Hermann Foertsch (4 April 1895 – 27 December 1961) was a German general during
World War II who held commands at the divisional, corps and army levels. He was a recipient of the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of
Nazi Germany.
Foertsch was tried at the
Hostages Trial in 1947. The trial resulted in Foertsch's acquittal because he was a staff officer at the time that the criminal orders were transmitted.
As a chief of staff for several generals commanding Wehrmacht forces in occupied
Greece and
Yugoslavia, Foertsch passed on orders to subordinate units to take hostages or conduct reprisals. These orders were deemed criminal 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.[1]
Later life
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.[2] 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 (
Wiederbewaffnung). The conference resulted in the
Himmerod memorandum that contributed to the myth of the "
clean Wehrmacht".[3] Foertsch was involved in the establishment of the European anti-communist organisation Interdoc.[4]
^Critchfield, James H. Partners at the Creation: The Men Behind Postwar Germany's Defense and Intelligence Establishments. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2003. p.220.
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.
Scott-Smith, Giles. Interdoc and West European Psychological Warfare: The American Connection. Intelligence and National Security Vol. 26, Nos. 2–3, 355–376, April–June 2011.