Wilhelm Bittrich

Wilhelm Bittrich (26 February 1894 – 19 April 1979) was an SS-Obergruppenführer and Waffen-SS General during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Life

Born in Wernigerode in the Harz mountains of Germany, Bittrich served as an army officer and fighter pilot during World War I and was a member of the Freikorps, after the war ended. He joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1934 and the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler in 1939. He was in command of the Deutschland Regiment during the fighting in Poland (1939) and France (1940).

Between August 1942 and February 1943, Bittrich commanded 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer, that was tasked with anti-partisan operations (Bandenbekämfung) in the Soviet Union. On 9 July 1942 Bittrich attended a conference called to convey the principles of the Bandenbekämfung to senior police and security leaders. Organized by Heinrich Himmler, the conference included Kurt Daluege, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, Odilo Globocnik, Bruno Streckenbach and others. The policies included collective punishment against villages suspected of supporting partisans, automatic death penalty for immediate families of suspected partisans, deportation of women and children, and confiscation of property for the state.