Karl Strecker

Karl Strecker
Karl Strecker, as a Gerneal der Infanterie, wearing the Knight's Cross
Born	20 September 1884 Radmannsdorf, West Prussia
Died	10 April 1973(1973-04-10) (aged 88) Riezlern, Austria
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1920)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Reichsheer German Army (Wehrmacht)
Years of service	1905–1920 1935–1945
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	79th Infantry Division XVII Army Corps XI Army Corps
Battles/wars	Battles/Campaigns  World War I Tannenberg Marsurian Lakes Battle of the Vistula River Battle of Łódź Invasion of Russia (1915) Invasion of Romania Second Battle of the Aisne First Silesian Uprising World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) First Battle of Kharkov Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of Stalingrad
Awards	Awards  Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross German Cross in Gold Iron Cross 2nd Class (2) 1st Class (2) Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 Eastern Front Medal Order of Michael the Brave 3rd Class
Spouse(s)	Hedwig (née Born)
Police career
Department	Sicherheitspolizei
Years of service	1920-1935
Rank	Generalmajor

79th Infantry Division
XVII Army Corps

World War I

First Silesian Uprising

World War II

Karl Strecker (20 September 1884 – 10 April 1973) was a German Wehrmacht general and police commander. He fought on both the Western and Eastern Fronts of both World Wars. A member of the Prussian military class, he spent more than forty years in either the military or the para-military Security Police. He was a conservative Christian whose religious beliefs and ethics caused strain with, and sometimes outright defiance of, the Nazi regime. He commanded the German Army's XI. Armeekorps (11th Army Corps) at the Battle of Stalingrad and was the last German General to surrender their command in the city. He spent twelve years in Soviet captivity before being released in 1955.

He was born in Radmannsdorf, West Prussia to a Prussian Army officer. A lifelong and devoted evangelical Christian, Strecker wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become a priest but the financial hardship that followed his father's suicide forced him to instead attend a state-funded military school in Koeslin at the age of 12. Strecker began military training in a time of transition in the German Army. Historically the Prussian officer corps had been dominated by aristocratic Junkers, but Strecker was part of a new wave of middle-class Prussians who were beginning to dominate the Army's officer ranks. Despite feelings of isolation due to his middle-class background, he excelled academically, graduating with excellent marks in all subjects, including Russian. In 1905 he joined the 152nd Infantry Regiment of the 41st Division as a company commander and then battalion adjutant. In June 1914, one month before the start of the First World War, he was promoted to Lieutenant and made the Regimental adjutant. He was promoted quickly and served as both the battalion and regimental adjutant.