Eugen Ritter von Schobert

Eugen Ritter von Schobert
Born	13 March 1883 Würzburg,Kingdom of Bavaria,German Empire
Died	12 September 1941(1941-09-12)(aged 58) Mykolaiv,Ukrainian SSR,Soviet Union
Allegiance	German Empire •Bavaria Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Army •Bavarian Army Reichsheer German Army
Years of service	1902–41
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	17th Infantry Division 33rd Infantry Division VII Army Corps 11th Army
Battles/wars	World War I Battle of Verdun German spring offensiveof 1918 World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa†
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Eugen Siegfried Erich Ritter von Schobert(13 March 1883 – 12 September 1941) was a German general duringWorld War II.He commanded the11th ArmyduringOperation Barbarossa,the invasion of the Soviet Union. Schobert died when his observation plane crashed in a Soviet minefield.

Early life

Schobert was born as Eugen Schobert inWürzburgin theKingdom of Bavaria,a member state of theGerman Empire.He was the son of Major Karl Schobert and AnnanéeMichaely.Schobert entered the Royal Bavarian Army in July 1902. He served primarily in the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment "König" and underwent pilot training in 1911.

World War I and post-war

During World War I, Schobert remained a Bavarian infantry officer, serving the entire war on the Western Front. During theGerman spring offensiveof 1918, he led the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment. For his actions on 23 March 1918, when he personally and successfully led his battalion in the crossing of a canal nearJussyagainst stiff British resistance, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of theMilitary Order of Max Joseph.This was Bavaria's highest military honor, comparable to the PrussianPour le Mérite,and conferred apatent of nobilityon a recipient who was a commoner. Hence Eugen Schobert became EugenRittervon Schobert.

After World War I, Schobert remained in theReichswehrand then theWehrmacht,steadily rising up the ranks. He was Inspector of Infantry from December 1933 to September 1934 and then commanded the 17th Infantry Division from 1935 to 1936 and the 33rd Infantry Division from 1936 to 1938.He took command of the VII Army Corps (VII. Armeekorps) on 4 February 1938.

World War II and death

In September 1939, Schobert led his VII Army Corps in theinvasion of Polandas part of the reserve ofArmy Group South.In May–June 1940, his corps, part of GeneralErnst Busch'sSixteenth Army ofArmy Group A,participated in the invasion of Belgium and Luxembourg and theBattle of France.He received theKnight's Cross of the Iron Crossfor his leadership of the VII Corps in the breakthrough of theMaginot Lineand the capture ofNancyandToul.He remained in command of the corps during preparations for the intendedinvasion of Great Britain.

In September 1940, Schobert was given command of theEleventh Army,which was assigned toArmy Group SouthforOperation Barbarossa,the invasion of the Soviet Union. During combat operations in the southern Soviet Union, Schobert was killed when hisFieseler Storchobservation aircraft crashed in a Soviet minefield. He was succeeded byErich von Manstein.A German war correspondent,Leo Leixner,wrote Schobert's biography.

Family

Schobert married Alice Rieder-Gollwitzer in 1921. They had three children: two sons and one daughter. His younger son was killed in combat in 1944 while serving as a fighter pilot for the Luftwaffe.

Decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosson 29 June 1940 asGeneral der Infanterieand commanding general of the VII. Armeekorps

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986].Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945[The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas.ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Rudolf von Kramer, Otto Freiherr von Waldenfels und Dr. Günther Freiherr von Pechmann:Virtuti Pro Patria: Der königlich bayerische Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden,München 1966 (Rudolf von Kramer, Otto Freiherr von Waldenfels & Dr. Günther Freiherr von Pechmann:Virtuti Pro Patria: The Royal Bavarian Military Max Joseph Order,Munich, 1966)
• Bayerisches Kriegsarchiv:"Bayerns Goldenes Ehrenbuch", gewidmet den Inhabern der höchsten bayerischen Kriegs-auszeichnungen aus dem Weltkrieg 1914/18,München 1928 (Bavarian War Archives:"Bavaria's Golden Book of Honor", dedicated to the holders of the highest Bavarian war decorations of the World War 1914-18,Munich, 1928)

External links

• Eugen Ritter von Schobertin theGerman National Librarycatalogue
• "Goldes wert. Ein deutscher Historiker widerlegt die gängige These, die Wehrmacht habe mit den Mordaktionen der Einsatzgruppen in Rußland nichts zu tun gehabt"[A German historian disproves the common thesis that the Wehrmacht had nothing to do with the killings of the Einsatzgruppen in Russia] (in German).Der Spiegel.13 April 1981.