Friedrich Dollmann
| Friedrich Dollmann | |
|---|---|
Dollman stands before an artillery observation post that bears his name, near the French border.
|
|
| Born |
2 February 1882 Würzburg |
| Died | 28 June 1944 (aged 62) France |
| Buried at | Champigny-Saint-André German war cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Heer
|
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Commands held | Seventh Army |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Friedrich Karl Albert Dollmann (2 February 1882 – 28 June 1944) was a German general during World War II, most notably serving during the early phases of the D-Day Invasion. Because no biography of Dollmann's life and career exists, only outlines and second hand accounts remain.
Born in 1882, Dollmann joined the army in 1899. He studied in the War Academy for General Staff starting in 1909. He served as an aerial observer for the first two years of the First World War. Dollmann was assigned to the wartime General Staff on 5 November 1917, as part of the 6th Infantry Division. He was transferred to the Bavarian General Staff, where on 21 January 1918 he took command of the 6th Army. In March 1919, he was appointed to the Ministry of Military Affairs and then onto the Peace Commission of the General Staff.
Once this assignment was completed, Dollmann served in the central office of the General Staff. Starting 1 October 1919, he worked as a staff officer in the newly created Reichswehr Group Command IV of the Provisional Reichswehr in Munich, a post he retained for one year. On 1 October 1920, he was briefly employed as Adjutant of the Artillery Commander XXI before being assigned commander of the VII Artillery Division. Dollmann was transferred to the staff of the 7th (Bavarian) Division on 1 April 1923. Promoted to lieutenant colonel by this point, Dollmann then went from the First Division of the 7th (Bavarian) Artillery Regiment at Würzburg and on 1 February 1928, he took over as commander of this unit. Following this assignment, Dollmann then returned to a former unit and became Chief of the General Staff of the 7th (Bavarian) Division. During the next few years, Dollmann held various positions, spent some time in the higher artillery command of the Reichswehr, commanded the 6th (Prussian) Artillery Regiment from 1 February 1931 in Minden, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general in 1932.
He took over as Chief of Artillery in the Defense Ministry on 1 February 1933. Subsequent his brief time as commander of army service Kassel in October 1934, he was appointed Commander of the Military District IX (Hesse-Thuringia West) on 1 May 1935. Having distinguished himself, Dollmann was promoted at the end of 1936 to the rank of full general, along with 11 other officers of the twelve Wehrkreise.
Many historians who have analyzed Dollmann's career and life note that while he did exhibit on occasion a pro-Nazi attitude, they assert that he was not a committed Nazi. On the other hand, historian Klaus Jürgen Müller notes that Dollmann's orders were imbued with a discernible Nazi impetus. He therefore believes that Dollmann had a stronger inclination to National Socialism than otherwise presumed. A directive from Dollmann dated 8 February 1935 shows that he instructed his officers to cooperate fully with the authorities of the NSDAP. There is also evidence that he demanded that all his officers should fully support the Nazi Party and admonished them to adjust their opinions accordingly; he even insisted that his officer's wives should actively participate in the National Socialist Women's League. Along similar lines, Dollmann expected his officers to hang pictures of the Führer in their offices and in the mess hall instead of pictures of the Kaiser. In 1937, Dollmann harangued Catholic chaplains for not being fervent enough in their support of the Nazi regime, telling them that as members of the Wehrmacht and bearers of National Socialism, they should always display "a clear and unresolved acknowledgment of the Führer, State, and People!"
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