{{Short description|German general (1894–1987)}} {{Infobox military person | name = Otto Wöhler | birth_date = {{birth date|1894|7|12|df=y}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1987|2|5|1894|7|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Großburgwedel, German Empire | death_place = Großburgwedel, West Germany | image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2007-0313-500, Rumänien, Otto Wöhler bei Lagebesprechung.jpg | image_size = | caption = Wöhler in 1944 | nickname = | allegiance = German Empire<br/>Weimar Republic<br/>Nazi Germany | branch = German Army | service_years = 1913–1945 | rank = ''General der Infanterie'' | commands = I Army Corps<br/>8th Army<br/>Army Group South | unit = | battles = World War I ---- World War II | awards = Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves | other_work = }} '''Otto Wöhler''' (12 July 1894 – 5 February 1987) was a German general in the ''Wehrmacht'' during World War II. He rose to a corps and army level commander.
Wöhler was implicated in ''Einsatzgruppen'' activities while serving as Chief of Staff of the 11th Army in early 1942. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the High Command trial and sentenced to 8 years. He was released in February 1951.
==World War II== Wöhler fought in World War I and served in the post-war ''Reichswehr'' and in then the ''Wehrmacht'' in several staff roles. Between October 1940 and May 1942, Wöhler served as chief of staff of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's 11th Army.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=215}} In this capacity Wöhler cooperated closely with the ''Einsatzgruppe D'' under Otto Ohlendorf. At one point, he requested that all watches belonging to the killed Jews be turned over to the army.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=265}}
Wöhler was then appointed chief of staff of Army Group Center under Field Marshal Günther von Kluge. Wöhler’s first combat command was I Army Corps which he led from February to August 1943, before being given command of the 8th Army in August 1943. In December 1944 he was appointed commander of Army Group South.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=215}}
==Trial and conviction== Wöhler was investigated by the Allies after the war and was implicated in ''Einsatzgruppen'' activities while serving as Chief of Staff of the 11th Army in early 1942. In the pre-trial interrogations, he admitted that Manstein awarded Iron Crosses to ''Einsatzgruppen'' men and described the cooperation with the Einsatzgruppen as "generally free of friction".{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=119}}
He was tried by a U.S. Military Tribunal at Nuremberg ("High Command Trial" No. XII). At trial Wöhler denied knowledge of the Einsatzgruppen functions and any complicity in helping to carry their actions.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=119}} He was convicted of implementing the Barbarossa Jurisdiction Order, which allowed the murder of civilians on the pretext of counteracting partisan activity{{sfn|Hebert|2010|pp=3, 151}} Wöhler was also found guilty of deportations of civilians for slave labor and cooperation with ''Einsatzgruppen''.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=151}}
Wöhler was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in October 1948. During the 1949 sentence review, his sentence was confirmed with no changes. Based on the sentence having been backdated to 1945, he was released in February 1951 on good time credit grounds.{{sfn|Hebert|2010|p=219}}
==Awards== * 1914 Iron Cross: 2nd Class (1914); 1st Class (1916)<ref>Thomas 1998, p. 455.</ref> * German Cross in Gold on 26 January 1942 as Oberst in the General Staff of AOK 11<ref>Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 520.</ref> * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ** Knight's Cross on 14 August 1943 as General of the Infantry and commander of I Army Corps<ref name="Scherzer p793">Scherzer 2007, p. 793.</ref> ** Oak Leaves on 28 November 1944 as General of the Infantry and commander of the 8th Army<ref name="Scherzer p793"/>
==References==
===Citations=== {{Reflist|25em}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{Cite book |last=Hebert |first=Valerie |year=2010 |title=Hitler's Generals on Trial: The Last War Crimes Tribunal at Nuremberg |location=Lawrence, Kansas |publisher=University Press of Kansas |isbn=978-0-7006-1698-5 }} * {{Cite book |last1=Patzwall |first1=Klaus D. |last2=Scherzer |first2=Veit |year=2001 |title=Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II |trans-title=The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 |language=de |location=Norderstedt, Germany |publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall |isbn=978-3-931533-45-8 }} * {{Cite book |last=Scherzer |first=Veit |year=2007 |title=Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives |trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives |language=de |location=Jena, Germany |publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-938845-17-2 }} * {{Cite book |last=Thomas |first=Franz |year=1998 |title=Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z |trans-title=The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z |language=de |location=Osnabrück, Germany |publisher=Biblio-Verlag |isbn=978-3-7648-2300-9 }} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{cite web | url = http://werle.rewi.hu-berlin.de/High%20Command%20Case.pdf | title = High Command Trial, Judgment of 27 October 1948 | author = US Military Tribunal Nuremberg | date = 1948 | access-date = 30 May 2016 }} {{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box |before=General der Kavallerie Philipp Kleffel |after=General der Kavallerie Philipp Kleffel |title= Commander of I. Armeekorps |years=1 April 1943 – 15 August 1943 }} {{succession box |before=General Johannes Blaskowitz |after=General Hans Kreysing |title= Commander of 8. Armee |years=22 August 1943 – 27 December 1944 }} {{succession box |before=Generaloberst Johannes Frießner |after=Generaloberst Dr. Lothar Rendulic |title=Commander of ''Heeresgruppe Süd'' |years=28 December 1944 – 25 March 1945 }} {{s-end}}
{{High Command Trial defendants}} {{Authority control}} {{Subject bar | portal1=Biography }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wohler, Otto}} Category:1894 births Category:1987 deaths Category:People from Burgwedel Category:Generals of the infantry (Wehrmacht) Category:Military personnel from the Province of Hanover Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Category:Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave Category:German people convicted of war crimes Category:German people convicted of crimes against humanity Category:People convicted by the United States Nuremberg Military Tribunals Category:Reichswehr personnel Category:Military personnel from Lower Saxony Category:German Army generals of World War II Category:German Army personnel of World War I