Introduction
Hermann Foertsch (4 April 1895 – 27 December 1961) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who held commands at the divisional, corps and army levels. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Foertsch surrendered to American forces under the command of General Jacob Devers, commanding general of the U.S. Sixth Army Group, in 1945 and was later tried at the Hostages Trial in 1947; the trial resulted in Foertsch's acquittal.
Hostages trial
As a chief of staff for several generals commanding Wehrmacht forces in Greece and Yugoslavia, Foertsch passed on orders to subordinate units to take hostages or conduct reprisals. These orders were deemed criminal in by the Tribunal, but staff officers were not considered culpable unless they drafted such criminal orders or made a special effort to distribute them to the troops that carried them out. Citing a lack of evidence of a commission of an unlawful act, the Tribunal acquitted Foertsch of war crimes.
After the Second World War
After his acquittal, Foertsch collaborated with Hans Speidel in the development of concepts for Germany's rearmament many years before the official foundation of the Bundeswehr, the German army, in 1955. In 1950, Foertsch was the leading member of the select group of former Wehrmacht high-ranking officers invited by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to take part in the conference to discuss West Germany's rearmament. The conference resulted in the Himmerod memorandum that contributed to the myth of the "clean Wehrmacht".
Interdoc
Foertsch was involved in the establishment of the European anti-communist organisation Interdoc.
Awards and decorations
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 August 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 21. Infanterie-Division
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on (4 August 1944)
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 154.