Sepp Dietrich

Sepp Dietrich was a German politician and SS commander during the Nazi era. He joined the Nazi Party in 1928 and was elected to the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic in 1930. Prior to 1929, Dietrich was Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard. Despite having no formal staff officer training, Dietrich was, along with Paul Hausser, the highest-ranking officer in the Waffen-SS, the military branch of the SS. Reaching the rank of Oberst-Gruppenführer, he commanded units up to army level during World War II. As commanding officer of the 6th Panzer Army during the Battle of the Bulge, Dietrich bore responsibility for the Malmedy massacre, the murder of U.S. prisoners of war in December 1944. Dietrich began his military career in 1911 as a member of the Bavarian Army. He fought in World War I and was awarded the Iron Cross. After the war, he worked as a policeman and a customs officer before joining the Nazi Party and becoming Hitler's personal bodyguard. He was involved in the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, a purge of political rivals within the Nazi Party. He also participated in the Anschluss of Austria and the invasion of Czechoslovakia. During World War II, Dietrich led the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), Hitler's elite guard unit, in various campaigns, including France, Greece, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Diamonds for his leadership. In 1943, he was promoted to command the I SS Panzer Corps and later the 5th Panzer Army. In 1944, he was given command of the 6th Panzer Army and ordered to launch a surprise offensive in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. The operation, known as the Battle of the Bulge, failed to achieve its objectives and resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. During this battle, Dietrich's troops were accused of committing war crimes against American prisoners of war near Malmedy. After the war, Dietrich was captured by American forces and tried for his role in the Malmedy massacre. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but his sentence was later commuted to 25 years. He was released from Landsberg Prison in 1955. He then became active in HIAG, a lobby group established by former high-ranking Waffen-SS personnel. He also wrote his memoirs and defended his actions during the war. He died of a heart attack in Ludwigsburg, West Germany, in 1966.