German Forces

General von Falkenhausen.

Bundesarchiv.

Alexander, Freiherr von Falkenhausen, pictured in 1933. Falkenhausen had a distinguished WW1 career, decorated with the Iron Cross, First Class and the Pour le Merité ("Blue Max"). Following his retirement from the Reicshwehr (1930), he was engaged as military advisor to Generalissimo Chiang Ki-Shek's Nationalist Chinese régime (1934), where he remained until forced to resign by the German government in 1937. He maintained personally friendly relations with the Chinese Nationalists thereafter. Returning to the colours in 1938, Falkenhausen was appointed Military Governor for Belgium and northern France (1940). This ultimately to a 12-year sentence from a Belgian court for complicity in deporting Jews from Belgium and other war crimes. The sentence was probably mitigated by evidence that he had taken action to prevent the execution of Jews and resistants on a number of occasions. Returning to (West) Germany, he was pardoned of these offences by West German Chancellor, Konrad Adenaur. He died in 1966, aged 87. There are a couple of interesting points to make about this photo. The badge on Falkenhausen's left lapel is the badge of the "Stahlhelm (Bund der Frontsoladeten)". This Right-wing veteran's organization (a combination of Monarchists and Right-radicals) was incorporated (effectively by force) into the SA by the Nazi government in the 1934 period. Meanwhile, the Bundesarchiv caption to this photo identifies Falkenhausen as "SA Fuhrer" (senior SA officer), notwithstanding the fact that he had been in China for much of the 1930s. A slight mystery, perhaps ? JR.