Hans Speidel
German military officer (1897–1984)
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Key Takeaways
- Hans Speidel (28 October 1897 – 28 November 1984) was a German general who successively served in the armies of the German Empire, Nazi Germany and West Germany.
- He served as Commander of the Allied Land Forces Central Europe (COMLANDCENT) from 1957 to 1963 and then as President of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs from 1964.
- He served as chief of staff to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel during World War II and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1944.
- After the plot failed he was arrested by the Gestapo .
- Speidel was one of the few participants in the 20 July Plot to survive the war.
Hans Speidel (28 October 1897 – 28 November 1984) was a German general who successively served in the armies of the German Empire, Nazi Germany and West Germany. The first general officer of the Bundeswehr, he was a key player in West German rearmament during the Cold War as well as West Germany's integration into NATO and international negotiations on European and Western defence cooperation in the 1950s. He served as Commander of the Allied Land Forces Central Europe (COMLANDCENT) from 1957 to 1963 and then as President of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs from 1964.
Speidel joined the Imperial German Army in 1914, seeing action during World War I, and served in the Reichswehr during the interwar period. He served as chief of staff to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel during World War II and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1944. Speidel participated in the 20 July Plot to assassinate Hitler due to objecting to the racial policy of Nazi Germany, and he was tasked with recruiting Rommel for the resistance. After the plot failed he was arrested by the Gestapo. With the help of religious Pallottines, he was able to escape together with other prisoners and they were able to go into hiding in Urnau in today's Lake Constance district and were taken there by French troops in the last days of the war. Speidel was one of the few participants in the 20 July Plot to survive the war.
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