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Dietrich and the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler were involved in the German Western Offensive that defeated France (May-June 1940). Dietrich's most notable role was in pressing the attack on the British at Dunkirk. His effectiveness as a military commander only raised Hitler's esteem of him. Hitler personally awarded him the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Dietrich and the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Grrece (April 1941). They also were involved wih Barbarossa, the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Unioin (June 1941). Dietrich as a seasoned combat commander became a senior figure in the Waffen SS which at the time of Barbarossa was still fairly limited. He fought on the Eastern Front with considerable destinction. The SS divisions especially in the early years of the War had men that were especially motivated and NAZI loyalists. They were given priority in equipment and supplies. One of Dietrich's admirers was NAZI Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels. Goebbels wrote in his diary, "I talked with Sepp Dietrich, who has just returned frim the southern front [the Uktaine], to get married in Berlin. He gave me a briefing on the situation along his sector of the front. He is very optimistic. In sharp contrast to the leading gentlemen of the Army, the leaders of the Waffen-SS have had National Socialist training. For them difficulties exist only to be overcome." [January 25, 1942--Goebbels, p. 45.] It was in the Wehrmacht retreat following the disaster at Stalingrad (January 1943) in which Dietrich made a name for himself. One source reports that he sucessfully avoided Red Army encirclment seven times with skilful tactical withdrawals. While Dietrich was personally devoted to Hitler, he does not seem to have shared his genocidal hatred of Jews. This is curious for someone that for so many years was so close to Hitler. He is known to personally protested to Hitler on two occasions about the shooting of Jews in the Soviet Union. This is not something Hitler would have normally allowed. Dietrich was also personally contemptuous of SS Reich Führer Himmler, his nominal boss. Still Hitler awarded him the Swords to the Knight’s Cross--a rare decoration during the War. Hitler gave him command of the SS 1st Panzer Division which fought in Normandy (June 1944). During the Normandy campaign, he quarled with Hitler. He concluded that German forces should retreat to more defensibe positions. Hitler adamently rejected the idea. The greatest unknown about Dietrich is his involvement in the July 1944 Bomb Plot. There is contradictory information. Rommel, in a conversation with his adjutant Lang, claimed that Dietrich assured him that he would follow Rommel’s orders first, even if they varied grom those of the Führer. We know this because Lang managed to avoid the NAZI witch hunt that followed the failure of the plot. Dietrich after learning of the plot and perhaps more importantly its failure, epressed outrage. He claimed that it would throw the German military into chaos. Whether or no Dietrich was implicated is still unknoiwn. If so, he managed to get away with it. Rommel and Lang of course never talked. Hitler never doubted his old friend's loyalty. Hitler chose him to be a principal commannder in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945). Dietrich was given command of the Sixth Panzer Army. It was his biggest and most important command of the War. The attack against the Americans in the Ardennes was at first enormously successful. The Germans, however, no longer had fuel reserves (in part because of the strategic bombing camopaign) to sustain a major offensive. And the Luftwaffe was a shell of its former self with out the capability to support or even cover the ground offensive. After the collapse of the Buldge, Hitler gave Dietrich his final commnd--the defense of Vienna. NAZI Gauleiter, Baldur von Schirach (the former Hitler Youth leader) Baldur von Schirach, When the Russians approached Vienna, simpply took off his uniform and quietly left. Here Dietrich fought his last battle. The Red Army forces overwealmed his small force. Dietrich retreated west with the survivors of his army and surrendered to the Americans the day after VE Day (May 8 1945).
Sepp Dietrich became the best known Waffen-SS commanders. ThecWaffen-SS had been expanded after Poland. Dietrich was given command of the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Divion. They were involved in the German Western Offensive that defeated France (May-June 1940). Dietrich's most notable role was in pressing the attack on the British at Dunkirk. His men killed executed a groupnof about 100 British POWs, although 15 escaped to report what had occurred. We do not know if he personally ordered the killings, but he defended the coimmabnder thst did. After hat happened in Polnd, the Whermacht generals knew not to intervene. His effectiveness as a military commander only raised Hitler's esteem of him. Hitler personally awarded him the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
Dietrich and the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece (April 1941).
Dietrich and the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler also were involved wih Barbarossa, the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941).
Dietrich as a seasoned combat commander became a senior figure in the Waffen SS which at the time of Barbarossa was still fairly limited. He fought on the Eastern Front with considerable destinction. The SS divisions especially in the early years of the War had men that were especially motivated and NAZI loyalists. They were given priority in equipment and supplies. One of Dietrich's admirers was NAZI Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels. Goebbels wrote in his diary, "I talked with Sepp Dietrich, who has just returned frim the southern front [the Uktaine], to get married in Berlin. He gave me a briefing on the situation along his sector of the front. He is very optimistic. In sharp contrast to the leading gentlemen of the Army, the leaders of the Waffen-SS have had National Socialist training. For them difficulties exist only to be overcome." [January 25, 1942--Goebbels, p. 45.] Dietrich had a real fan with Gobbels. A few days later he wrote, "Sepp Dietrich is a real trooper and makes one think of a Napoleonic General. If we had twenty men like that as a divisional commanders we wouldn't have to worry at all about the Eastern Front. He told me in detail how the bourgeois generals on the southern front lost their nerve and how the weakness of character naturally communicated itself to the troops. For the troops are always like their leaders in a good sence." [January 27--Giebbels, pp. 51-52.] This passage is instructive, you would never see an American or British official say something like this. This is what Hitler and NAZI leaders began doing after Barbarossa failed. As Hitler had been behind Barbarossa and he could not be criticized, the scape coat became the leadrship of the Wehrmacht and eventually the German fighting man.
It was in the Wehrmacht retreat following the disaster at Stalingrad (January 1943) in which Dietrich made a name for himself. One source reports that he sucessfully avoided Red Army encirclment seven times with skilful tactical withdrawals.
While Dietrich was personally devoted to Hitler, he does not seem to have shared his genocidal hatred of Jews. This is curious for someone that for so many years was so close to Hitler. He is known to personally protested to Hitler on two occasions about the shooting of Jews in the Soviet Union. This is not something Hitler would have normally allowed. Still Hitler awarded him the Swords to the Knight’s Cross--a rare decoration during the War.
Dietrich was also personally contemptuous of SS Reich Führer Himmler, his nominal boss.
Hitler gave him command of the SS 1st Panzer Division which fought in Normandy (June 1944). During the Normandy campaign, he quarled with Hitler. He concluded that German forces should retreat to more defensibe positions. Hitler adamently rejected the idea.
The greatest unknown about Dietrich is his involvement in the July 1944 Bomb Plot. There is contradictory information. Rommel, in a conversation with his adjutant Lang, claimed that Dietrich assured him that he would follow Rommel’s orders first, even if they varied grom those of the Führer. We know this because Lang managed to avoid the NAZI witch hunt that followed the failure of the plot. Dietrich after learning of the plot and perhaps more importantly its failure, epressed outrage. He claimed that it would throw the German military into chaos. Whether or not Dietrich was implicated is still unknown. If so, he managed to get away with it. Rommel and Lang of course never talked. Hitler never doubted his old friend's loyalty.
Hitler chose Dietrich to be a principal commannder in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945). He was given command of the Sixth Panzer Army. The objective was to cross the Meuse and seize the all important port of Antwerp which the Allies had finally opened. The command was Dietrrich's biggest and most important command of the War. The attack against the Americans in the Ardennes was at first enormously successful. The Germans no longer, however, had the reserves needed to exploit a break out. The lack of fuel reserves (in part because of the strategic bombing campaign) made it difficult to sustain a major offensive. Dietrich had to seize American fuel dumps to keep his Panzers moving. And the Luftwaffe was a shell of its former self with out the capability to support or even cover the ground offensive. As soon as the weather cleared, American aircraft began ponding the Gernman coluns which had to come out ingo the oopen to attack. On the second day of the offensive, a Waffen SS commander ordered American POWs shot near the Belgian crossroad town of Malmédy, Belgium. This sort of action was standard operational procedures. Americans were shocked at the brutality. After news leaked out, Waffen-SS soldiers were often shot when taken prisoner, especially individuals are small groups. It has never been proved that Detrich ordered the shooting. It is clear that the men who committed this attrocity did not have any fear that Detrich would discipline them.
After the collapse of the Buldge, Hitler gave Dietrich his final commnd--the defense of Vienna. The Red Army was moving west for Vienna. NAZI Gauleiter, Baldur von Schirach (the former Hitler Youth leader), When the Russians approached Vienna, simply took off his uniform and quietly left. Here Dietrich fought his last battle. The Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front launched their offensive (April 2). he city of Vienna was quickly surrounded. The suituation was hopeless for the Germans. The Red Army forces overwealmed Dietrich's small force. The Soviets secured the city April 13 just as the battle for Berlin was beginning. .
Dietrich wisely retreated west from Vienna with the survivors of his army and surrendered to the Americans the day after VE Day (May 8 1945).
Goebbels, Joseph. ed, Louis B. Lochner, The Goebbels Diaries, 1942-1943 (Doubleday: New York, 1948), p. 566.
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