# Karl Bodenschatz

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German general (1890–1979)

Karl Bodenschatz Born (1890-12-10)10 December 1890 Rehau, Bavaria, German Empire Died 25 August 1979(1979-08-25) (aged 88) Erlangen, Bavaria, West Germany Allegiance German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany Branch Bavarian Army Luftstreitkräfte Reichswehr Luftwaffe Service years 1910–1945 Rank General der Flieger Conflicts World War I World War II

**Karl-Heinrich Bodenschatz** (10 December 1890 – 25 August 1979) was a [German](/source/Nazi_Germany) general who was the [adjutant](/source/Adjutant) to [Manfred von Richthofen](/source/Manfred_von_Richthofen) in [World War I](/source/World_War_I) and the liaison officer between [Hermann Göring](/source/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring) and [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler) in [World War II](/source/World_War_II).

## Biography

### Early life and First World War

Bodenschatz was born in [Rehau](/source/Rehau), [Kingdom of Bavaria](/source/Kingdom_of_Bavaria) in 1890. He enlisted in the Royal Bavarian 8th Infantry Regiment (*Königlich Bayerisches 8. Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog Friedrich II. von Baden“*) and was a cadet at the War Academy in [Metz](/source/Metz). He was commissioned a *Leutnant* on 28 October 1912. Following the [German entry into World War I](/source/German_entry_into_World_War_I) he saw active infantry service on the [Western Front](/source/Western_Front_(World_War_I)) and participated in the [Battle of Verdun](/source/Battle_of_Verdun). After being wounded four times, in 1916 he transferred to the Deutsche *[Luftstreitkräfte](/source/Luftstreitkr%C3%A4fte)*. He served as an adjutant in *[Jagdstaffel 2](/source/Jagdstaffel_2)* ("Jasta Boelcke") and then in *[Jagdgeschwader 1](/source/Jagdgeschwader_1_(World_War_I))* based at [Avesnes-le-sac](/source/Avesnes-le-Sec). He was adjutant to [Manfred von Richthofen](/source/Manfred_von_Richthofen) and later, after the deaths of Manfred von Richthofen and his successor [Wilhelm Reinhard](/source/Wilhelm_Reinhard_(pilot)), to [Hermann Göring](/source/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring), who took over command of the fighter wing in June 1918.[1]

### Between the wars

After the war, Bodenschatz was carried over into the *[Reichswehr](/source/Reichswehr)* as a regular officer and served in the 21st (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment from 1919 until April 1933.[1] He had maintained a friendship with Göring and joined the [Luftwaffe](/source/Luftwaffe) as his military adjutant, serving in this capacity until 1938, visiting Britain in November 1938.[2] In 1939, he warned the Polish military attaché in Berlin that [Nazi Germany was planning to invade Poland](/source/Invasion_of_Poland) by the end of the year.[3]

 Left to right: Karl Bodenschatz, [Walter von Reichenau](/source/Walter_von_Reichenau) and [Wilhelm Keitel](/source/Wilhelm_Keitel) in 1939.

### Second World War

During World War II he was the liaison officer between Hitler's headquarters and the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe until he was seriously injured in 1944 by the [20 July plot](/source/20_July_plot) bomb at the [Wolf's Lair](/source/Wolf's_Lair) headquarters in [Rastenburg](/source/Rastenburg), [East Prussia](/source/East_Prussia). He was fortunate to survive the explosion as two officers immediately to his left and one to his right were killed.

### Post-war

He was captured at [Reichenhall](/source/Reichenhall) on 5 May 1945 and served two years in prison. In 1946 he was called as a witness at the [Nuremberg Trials](/source/Nuremberg_Trials) of major [Nazi war criminals](/source/German_war_crimes). He died in [Erlangen](/source/Erlangen), [West Germany](/source/West_Germany), in 1979, aged 88.

## Decorations and awards

- [Kingdom of Bavaria](/source/Kingdom_of_Bavaria): - [Military Merit Order](/source/Military_Merit_Order_(Bavaria)), 4th Class with Swords (18 October 1914)[1] - Prince Regent Luitpold Medal on the Ribbon of the Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army (3 March 1911)[1] - Observer's Badge (6 September 1918)[1]

- [Kingdom of Prussia](/source/Kingdom_of_Prussia): - [Iron Cross](/source/Iron_Cross) 2nd Class (10 October 1914)[1] - Iron Cross 1st class (13 December 1915)[1] - Flyer's Commemorative Badge (13 May 1919)[1]

- [Grand Duchy of Baden](/source/Grand_Duchy_of_Baden): [Order of the Zähringer Lion](/source/Order_of_the_Z%C3%A4hringer_Lion), Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords (6 October 1914)[1]

- [German Empire](/source/German_Empire): [Wound Badge](/source/Wound_Badge) in Silver (*mattweiß*) (1 August 1918)[1]

- [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire): [War Medal](/source/Gallipoli_Star_(Ottoman_Empire)) ("Iron Crescent") (13 November 1917)[1]

- [Nazi Germany](/source/Nazi_Germany): - [Wehrmacht Long Service Award](/source/Wehrmacht_Long_Service_Award), 4th to 1st class (2 October 1936)[1] - [German Olympic Decoration](/source/German_Olympic_Decoration), 1st Class (1 December 1936)[1] - [Golden Party Badge](/source/Golden_Party_Badge) (10 December 1940) - [War Merit Cross](/source/War_Merit_Cross) (1939), 1st and 2nd Class with Swords - [German Cross](/source/German_Cross) in Silver on 30 May 1942 as *General der Flieger* and chief of Ministeramt in the [Reichsluftfahrtministerium](/source/Reichsluftfahrtministerium) with the Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe[4] - [Wound Badge of 20 July 1944](/source/Wound_Badge#Wound_Badge_of_20_July_1944) in Gold

- [Finland](/source/Finland): [Order of the Cross of Liberty](/source/Order_of_the_Cross_of_Liberty), 1st Class with Oakleaves and Swords

## References

**Citations**

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-BArch_PERS_6/83_1-12) German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv), Luftwaffe Personalakte von Karl Bodenschatz, BArch PERS 6/83

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hansard 28 November 1938

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bouverie, Tim (2019). *Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War* (1 ed.). New York: [Tim Duggan Books](/source/Tim_Duggan_Books). p. 341. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-451-49984-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-451-49984-4). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1042099346](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1042099346).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 537.

**Bibliography**

- 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. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-931533-45-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-931533-45-8).

- *Hunting With Richthofen: The Bodenschatz Diaries: Sixteen Months of Battle with J G Freiherr Von Richthofen No. 1*. Grub Street, 1998, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-898697-97-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-898697-97-3).

## External links

- [Karl Bodenschatz Nuremberg trial testimony at the Nizkor Project](https://web.archive.org/web/20070610235711/http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-08/tgmwc-08-77-02.shtml)

v t e People killed or wounded in the 20 July plot Wounded Heinz Assmann Karl Bodenschatz Heinrich Borgmann Heinz Buchholz Walther Buhle Herbert Büchs Hermann Fegelein Otto Günsche Adolf Heusinger Adolf Hitler Alfred Jodl Wilhelm Keitel Walter Scherff Nicolaus von Below Ernst John von Freyend Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer Franz von Sonnleithner Hans-Erich Voss Heinz Waizenegger Walter Warlimont Killed Heinz Berger Heinz Brandt Günther Korten Rudolf Schmundt

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Czech Republic Netherlands Greece Poland Israel People Deutsche Biographie DDB Other Open Library Yale LUX

[Portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)

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