Artur Phleps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Artur Phleps
Phleps in 1942
Birth name	Artur Gustav Martin Phleps
Nickname(s)	Papa Phleps
Born	(1881-11-29)29 November 1881 Birthälm, Szeben County, Austria-Hungary
Died	21 September 1944(1944-09-21) (aged 62) Șimand, Arad, Romania
Allegiance	Austro-Hungarian Empire  Romania  Germany
Service/branch	Austro-Hungarian Army  Royal Romanian Army Waffen-SS
Years of service	1900–1944
Rank	SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS (Lieutenant General)
Unit	SS Motorised Division Wiking
Commands held	7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen V SS Mountain Corps
Battles/wars	World War I Hungarian–Romanian war of 1919 World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Spouse(s)	Grete
Children	Reinhart Phleps Irmingard

Artur Gustav Martin Phleps (born November 29, 1881 – died September 21, 1944) was a military officer from Austria-Hungary, Romania, and Nazi Germany. He reached the rank of Lieutenant General in the Waffen-SS during World War II. After the war, at the Nuremberg trials, the Waffen-SS was declared a criminal organization because it was involved in many serious war crimes.

Phleps started his military career in the Austro-Hungarian Army before and during World War I. He was good at mountain warfare and organizing supplies. By the end of World War I, he had become a Lieutenant Colonel. After the war, he joined the Romanian Army and became a Major General. He also advised King Carol. Later, he left the Romanian army after disagreeing with the government.

In 1941, he joined the Waffen-SS and fought on the Eastern Front. He commanded the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen and the V SS Mountain Corps. Units under his command were involved in actions that harmed civilians in areas like Independent State of Croatia, German-occupied Serbia, and Italian governorate of Montenegro. He was killed in September 1944 and was given the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves after his death.

Early Life and Military Training

Phleps' birthplace of Birthälm in Siebenbürgen (modern-day Transylvania)

Artur Phleps was born in a place called Birthälm (Biertan), which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, this area is known as Transylvania in Romania. Many ethnic Germans, also called Transylvanian Saxons, lived there.

His father was a surgeon, and his mother's family were farmers. Both families had lived in Siebenbürgen for many centuries. After finishing school, Phleps joined the Imperial and Royal cadet school in Pressburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia) in 1900. In 1901, he became a Lieutenant in the mountain infantry.

Phleps continued his military education at the Theresian Military Academy. He finished his studies quickly and was chosen to work in the General Staff. He was promoted to First Lieutenant and then to Captain in 1911. He specialized in planning troop movements and communications in difficult mountain areas.

World War I Service

When World War I began, Phleps was working with the 32nd Infantry Division in Budapest. His division was part of the early fighting in Serbia. He then moved to the operations staff of the Second Army, which fought against the Russian Imperial army in the Carpathian Mountains.

In 1915, Phleps was moved to the Austrian Alps to help defend against Italy, which had just joined the war. He became a deputy quartermaster for the 10th Army. This meant he was in charge of organizing supplies for soldiers fighting in the mountains.

On August 1, 1916, Phleps became a Major. Later that month, Romania joined the war and invaded Phleps' home region of Siebenbürgen. He became the chief of staff for the 72nd Infantry Division, helping to push back the Romanian invasion. He stayed in this area for two years, eventually becoming the chief quartermaster for the German 9th Army. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his service. He finished the war as a Lieutenant Colonel, in charge of supplies for the entire Alpine Front.

Between the Wars

After World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke apart. Phleps returned to his homeland, which was now part of Romania. He joined the Romanian Army and led a local militia of German-speaking people. He fought against the Hungarian communist government in 1919.

During a battle, Phleps disobeyed orders but ended up saving the Romanian forces. Because of this, he was promoted to Colonel. He commanded an infantry regiment and later taught about logistics at the Romanian War Academy. He even wrote a book called Logistics: Basics of Organisation and Execution, which became an important guide for the Romanian Army.

Phleps became a military advisor to King Carol II in the 1930s and reached the rank of Major General. However, he often spoke out against corruption in the royal court. After criticizing the government and calling King Carol a liar, he was moved to the reserves in 1940. He then asked to be dismissed from the army in 1941, which was approved.

World War II Service

Joining the Waffen-SS

In November 1940, Phleps offered his services to Nazi Germany. He was allowed to leave Romania and chose to join the Waffen-SS. He used his mother's maiden name, Stolz, when he first joined. He was made an SS-Standartenführer (Colonel) by Heinrich Himmler, a very powerful leader in the SS.

Phleps joined the SS Motorised Division Wiking, which included volunteers from many European countries. He commanded a regiment and showed great skill in battles in Ukraine. He was promoted to SS-Oberführer (Senior Colonel) and received the Iron Cross 1st Class.

7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen

In late 1941, Adolf Hitler approved the creation of a new Waffen-SS division made up of Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans) from Yugoslavia. Phleps, now using his birth name again, was chosen to organize this new division. On March 1, 1942, it was named the SS-Freiwilligen-Division "Prinz Eugen". Phleps was promoted to Major General.

After training, the division was sent to German-occupied territory of Serbia to fight against Partisan forces. Phleps was known as "Papa Phleps" by his soldiers.

From left: Italian General Ercole Roncaglia, Kurt Waldheim, Oberst Macholz and Phleps (with briefcase) at Podgorica airfield in Montenegro during Case Black, 22 May 1943. This photograph caused much controversy when it was published while Waldheim was running for the Austrian presidency in 1985–1986.

In 1943, Phleps' division was sent to the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) to take part in a large operation called Case White. During this time, he also helped create the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian). The 7th SS Division was involved in heavy fighting and later in another operation called Case Black.

The 7th SS Division, while under Phleps' command, was involved in actions that harmed civilians in the NDH. German documents show that orders were given to target hostile civilian populations, and these orders were often carried out. These incidents later became a subject of international discussion. For his leadership during these operations, Phleps received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in July 1943. He was also promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of the V SS Mountain Corps.

Phleps was known for being very direct. During a meeting with an Italian general, he reportedly called him a "lazy macaroni" because he was frustrated with the lack of cooperation. He handed over command of the 7th SS Division in May 1943.

V SS Mountain Corps

The V SS Mountain Corps, under Phleps' command, included several divisions and fought against Partisans in the NDH and Montenegro. These operations included "Kugelblitz" (ball lightning) and "Schneesturm" (blizzard) in eastern Bosnia. Phleps even met with Hitler to discuss the plans for "Kugelblitz."

Phleps sometimes used Chetnik forces as helpers because the local NDH troops were not always reliable. In 1944, fearing an Allied invasion, the V SS Mountain Corps forced many male civilians to leave the Dalmatian coast. Phleps was criticized for how harshly this evacuation was done.

In June 1944, Phleps received the German Cross in Gold. In September, he was put in charge of German troops in South Transylvania and the Banat. His job was to organize the evacuation of ethnic Germans from North Transylvania as the Soviet Red Army advanced.

Death and Legacy

After Romania switched sides in World War II in August 1944, Phleps was on his way to a meeting with Himmler in Berlin. He decided to make a detour to check on the situation near Arad, Romania, because of reports about Soviet advances.

On September 21, 1944, Phleps, his assistant, and his driver entered a village called Șimand, not knowing that Soviet troops were already there. They were captured and taken for questioning. Later that day, German planes attacked the building where they were held. Phleps and his men tried to escape and were shot by their guards. Some people believe Phleps might have been set up by Hungarian army officers who knew about Hungary's plans to switch sides.

Phleps' personal items, including his ID and awards, were found by a Hungarian patrol and given to German authorities. He had been listed as missing since September 22, 1944.

Phleps was given the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross after his death on November 24, 1944. This award was presented to his son, Reinhart Phleps, who was a doctor serving in the 7th SS Division. Soon after Phleps' death, a regiment in the 7th SS Division was named "Artur Phleps" in his honor.

Artur Phleps was married to Grete, and they had a son, Reinhart, and a daughter, Irmingard. His brothers became a doctor and a university professor.

Awards

Phleps received many awards during his military career, including: