Franz Friedrich Böhme (15 April 1885 – 29 May 1947) was an Army officer who served in succession with the Austro-Hungarian Army, the Austrian Army and the German Wehrmacht. He rose to the rank of general during World War II, serving as Commander of the XVIII Mountain Corps, Hitler's Plenipotentiary Commanding General (Bevollmächtigter Kommandierender General) in the Balkans, and commander-in-chief in German-occupied Norway during World War II. Böhme was arrested for trial by a US Army Tribunal in Nuremberg in the Hostages Trial on a charge of having massacred thousands of Serbian civilians. He committed suicide in prison.
Franz Böhme was born in Zeltweg in Styria, Austria on 15 April 1885. He entered the Austro-Hungarian Army in October 1900 as a cadet and was commissioned as a lieutenant in an infantry regiment in 1905. He served in World War I and remained in the Austrian Bundesheer after 1918, transferring to the Wehrmacht on the Anschluss with Germany in 1938.[1] replacing Austrian Chief of Staff Alfred Jansa.
Between 16 September 1941 and 2 December 1941, as Commanding General and Commander of Serbia, Böhme ordered the reprisal executions of 2,000 civilians in Kragujevac after a partisan assault on 22 soldiers of the 421 Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung.[3]
In July 1944, Böhme was transferred to the Army's High Command Leader Reserve, giving up control of the 2nd Panzer Army to General Maximilian de Angelis. Between 8 January 1945 and 8 May 1945, he was Armed Forces Commander of Norway and Commander-in-Chief of the 20th Mountain Army.[1]
Trial and suicide
After being captured in Norway, he was brought before the Hostages Trial, a division of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials, and charged with war crimes committed in Serbia during his control of the region in 1941. At that time, he had increased the scale of retaliatory strikes against Serbs, killing a hundred Serbs for every German killed, and fifty for every German wounded; this resulted in the massacre of thousands of civilians.[4] When his extradition to Yugoslavia seemed imminent, Böhme committed suicide by jumping from the 4th story of the prison in which he was being held. His body was interred at St. Leonhard-Friedhof in Graz, Austria.[citation needed]
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
Lucas, James (1980). Alpine Elite: German Mountain Troops of World War II. Jane's Publishing. ISBN0531037134.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 [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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
Weiner, Hana; Ofer, Dalia; Barber, Anne (1996). Dead-end Journey: the Tragic Story of the Kladovo-Šabac Group. University Press of America. ISBN0761801995.
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Franz Bohme news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Franz Friedrich Bohme 15 April 1885 29 May 1947 was an Army officer who served in succession with the Austro Hungarian Army the Austrian Army and the German Wehrmacht He rose to the rank of general during World War II serving as Commander of the XVIII Mountain Corps Hitler s Plenipotentiary Commanding General Bevollmachtigter Kommandierender General in the Balkans and commander in chief in German occupied Norway during World War II Bohme was arrested for trial by a US Army Tribunal in Nuremberg in the Hostages Trial on a charge of having massacred thousands of Serbian civilians He committed suicide in prison Franz BohmeFranz Bohme in March 1943Born15 April 1885Zeltweg Styria Austria HungaryDied29 May 1947 1947 05 29 aged 62 Nuremberg Bavaria Allied occupied GermanyBuriedSt Leonhard Friedhof Graz AustriaAllegianceAustria Hungary to 1918 First Austrian Republic to 1938 GermanyService wbr branchAustro Hungarian ArmyBundesheerWehrmachtYears of service1900 1938 Austria 1938 1945 Germany RankGeneralmajor Austria General der Gebirgstruppe Germany Commands held32nd Infantry DivisionXVIII Mountain Corps20th Mountain ArmyBattles warsWorld War IWorld War IIAwardsKnight s Cross of the Iron Cross Contents 1 Life and career 2 Trial and suicide 3 Awards and decorations 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 BibliographyLife and career Edit Alfred Jansa generalmajor brigadier general commander 3 Brigade Niederosterreich 3rd Lower Austrian Brigade portrait photography Franz Bohme was born in Zeltweg in Styria Austria on 15 April 1885 He entered the Austro Hungarian Army in October 1900 as a cadet and was commissioned as a lieutenant in an infantry regiment in 1905 He served in World War I and remained in the Austrian Bundesheer after 1918 transferring to the Wehrmacht on the Anschluss with Germany in 1938 1 replacing Austrian Chief of Staff Alfred Jansa During the opening years of World War II Bohme held command of the 30th Infantry Division and 32nd Infantry Division taking part in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 and in the Battle of France in May and June 1940 On 29 June 1940 he was awarded the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 2 Between 16 September 1941 and 2 December 1941 as Commanding General and Commander of Serbia Bohme ordered the reprisal executions of 2 000 civilians in Kragujevac after a partisan assault on 22 soldiers of the 421 Korps Nachrichten Abteilung 3 In December 1943 Bohme was appointed Deputy Commanding General of the XVIII Corps and Commander of Wehrkreis XVIII Salzburg On 4 June 1944 he was delegated with clarification needed the leadership of the Second Panzer Army in the Balkans with Bohme succeeding Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic In July 1944 Bohme was transferred to the Army s High Command Leader Reserve giving up control of the 2nd Panzer Army to General Maximilian de Angelis Between 8 January 1945 and 8 May 1945 he was Armed Forces Commander of Norway and Commander in Chief of the 20th Mountain Army 1 Trial and suicide EditAfter being captured in Norway he was brought before the Hostages Trial a division of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials and charged with war crimes committed in Serbia during his control of the region in 1941 At that time he had increased the scale of retaliatory strikes against Serbs killing a hundred Serbs for every German killed and fifty for every German wounded this resulted in the massacre of thousands of civilians 4 When his extradition to Yugoslavia seemed imminent Bohme committed suicide by jumping from the 4th story of the prison in which he was being held His body was interred at St Leonhard Friedhof in Graz Austria citation needed Awards and decorations EditIron Cross 1914 2nd Class 1916 1st Class 12 June 1917 Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class 12 September 1939 1st Class 25 September 1939 Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Oak leaves and Swords Finland German Cross in Gold on 10 February 1944 as General der Infanterie in the XVIII Gebirgs Armeekorps 5 Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 June 1940 as Generalleutnant commander of 32 Infanterie Division 2 References EditCitations Edit a b Lucas 1980 p 211 a b Fellgiebel 2000 p 137 Massacres And Reprisals During The German Occupation Of Yugoslavia Akademediasrbija com Archived from the original on 2016 03 05 Retrieved 2016 10 20 Weiner Ofer amp Barber 1996 pp 145 152 Patzwall amp Scherzer 2001 p 49 Bibliography Edit Fellgiebel Walther Peer 2000 1986 Die Trager des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 1945 Die Inhaber der hochsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile The Bearers of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 1945 The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches in German Friedberg Germany Podzun Pallas ISBN 978 3 7909 0284 6 Lucas James 1980 Alpine Elite German Mountain Troops of World War II Jane s Publishing ISBN 0531037134 Patzwall Klaus D Scherzer Veit 2001 Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II The German Cross 1941 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 in German Norderstedt Germany Verlag Klaus D Patzwall ISBN 978 3 931533 45 8 Scherzer Veit 2007 Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939 1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer Luftwaffe Kriegsmarine Waffen SS Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrafte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives 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 in German Jena Germany Scherzers Militaer Verlag ISBN 978 3 938845 17 2 Weiner Hana Ofer Dalia Barber Anne 1996 Dead end Journey the Tragic Story of the Kladovo Sabac Group University Press of America ISBN 0761801995 Military officesPreceded byGeneralmajor Kurt von Briesen Commander of 30 Infanterie Division1 July 1939 19 July 1939 Succeeded byGeneral der Infanterie Kurt von BriesenPreceded byGeneraloberst Nikolaus von Falkenhorst Commander of 32 Infanterie Division19 July 1939 1 October 1939 Succeeded byGeneralleutnant Eccard Freiherr von GablenzPreceded byGeneralleutnant Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz Commander of 32 Infanterie Division1 December 1939 15 June 1940 Succeeded byGeneralleutnant Wilhelm BohnstedtPreceded byGeneralleutnant Hermann Ritter von Speck Commander of XXXXIII Army Corps31 May 1940 17 June 1940 Succeeded byGeneral der Infanterie Gotthard HeinriciPreceded byGeneraloberst Dr Lothar Rendulic Commander of 2 Panzer Armee24 June 1944 17 July 1944 Succeeded byGeneral der Artillerie Maximilian de AngelisPreceded byGeneral Dr Lothar Rendulic Commander of 20 Gebirgsarmee8 January 1945 7 May 1945 Succeeded bynone Portals Biography Military of Germany World War I World War IIFranz Bohme at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Franz Bohme amp oldid 1135588590, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
