Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (b. 7 March 1904 in Halle an der Saale, Province of Saxony-Anhalt, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire; ⚔ 4 June 1942 in Prague-Libeň, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) was a officer of the German Navy, the Luftwaffe and the Schutzstaffel, who had positions such as director of the Reich Main Security Office (including the Criminal Police, the Gestapo, and the Sicherheitsdienst). Heydrich's eventual replacements were Ernst Kaltenbrunner as the chief of RSHA as well as Karl Hermann Frank (de) 27 to 28 May 1942 and Kurt Daluege (de) 28 May 1942 to 14 October 1943 as the new acting Reichsprotektor (Reich Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia. After Heydrich's death, his legacy lived on; the first three "trial" labour camps were constructed and put into operation at Treblinka, Sobibór, and Belzec. The project was allegedly named Operation Reinhard in Heydrich's honor.
Life
Early life
Heydrich was born in Halle an der Saale to composer Richard Bruno Heydrich and his wife Elisabeth Anna Maria Amalia Kranz; Heydrich held a life-long passion for the violin. His two forenames were patriotic musical references: "Reinhard" from an opera of his father's, in a portion called "Reinhard's Crime". His first middle name, 'Tristan' stems from Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde. His third name probably derives from military hero Prince Eugene of Savoy, Eugen in German (the German cruiser Prinz Eugen was also named for Eugene of Savoy as was the 7th Division of the Waffen-SS).
He was too young to have fought in World War I but joined the para-military Freikorps after the war.
NSDAP and the SS
Heinrich Himmler became 1929 Reichsführer der SS. In 1931, Himmler began to set up a counter-intelligence division of the SS. Acting on a friend's advice, he interviewed Heydrich, and, it is alleged, after a twenty minute test whereby Heydrich had to outline plans for the new division, Himmler hired him on the spot. In doing so Himmler also effectively recruited Heydrich into the Party. He would later receive a Totenkopfring from Himmler, for his service. At this time, he was relatively insignificant within the NSDAP intelligence apparatus. He and his staff spent their time building up a card-file system on all people who were considered a threat to the Party, often including party officials themselves.
In July 1932, Heydrich became the head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), an intelligence organization wholly committed to the defence of National Socialism. He built it by recruiting agents from unusual sources, some of whom were not really committed NSDAP supporters, just people Heydrich found talented or useful, from whom reports could be compiled on various aspects of life in Germany. The organization benefitted from close cooperation with the Gestapo, which Heydrich also gained control of in 1936, as part of a combined security police force. Later, the SD and the Gestapo were united under the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) under Heydrich.
Heydrich was an outstanding, talented organizator and leader, therefore national socialist leaders considered him, as a possible descendant of the Führer.
Luftwaffe
Heydrich began training as a pilot of the Luftwaffe in 1935, and undertook fighter pilot training at the flight school at Werneuchen in 1939. Himmler initially forbade Heydrich from flying combat missions, but later relented, allowing him to join Jagdgeschwader 77 in Norway, where he was stationed from 15 April 1940 during Operation Weserübung. He returned to Berlin on 14 May 1940 after having crashed his plane on takeoff at Stavanger the previous day.
On 20 July 1941, without seeking authorization from Himmler, Heydrich rejoined Jagdgeschwader 77 during Operation Barbarossa, arriving at Yampil, Vinnytsia Oblast in a borrowed Bf 109. His aircraft was hit by Russian flak in action near the Dniester on 22 July, and he had to land the plane in enemy territory. He avoided capture, contacted a forward German patrol and returned to Berlin after being rescued. It was his final, nearly 100th combat mission.
Death
Heydrich was appointed acting governor of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in 1941. He was attacked in Prague on 27 May 1942 by a British-trained team of Czech terrorists with the support of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. He died from his injuries a week later.
Revisionists have argued that Heydrich had successfully calmed previous unrest in the Protectorate by methods such as improved conditions for the workers. Czechs are argued to have tried to stop the attack and to have helped the wounded Heydrich. The politically correct version instead describes Heydrich's regime as a rule of terror. Revisionists have further argued that the Allies hoped that the Germans would react harshly to the assassination of Heydrich and that the countermeasures taken would incite the Czech public.[1][2]
Another theory is that Heydrich was about the expose the critical Allied spy Wilhelm Canaris and that this was prevented by the assassination.[2] Heydrich was also said to be investigating Martin Bormann as a possible Allied spy,[3] but there is no substantive evidence for this.
Lidice and the expulsion of the Sudetenland Germans
As a reprisal for the assassination, Lidice, a town that had housed some of the assassins, was leveled, and the men shot.[2] 173 men were killed. In addition, the children have been claimed to have been sent to the Chelmno camp in order to be killed. This claim has been rejected by Holohoax revisionists.[4]
Lidice was used as a justification for the expulsion of the entire population of Sudetenland Germans from Czechoslovakia and that was associated with mass deaths/killings on a far larger scale, but they are mentioned much less frequently than Lidice.
Promotions
- Fähnrich zur See: 1 April 1922
- Oberfähnrich zur See: 1 April 1924
- Leutnant zur See: 1 July 1926
- Oberleutnant zur See: 1 July 1928
SS:
- SS-Mann: 14 July 1931
- SS-Sturmführer: 10 August 1931
- SS-Sturmhauptführer: 1 December 1931
- SS-Sturmbannführer: 25 December 1931
- SS-Standartenführer: 29 July 1932
- SS-Oberführer: 21 March 1933
- SS-Brigadeführer: 9 November 1933
- SS-Gruppenführer: 30 June 1934
- SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei: 27 September 1941
- Hauptmann der Reserve (Captain of the reserves)
- Major der Reserve, 1941
Awards and decorations (excerpt)
Heydrich was recipient of many high and highest awards and decorations, here a small selection
- Rider's Badge in Silver (Deutsches Reitabzeichen)
- Honour Chevron for the Old Guard (Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer)
- SS-Honour Ring
- Honour Sword of the Reichsführers-SS
- NSDAP Long Service Award (Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP), 3rd Class in Bronze (10 Years Service)
- Police Long Service Award Second Class (18 Years Service)
- SS Long Service Award (12 Years Service)
- Luftwaffe Pilot's Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen)
- Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of Italy (1937)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1938)
- Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
- Front Flying Clasp for Reconnaissance in Bronze and Silver (Frontflugspange)
- Italian Pilot's Badge
- Grand Imperial Order of the Red Arrows, Grand Commander with star/plaque on 20. Januar 1941 (Nr. 132)
- Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds of the Luftwaffe (Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer- und Beobachterabzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten)
- War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords (posthumous)
- Wound Badge in Gold (posthumous)
- Blood Order on 4 June 1942 (posthumous)
- German Order on 9 June 1942 (posthumous)
Gallery
- Hauptmann der Reserve Reinhard Heydrich.jpg
- Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD SS-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich verteilt Siegerpreise nach den Polizei-Skiwettkämpfen in Innsbruck, 4. März 1941.png
- Heydrich in Farbe.jpg
- Reinhard Heydrich (1).png
- Reinhard Heydrich (2).png
- Reinhard Heydrich (3).png
See also
External links
Wilfried Heink
- Reinhard Heydrich: Part I
- Reinhard Heydrich: Part II
- Reinhard Heydrich: Part III
- Reinhard Heydrich: Part IV
- Reinhard Heydrich: Conclusion
References
- ↑ Reinhard Heydrich: Part IV http://revblog.codoh.com/2012/09/reinhard-heydrich-4/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Reinhard Heydrich: Conclusion http://revblog.codoh.com/2012/09/reinhard-heydrich-5/
- ↑ Reinhard Heydrich: Part III http://revblog.codoh.com/2012/09/reinhard-heydrich-3/
- ↑ Carlo Mattogno. (2011). Chelmno—A German Camp in History and Propaganda. Holohoax Handbooks. http://holocausthandbooks.com/index.php?page_id=15
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