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Leopold Bürkner

February 15, 2023

Leopold Bürkner (29 January 1894 - 15 July 1975) was a German naval officer who served on torpedo boats in World War I. In the post-war period he served on a pocket battleship that patrolled the Spanish coast during the Spanish Civil War and then commanded a light cruiser. In 1938 he became head of the foreign liaison section of the Abwehr, the General Staff intelligence department. During World War II he rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.

Leopold Bürkner
Born(1894-01-29)29 January 1894
Zerbst, Anhalt, German Empire
Died15 July 1975(1975-07-15) (aged 81)
Frankfurt, West Germany
Allegiance German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 Nazi Germany
Branch Imperial German Navy
 Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service1912–1945
RankVice Admiral
UnitAdmiral Scheer
Deutschland
Abwehr
Commands heldEmden
Battles/wars

Naval career

Leopold Bürkner was born on 29 January 1894 in Zerbst, Anhalt. He joined the Imperial navy on 1 April 1912.[1] He undertook basic training on the heavy cruiser Hansa.[2] From 1 April 1913 to 31 July 1914, he attended the Naval Academy, where he was appointed a midshipman.

From 1 August 1914 to 28 September 1915 Bürkner served in various capacities on the battleships SMS Wettin and SMS Schwaben and the battlecruisers SMS Seydlitz and SMS Moltke. On 22 March 1915 he became a lieutenant. From 29 September 1915 Bürkner was assigned to the Torpedo Boat Division.[citation needed] Bürkner was employed on various torpedo boats from 17 January 1916 until the end of the war. His last boat was SMS G39, which was scuttled on 21 June 1919 in Scapa Flow. Bürkner was taken captive and held until 29 January 1920.[1]

Bürkner was cadet company commander at the Naval Academy Mürwik from 1 August 1920 to 26 September 1923. He was a flag lieutenant of the First Torpedo Boat Flotilla from 27 October 1923 to 25 September 1927. He then became a lecturer in the Education department of the Navy until 30 September 1931. Bürkner was chief of a half-flotilla of torpedo boats from October 1931 to September 1933. He was liaison officer for foreign naval attachés from 9 October 1933 to 30 September 1935.[1] On 25 April 1935 he officially informed the British Naval attaché to Germany, Captain Gerard Muirhead-Gould, that Germany had laid down twelve 250-ton U-boats at Kiel.[3]

Bürkner was First Officer on the newly commissioned pocket battleship Admiral Scheer from 1 October 1935 until 26 July 1937.[1] In July 1936 the ship was sent to Spain to evacuate German civilians caught in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. From 8 August 1936 she served with her sister ship Deutschland on non-intervention patrols off the Republican-held coast of Spain.[4]Deutschland was attacked on 29 May 1937 by Spanish Republican Air Force aircraft off Ibiza.[5] In reprisal, on 31 May 1937 Admiral Scheer arrived off Almería and opened fire on shore batteries, naval installations and ships in the harbor. She returned to Wilhelmshaven on 1 July 1937.[4] Bürkner commanded the Emden light cruiser from 30 July 1937 to 15 June 1938.[2]

Military intelligence

On 15 June 1938, Bürkner was appointed head of the foreign liaison section (Abteilung Ausland, later Amt Ausland) of the Abwehr, the intelligence organization of the German general staff.[1]

The other four sections handled secret espionage abroad, sabotage, counterespionage and administration.[6] Bürkner reported to Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the Abwehr,[7] and was one of Canaris's closest collaborators.[8]

After World War II began, Canaris was disgusted by the brutal executions conducted by the SS in Poland. He told Burkner that "a war conducted in contempt of all ethics cannot be won. There is a divine justice even on this earth". Later, Canaris was to try to stir up a revolt against Hitler.[9]

In March 1941, Bürkner was involved in discussions concerning setting up a network of Arabs in Palestine to engage in sabotage and armed uprisings. This was to be done without consultation with the Italians to whom the Germans in the past had deferred on matters involving the Arabs.[10]

After Canaris was removed from office in February 1944, Bürkner took temporary command of the Abwehr.[7] In March 1944, he led the Abwehr representatives at a conference on creating a unified intelligence organization, combining the Abwehr with Amt VI, the foreign affairs unit of the SS's Sicherheitsdienst (SD) intelligence agency. Walter Schellenberg, Chief of Amt VI, favored forming a new Amt Mil office for purely-military intelligence, working closely with Amt VI.[11]

Bürkner retained command of the residual organization. Canaris was later executed.[7] Bürkner was briefly Chief of Protocol in the Dönitz Government after Hitler had killed himself.[1]

Post-war

The Dönitz government was arrested and dismissed by Allied troops on 23 May 1945 in Flensburg. Bürkner was imprisoned in Ansbach until 25 June 1947. While in captivity he was one of the former high-ranking officers of the armed forces who assisted in creating 2,500 military history studies.[12] During the Nuremberg Trials he was called as a witness for Alfred Jodl.[13] After his release he became director of the German staff of the Dutch airline KLM in Frankfurt. From 1949 he acted at times as an adviser to the Foreign Office.[14] He was involved in the rearmament of West Germany.[15]

Bürkner died on 15 July 1975 in Frankfurt.[2] He was aged 81.

Ranks

Bürkner held the following ranks:[2]

Awards and decorations

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bürkner, Leopold: Bordgemeinschaft der Emdenfahrer.
  2. ^ a b c d Leopold Bürkner: Wehrmacht History.
  3. ^ Maiolo 1998, p. 33.
  4. ^ a b Williamson 2003, p. 24.
  5. ^ Ciupa 1997, p. 20.
  6. ^ Adams 2009, p. 3.
  7. ^ a b c Bloomenkranz 2012, p. 35.
  8. ^ Bloomenkranz 2012, p. 136.
  9. ^ Rigg 2006, p. 73.
  10. ^ Mallmann & Cüppers 2010, p. 78.
  11. ^ Doerries 2003, p. 106.
  12. ^ Wegner 1995, p. 292ff.
  13. ^ Der Nürnberger Prozeß: 3. August 1946.
  14. ^ Mader 1970.
  15. ^ Cook 2012, p. 103.

Sources

  • Adams, Jefferson (2009-09-01). Historical Dictionary of German Intelligence. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6320-0. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  • Bloomenkranz, Sol (2012-07-06). Charles Bedaux - Deciphering an Enigma. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4759-2637-8.
  • "Bürkner, Leopold". Bordgemeinschaft der Emdenfahrer. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  • Ciupa, Heinz (1997). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1939–1945. Rastatt: Moewig. ISBN 978-3-8118-1409-7.
  • Cook, Chris (2012-09-10). The Routledge Guide to European Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-50989-6. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  • "Der Nürnberger Prozeß - Hauptverhandlungen - Einhundertvierundneunzigster Tag. Samstag, 3. August 1946 - Vormittagssitzung". Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  • Doerries, Reinhard R. (2003-05-01). Hitler's Last Chief of Foreign Intelligence: Allied Interrogations of Walter Schellenberg. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-203-01809-5. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  • . Wehrmacht History. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  • Mader, Julius (1970). "Hitlers Spionagegenerale packen aus". Verlag der Nation. East Berlin.
  • Maiolo, Joseph (1998). The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany, 1933-39 A Study in Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-312-21456-1.
  • Mallmann, Klaus-Michael; Cüppers, Martin (2010). Nazi Palestine: The Plans for the Extermination of the Jews in Palestine. Enigma Books. ISBN 978-1-929631-93-3. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  • Rigg, Bryan Mark (2006-04-01). Rescued from the Reich: How One of Hitler's Soldiers Saved the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11531-4. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  • Wegner, Bernd (1995). "Erschriebene Siege. Franz Halder, die "Historical Division" und die Rekonstruktion des Zweiten Weltkrieges im Geiste des deutschen Generalstabes". Politischer Wandel, organisierte Gewalt und nationale Sicherheit. ISBN 3-486-56063-8.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2003). German Pocket Battleships 1939–1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-501-3.

February 15, 2023
leopold, bürkner, january, 1894, july, 1975, german, naval, officer, served, torpedo, boats, world, post, period, served, pocket, battleship, that, patrolled, spanish, coast, during, spanish, civil, then, commanded, light, cruiser, 1938, became, head, foreign,. Leopold Burkner 29 January 1894 15 July 1975 was a German naval officer who served on torpedo boats in World War I In the post war period he served on a pocket battleship that patrolled the Spanish coast during the Spanish Civil War and then commanded a light cruiser In 1938 he became head of the foreign liaison section of the Abwehr the General Staff intelligence department During World War II he rose to the rank of Vice Admiral Leopold BurknerBorn 1894 01 29 29 January 1894Zerbst Anhalt German EmpireDied15 July 1975 1975 07 15 aged 81 Frankfurt West GermanyAllegiance German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi GermanyBranch Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine KriegsmarineYears of service1912 1945RankVice AdmiralUnitAdmiral ScheerDeutschlandAbwehrCommands heldEmdenBattles warsWorld War I Spanish Civil War World War II Contents 1 Naval career 2 Military intelligence 3 Post war 4 Ranks 5 Awards and decorations 6 ReferencesNaval career EditLeopold Burkner was born on 29 January 1894 in Zerbst Anhalt He joined the Imperial navy on 1 April 1912 1 He undertook basic training on the heavy cruiser Hansa 2 From 1 April 1913 to 31 July 1914 he attended the Naval Academy where he was appointed a midshipman From 1 August 1914 to 28 September 1915 Burkner served in various capacities on the battleships SMS Wettin and SMS Schwaben and the battlecruisers SMS Seydlitz and SMS Moltke On 22 March 1915 he became a lieutenant From 29 September 1915 Burkner was assigned to the Torpedo Boat Division citation needed Burkner was employed on various torpedo boats from 17 January 1916 until the end of the war His last boat was SMS G39 which was scuttled on 21 June 1919 in Scapa Flow Burkner was taken captive and held until 29 January 1920 1 Burkner was cadet company commander at the Naval Academy Murwik from 1 August 1920 to 26 September 1923 He was a flag lieutenant of the First Torpedo Boat Flotilla from 27 October 1923 to 25 September 1927 He then became a lecturer in the Education department of the Navy until 30 September 1931 Burkner was chief of a half flotilla of torpedo boats from October 1931 to September 1933 He was liaison officer for foreign naval attaches from 9 October 1933 to 30 September 1935 1 On 25 April 1935 he officially informed the British Naval attache to Germany Captain Gerard Muirhead Gould that Germany had laid down twelve 250 ton U boats at Kiel 3 Burkner was First Officer on the newly commissioned pocket battleship Admiral Scheer from 1 October 1935 until 26 July 1937 1 In July 1936 the ship was sent to Spain to evacuate German civilians caught in the midst of the Spanish Civil War From 8 August 1936 she served with her sister ship Deutschland on non intervention patrols off the Republican held coast of Spain 4 Deutschland was attacked on 29 May 1937 by Spanish Republican Air Force aircraft off Ibiza 5 In reprisal on 31 May 1937 Admiral Scheer arrived off Almeria and opened fire on shore batteries naval installations and ships in the harbor She returned to Wilhelmshaven on 1 July 1937 4 Burkner commanded the Emden light cruiser from 30 July 1937 to 15 June 1938 2 Military intelligence EditOn 15 June 1938 Burkner was appointed head of the foreign liaison section Abteilung Ausland later Amt Ausland of the Abwehr the intelligence organization of the German general staff 1 The other four sections handled secret espionage abroad sabotage counterespionage and administration 6 Burkner reported to Admiral Wilhelm Canaris the head of the Abwehr 7 and was one of Canaris s closest collaborators 8 After World War II began Canaris was disgusted by the brutal executions conducted by the SS in Poland He told Burkner that a war conducted in contempt of all ethics cannot be won There is a divine justice even on this earth Later Canaris was to try to stir up a revolt against Hitler 9 In March 1941 Burkner was involved in discussions concerning setting up a network of Arabs in Palestine to engage in sabotage and armed uprisings This was to be done without consultation with the Italians to whom the Germans in the past had deferred on matters involving the Arabs 10 After Canaris was removed from office in February 1944 Burkner took temporary command of the Abwehr 7 In March 1944 he led the Abwehr representatives at a conference on creating a unified intelligence organization combining the Abwehr with Amt VI the foreign affairs unit of the SS s Sicherheitsdienst SD intelligence agency Walter Schellenberg Chief of Amt VI favored forming a new Amt Mil office for purely military intelligence working closely with Amt VI 11 Burkner retained command of the residual organization Canaris was later executed 7 Burkner was briefly Chief of Protocol in the Donitz Government after Hitler had killed himself 1 Post war EditThe Donitz government was arrested and dismissed by Allied troops on 23 May 1945 in Flensburg Burkner was imprisoned in Ansbach until 25 June 1947 While in captivity he was one of the former high ranking officers of the armed forces who assisted in creating 2 500 military history studies 12 During the Nuremberg Trials he was called as a witness for Alfred Jodl 13 After his release he became director of the German staff of the Dutch airline KLM in Frankfurt From 1949 he acted at times as an adviser to the Foreign Office 14 He was involved in the rearmament of West Germany 15 Burkner died on 15 July 1975 in Frankfurt 2 He was aged 81 Ranks EditBurkner held the following ranks 2 Fahnrich zur See Midshipman 12 April 1913 Leutnant zur See Sub lieutenant 22 March 1915 Oberleutnant zur See Lieutenant 25 December 1917 Kapitanleutnant Lieutenant commander 1 May 1924 Korvettenkapitan Commander Junior grade 1 October 1931 Fregattenkapitan Commander Senior grade 1 September 1936 Kapitan zur See Captain 1 November 1937 Konteradmiral counter admiral 1 April 1942 Vizeadmiral vice admiral 1 October 1943Awards and decorations EditIron Cross of 1914 1st and 2nd class Friedrich Cross Honour Cross of the World War 1914 1918 Officer s Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy 2 August 1935 Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st class Order of the Sword knight 1st class Sweden 30 April 1936 Commander of the Royal Order of Merit of Hungary 10 August 1938 Memel Medal Spanish Cross in Silver War Merit Cross 1939 1st and 2nd class with Swords Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords Finland 10 December 1941 Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania 7 October 1942 Knight s Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords 2 May 1945 References EditCitations a b c d e f Burkner Leopold Bordgemeinschaft der Emdenfahrer a b c d Leopold Burkner Wehrmacht History Maiolo 1998 p 33 a b Williamson 2003 p 24 Ciupa 1997 p 20 Adams 2009 p 3 a b c Bloomenkranz 2012 p 35 Bloomenkranz 2012 p 136 Rigg 2006 p 73 Mallmann amp Cuppers 2010 p 78 Doerries 2003 p 106 Wegner 1995 p 292ff Der Nurnberger Prozess 3 August 1946 Mader 1970 Cook 2012 p 103 Sources Adams Jefferson 2009 09 01 Historical Dictionary of German Intelligence Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 6320 0 Retrieved 2013 10 19 Bloomenkranz Sol 2012 07 06 Charles Bedaux Deciphering an Enigma iUniverse ISBN 978 1 4759 2637 8 Burkner Leopold Bordgemeinschaft der Emdenfahrer Retrieved 2013 10 18 Ciupa Heinz 1997 Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1939 1945 Rastatt Moewig ISBN 978 3 8118 1409 7 Cook Chris 2012 09 10 The Routledge Guide to European Political Archives Sources since 1945 Routledge ISBN 978 1 136 50989 6 Retrieved 2013 10 19 Der Nurnberger Prozess Hauptverhandlungen Einhundertvierundneunzigster Tag Samstag 3 August 1946 Vormittagssitzung Retrieved 2013 10 19 Doerries Reinhard R 2003 05 01 Hitler s Last Chief of Foreign Intelligence Allied Interrogations of Walter Schellenberg Taylor amp Francis ISBN 978 0 203 01809 5 Retrieved 2013 10 19 Leopold Burkner Wehrmacht History Archived from the original on 2013 10 19 Retrieved 2013 10 18 Mader Julius 1970 Hitlers Spionagegenerale packen aus Verlag der Nation East Berlin Maiolo Joseph 1998 The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany 1933 39 A Study in Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War London Macmillan Press ISBN 0 312 21456 1 Mallmann Klaus Michael Cuppers Martin 2010 Nazi Palestine The Plans for the Extermination of the Jews in Palestine Enigma Books ISBN 978 1 929631 93 3 Retrieved 2013 10 19 Rigg Bryan Mark 2006 04 01 Rescued from the Reich How One of Hitler s Soldiers Saved the Lubavitcher Rebbe Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 11531 4 Retrieved 2013 10 18 Wegner Bernd 1995 Erschriebene Siege Franz Halder die Historical Division und die Rekonstruktion des Zweiten Weltkrieges im Geiste des deutschen Generalstabes Politischer Wandel organisierte Gewalt und nationale Sicherheit ISBN 3 486 56063 8 Williamson Gordon 2003 German Pocket Battleships 1939 1945 Oxford Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84176 501 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leopold Burkner amp oldid 1137751412, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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