Gerhard Schmidhuber...

The post-warNuremberg trialsmade the declaratory judgement that the Waffen-SS was a criminal organisation due to its major involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the killing of prisoners-of-war and atrocities committed in occupied countries.[54]

Awards

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Phleps received the following awards during his service:

Notes

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  1. ^According to Scherzer as commander of SS-Volunteer-Mountain-Division "Prinz Eugen".[58]

Footnotes

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  1. ^Lopičić 2009,pp. 26–30.
  2. ^Lopičić 2009,pp. 112–113.
  3. ^abcdeGlaise von Horstenau 1980,p. 204.
  4. ^abcKaltenegger 2008,p. 96.
  5. ^abKumm 1995,pp. 8–9.
  6. ^abcdefghBergel 1979,p. 45.
  7. ^abcKumm 1995,p. 9.
  8. ^abcdefThomas 1998,p. 154.
  9. ^Bergel 1972,p. 87.
  10. ^abKumm 1995,pp. 9–10.
  11. ^abLumans 2012,p. 229.
  12. ^Bergel 1972,p. 88.
  13. ^Kaltenegger 2008,pp. 100–101.
  14. ^Bergel 1972,p. 89.
  15. ^abKaltenegger 2008,p. 101.
  16. ^abcdKumm 1995,p. 10.
  17. ^Bergel 1972,p. 92.
  18. ^abStein 1984,p. 170.
  19. ^Kumm 1995,pp. 19–21.
  20. ^abLumans 2012,p. 231.
  21. ^Kumm 1995,pp. 27–28.
  22. ^Lepre 1997,pp. 20–24.
  23. ^Casagrande 2003,p. 25.
  24. ^Kumm 1995,pp. 30–40.
  25. ^Kumm 1995,pp. 43–53.
  26. ^abCasagrande 2003,p. 255.
  27. ^Bishop & Williams 2003,p. 186.
  28. ^Stein 1984,p. 210.
  29. ^abLumans 2012,p. 236.
  30. ^Lumans 2012,p. 237.
  31. ^Kumm 1995,p. 55.
  32. ^Wolff 2000,pp. 154 & 161.
  33. ^Casagrande 2003,pp. 258–260.
  34. ^Rosenbaum & Hoffer 1993,pp. 32 & 79.
  35. ^Tomasevich 2001,pp. 71 & 147.
  36. ^Tomasevich 1975,p. 398.
  37. ^Lumans 2012,p. 238.
  38. ^Tomasevich 2001,p. 310.
  39. ^Tomasevich 2001,pp. 319–320.
  40. ^Kaltenegger 2008,pp. 181–189.
  41. ^Lepre 1997,p. 187.
  42. ^Eyre 2006,p. 373–376.
  43. ^Bergel 1979,p. 46.
  44. ^Bergel 1972,p. 106.
  45. ^Bergel 1972,p. 104.
  46. ^Schulz & Zinke 2008,p. 511.
  47. ^Williamson 2004,p. 121.
  48. ^Kaltenegger 2008,p. 105.
  49. ^Schulz & Zinke 2008,p. 551.
  50. ^Kaltenegger 2008,p. 15.
  51. ^Windrow 1992,p. 14.
  52. ^Kaltenegger 2008,p. 111.
  53. ^Nuremberg Trial proceedings.
  54. ^Stein 1984,pp. 250–251.
  55. ^abcdefghijklmnThomas & Wegmann 1994,p. 149.
  56. ^Patzwall & Scherzer 2001,p. 351.
  57. ^Fellgiebel 2000,pp. 338, 499.
  58. ^abScherzer 2007,p. 593.
  59. ^Fellgiebel 2000,p. 93.

References

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Books

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  • Bergel, Hans (1972).Würfelspiele des Lebens: vier Porträts bedeutender Siebenbürger: Conrad Haas, Johann Martin Honigberger, Paul Richter, Artur Phleps[The Dice of Life: Four portraits of Important Transylvanians, Conrad Haas, Johann Martin Honigberger, Paul Richter, Artur Phleps] (in German). Munich: H. Meschendörfer.ISBN978-3-87538-011-8.
  • Bergel, H. (1979)."Phleps (Stolz) Artur, General".Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950[Austrian Biographical Encyclopedia] (in German). Vol. 8. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. pp. 45–46.ISBN978-3-7001-3213-4.
  • Bishop, Chris; Williams, Michael (2003).SS: Hell on the Western Front.St Paul: MBI Publishing.ISBN978-0-7603-1402-9.
  • Casagrande, Thomas (2003).Die volksdeutsche SS-Division "Prinz Eugen": Die Banater Schwaben und die nationalsozialistischen Kriegsverbrechen[The volksdeutsche SS-Division "Prinz Eugen": The Banater Swabians and the National Socialist War Crimes] (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag.ISBN978-3-593-37234-1.Retrieved11 November2016.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000).Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile[The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 – The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas.ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Glaise von Horstenau, Edmund(1980). Broucek, Peter (ed.).Ein General im Zwielicht: K.u.k. Generalstabsoffizier und Historiker(in German). Vienna: Böhlau Verlag Wien.ISBN978-3-205-08740-3.
  • Kaltenegger, Roland (2008).Totenkopf und Edelweiss: General Artur Phleps und die südosteuropäischen Gebirgsverbände der Waffen-SS im Partisanenkampf auf dem Balkan 1942–1945[Skull and Edelweiss:General Artur Phleps and the Southeastern European Mountain Units of the Waffen-SS in the Partisan Struggle in the Balkans 1942–1945] (in German). Graz: Ares Verlag.ISBN978-3-902475-57-2.
  • Kumm, Otto(1995).Prinz Eugen: The History of the 7. SS-Mountain Division "Prinz Eugen".Winnipeg:J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing.ISBN978-0-921991-29-8.
  • Lepre, George (1997).Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945.Atglen, Philadelphia: Schiffer Publishing.ISBN978-0-7643-0134-6.
  • Lopičić, Đorđe (2009).Nemački Ratni Zločini 1941–1945, presude jugoslovenskih vojnih sudova[German War Crimes 1941–1945, the judgements of the Yugoslav Military Courts]. Belgrade: Muzej žrtava genocida [Museum of Genocide Victims].ISBN978-86-906329-8-5.
  • Lumans, Valdis O. (2012)."The Ethnic Germans of the Waffen-SS in Combat: Dregs or Gems".In Marble, Sanders (ed.).Scraping the Barrel: The Military Use of Sub-Standard Manpower 1860–1960.New York: Fordham University Press. pp. 225–253.ISBN978-0-8232-3977-1.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001).Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II[The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall.ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Rosenbaum, Eli M.;Hoffer, William (1993).Betrayal: The Untold Story of the Kurt Waldheim Investigation and Cover-Up.New York: St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-0-312-08219-2.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007).Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives[The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag.ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Schulz, Andreas; Zinke, Dieter (2008).Die Generale der Waffen-SS und der Polizei: [1933–1945]: die militärischen Werdegänge der Generale, sowie der Ärzte, Veterinäre, Intendanten, Richter und Ministerialbeamten im Generalsrang / 3 Lammerding – Plesch[Germany's Generals and Admirals – Part V: The Generals of the Waffen-SS and the Police 1933–1945]. Bissendorf: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-2375-7.
  • Stein, George H. (1984).The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War, 1939–45.Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP.ISBN978-0-8014-9275-4.
  • Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1994).Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VI: Die Gebirgstruppe Band 2: L–Z[The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VI: The Mountain Troops Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-2430-3.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998).Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z[The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag.ISBN978-3-7648-2300-9.
  • Tomasevich, Jozo(1975).War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: The Chetniks.Vol. 1. San Francisco: Stanford University Press.ISBN978-0-8047-0857-9.
  • Tomasevich, Jozo (2001).War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: Occupation and Collaboration.Vol. 2. San Francisco: Stanford University Press.ISBN978-0-8047-3615-2.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2004).The SS: Hitler's Instrument of Terror.St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press.ISBN978-0-7603-1933-8.
  • Windrow, Martin (1992).The Waffen-SS.Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing.ISBN978-0-7603-1933-8.
  • Wolff, Stefan (2000).German Minorities in Europe: Ethnic Identity and Cultural Belonging.New York: Berghahn Books.ISBN978-1-57181-738-9.

Journals

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  • Eyre, Wayne Lt.Col. (Canadian Army) (2006). "Operation RÖSSELSPRUNG and The Elimination of Tito, May 25, 1944: A Failure in Planning and Intelligence Support".The Journal of Slavic Military Studies.19(2). Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group: 343–376.doi:10.1080/13518040600697969.S2CID144383512.

Websites

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[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by
New formation
Commander of7th SS Volunteer Mountain DivisionPrinz Eugen
30 January 1942 – 15 May 1943
Succeeded by
Preceded by
New formation
Commander ofV SS Mountain Corps
8 July 1943 – 21 September 1944
Succeeded by