Friedrich Paulus

Photo: Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr Dresden

This second photo was taken in the late 1940s, possible early 50s. Note that the battle ribbons have been removed from his uniform. Oddly enough, his Iron Cross is clearly visible, including the swastika, which was (supposedly) verboten after the war. If there is anyone out there who has more information on this, please email me!!

A photograph of Paulus in late Summer, 1942, in Red Square, Stalingrad.

Born (geboren)   23-September-1890 (Breitenau; near Kassel, in Hessen)
Died (gestorben) 01-February-1957 (Dresden, in Sachsen)
Map
Commander, German 6th. Army
His hobby was allegedly drawing maps of Napoleon's campaign in Russia...
Because no German Field Marshall had ever surrendered, Hitler promoted Paulus to this rank on 30-Jan-1943, hoping he would take the hint and commit sucide. Upon learning of his promotion, Paulus reportedly said:

"It looks like an invitation to commit suicide, but I will not do this favor for him. . . I have no intention of shooting myself for this Bohemian corporal."

Later that day, around noon, he and his staff are captured by a detachment of the Soviet 28^th Motor Rifle Brigade. His sense of duty still held firm; taken before Maj. Gen. Laskin, chief of staff of the Sixty-fourth Army, Paulus surrendered only his immediate staff. He then entered a lengthy captivity--he was held under house arrest in Moscow until 1953.

The commanders of the VIII Army Corps, Generals Seydlitz-Kurzbach and Walther Heitz, surrendered their commands on January 31, but Strecker's XI Army Corps still held out in the northern pocket. Finally, Strecker's division commanders convinced him of the futility of further resistance. On February 2, 1943, Strecker surrendered with 33,000 men. The XI Army Corps had begun the battle for Stalingrad with 80,000 troops.

On December 18, there had been approximately 249,000 officers and men inside the Stalingrad pocket. Of that number, 42,000 sick, wounded and specialists were flown out before the last airfield fell. Another 85,000 lay dead on the battlefield, leaving about 122,000 German soldiers, and their Italian and Romanian allies, to surrender. Only about 6,000 men ever returned home. The rest lay buried somewhere in the Soviet Union.

After the war, Paulus reflected on his decisions at Stalingrad:

"What convincing and solid arguments could have been brought forward by the Commander-in-Chief of the Sixth Army for his conduct contrary to orders in the face of the enemy, especially when he had no way of knowing the eventual outcome?...Does the prospect of one's own death or probable destruction or the capture of one's troops relieve one of the responsibility of soldierly obedience?...Before the troops and officers of the Sixth Army as well as before the German nation I bear the responsibility that I carried out the orders to hold on issued by the supreme command until the collapse."

This quote goes a long way towards explaining Paulus' actions. First and foremost, he was a soldier. He obeyed orders, and took his oath of loyalty quite serious.

Like many of his counterparts, Paulus eventually came to realize that Hitler was a madman who would destroy Germany; Paulus did not share this vision. Only after learning of the attack on Hitler’s life did Paulus agree to help the Russians by making propoganda statements urging German soldiers to desert.  Furthermore, Paulus was NEVER charged with war crimes (the Russians made sure of that!). He did, however, give testimony at the Nurenburg trial. His testimony can be found in the link below:

Nurenburg Trial Testimony of Paulus