Disobeying Hitler's orders.

I need an example of a commander making a decision first and informing Hitler second when it was contrary to Hitler's orders. Wasnt there an instance of von Reichenau making a manouvre of this nature? If you know of an instance like this please let me know.


Cheers,
Daniel

 

If my memory serves me well I think it was von Reichenau in the winter 1941/42 who said no to Hitler even face to face. Hitler said something about his 6th Army´s power that could " take him even heaven and back " and von Reichenau wanting to say something sarcastic about it.I think von Reichenau got away with it though.

Von Rundstedt ordered his forces back and he got the sack, I think, in 1941 .I think it was on Beevor´s Stalingrad that he first got sacked, then Hitler wanted to make it sound less hard on the man and von Rundstedt went on a sick leave.

Häusser took his forces out of Kharkov in 1943 against Hitler´s wishes and as he later on brought great victory home with Manstein he was not shot...

[ 11. April 2004, 10:46 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]

 

Here´s one interesting detail on Hitler´s orders;What did he say originally....

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERjodl.htm

The failure of Field-Marshal List in the Low Caucasus not only led to his dismissal, but to a serious personal crisis in Hitler's headquarters late in September, 1942. Sometime earlier List had received the order to push on over the Low Caucasus towards the Black Sea, using all suitable routes. When he did not succeed in reaching his goal. Hitler once more became utterly impatient and sent Jodl to List's headquarters. On his return Jodl reported to Hitler that List had acted exactly in conformity to Hitler's orders, but that the Russian resistance was equally strong everywhere, supported by a most difficult terrain. Hitler, however, kept on reproaching List with having split up his forces instead of breaking through with concentrated power, while Jodl pointed to the fact that Hitler by his own orders had induced List to advance on a widely stretched front.

This argument of Jodl's was followed by an unusual outburst of Hitler's. He was so taken aback by the recital of his own previous orders - which he now denied - that Jodl fell in disgrace for a long time to come. Further consequences were that Hitler completely changed his daily customs. From that time on he stayed away from the common meals which he had taken twice a day with his entourage.

 

General Seydlitz-Kurzbach,serving under Paulus at Stalingrad ordered the 94th Division[stationed in the northern end of pocket] to pull back south-west hopeing it would start a mass retreat.Paulus would have to break out.They blew up their bunkers,supplies and started their "retreat" without Paulus' knowledge.It did'nt work and Hitler found out.Hitler chastised Paulus for this denying him any freedom of movement or decisions. I believe Rommel dis-obeyed Hitler in north Africa and got away with it,too.

[ 12. April 2004, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: framert ]

 

I seem to remember Rommel disobeying Hitler and getting away with it in North Afrika too. Do you know when exactly it was?

 

At least the most famous, I think, was the El Alamein retreat which might be considered the moment when Rommel lost his faith in Hitler.

Rommel first gave the order to retreat on the 3rd of November, cancelled the order when Hitler directly intervened the same day and finally restarted his withdrawal on the 4 November.

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On November 3rd, Rommel received the Hitler's order: "...no other way but the one that leads to victory or death!" Rommel, the DAK, and the Italians obeyed.


http://www.usswashington.com/dl03no42.htm

and on 4th Rommel decided to retreat:

http://www.usswashington.com/dl04no42.htm

 

Would I find this account in "An Army at Dawn" perhaps?