Ernst Kaether

Ernst Kaether (25 September 1903 – 11 August 1999) was a general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Ernst Kaether
Born(1903-09-25)25 September 1903
Aachen, Germany
Died11 August 1999(1999-08-11) (aged 95)
Puchheim, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Unit78th Infantry Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

On 22 April 1945, Kaether briefly replaced General Hellmuth Reymann as commander of the Berlin Defense Area and for the defense of the city of Berlin. Kaether was personally promoted to Generalleutnant by Adolf Hitler for this command.[1] However, Kaether never actually took command of Berlin's defenses for the Battle of Berlin. Before he could take command, Hitler cancelled his promotions and Kaether was replaced by General Helmuth Weidling.[2] For a brief period between Kaether and Weidling, Hitler himself took personal command of the Berlin defenses. Another newly promoted Generalmajor, Erich Bärenfänger, was Hitler's "deputy" commander of the Berlin Defense Area during this brief period.

Awards
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References

Citations
  1. Beevor 2002, p. 268.
  2. Beevor 2002, p. 286.
  3. Scherzer 2007, p. 428.

Bibliography
  • Beevor, Antony (2002). Berlin: The Downfall 1945. London: Viking-Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-670-03041-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Military offices
Preceded by
Hellmuth Reymann		 Commanders of the Berlin Defense Area
(Never in actual command)
22 April 1945		 Succeeded by
Erich Bärenfänger
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