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Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch (6 July 1885 – 17 July 1945) was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II who commanded the 16th Army (as a Generaloberst) and later the massive
Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army f ...
. During World War I, Busch served as an infantry officer and was retained in the postwar army of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
. He steadily rose in seniority and by 1936 was a general and commander of the 23rd Infantry Division. During the
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, he commanded VIII Army Corps. In 1940, he was appointed commander of the 16th Army; he led it during the 1940
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
and Operation Barbarossa, the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. By October 1943, Busch was a field marshal and commander of Army Group Centre. He was dismissed in June 1944 after the collapse of his command during the Red Army's Operation Bagration. He was later the commander of Army Group Northwest in the final months of the war and died as a prisoner of war in England.


Early life and World War I

Busch was born on 6 July 1885 at Essen in the Ruhr district of Germany. In 1904, having graduated from the Gross Lichterfelde Cadet Academy, he joined the Imperial Army as a ''Fahnenjunker'' (officer cadet). He was initially posted to the Westphalian 13th Infantry Regiment but was later assigned to the 57th Infantry Regiment, in which he was commissioned a '' Leutnant'' (second lieutenant). In 1913, he was promoted to '' Oberleutnant'' (first lieutenant) and received further training at the War Academy. During World War I, Busch served mostly on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
, initially as a company commander. Within months of the beginning of the war, he had been awarded both the first and second classes of the
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
. In 1915, he was promoted to ''
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' litera ...
'' (captain) and then appointed a battalion commander in the 56th Infantry Regiment. He fought in several battles across the Artois, Flanders, and Champagne sectors of the front. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords in 1917 and the following year received the ''
Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eagl ...
''.


Interwar period

After the war, Busch was retained in the postwar ''
Reichsheer ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
''. He mostly served in a series of staff positions for the next several years, including a period as Inspector of Transport Troops and as a battalion commander in the 9th Infantry Regiment. An ardent supporter of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
, he received a series of rapid promotions from 1933. He soon held the rank of '' oberst'' (colonel) and was commander of 9th Infantry Regiment, which was based at
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...
, and in 1935 was promoted to ''
generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two- ...
'' and given command of the 23rd Infantry Division. During the tensions of 1938 between Hitler and the two senior officers in the ''Wehrmacht'', '' Generalfeldmarschall'' Werner von Blomberg and '' Generaloberst'' Werner von Fritsch, Busch sided with Hitler. At this stage of his career, Busch was a ''
General der Infanterie General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Imper ...
'' (General of Infantry) and was commander of '' Wehrkreis'' VIII.


World War II


Invasion of Poland and France

On the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Busch was commander of the VIII Army Corps which participated in the
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
as part of the 14th Army. It captured the city of Krakow, reached the
Vistula River The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
and advanced as far as
Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukra ...
. During the campaign in Poland, he was twice awarded the
Clasp to the Iron Cross The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World ...
. The following year Busch led the 16th Army, which consisted of 13 infantry divisions, during the
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
and covered the left flank of ''
General der Panzertruppe General der Panzertruppe () was a General of the branch OF8 rank of the German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a Lieutenant General, above Major General (Generalleutnant), commanding a Panzer corps. Rank and rank ...
'' Heinz Guderian's XIX ''Panzer'' Corps. During the later stages of the fighting in France, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and this was followed by a promotion to ''Generaloberst'' on 19 July 1940. Once the campaign in France was completed, Busch's 16th Army remained in the country until early 1941, when it was transferred to Poland.


Invasion of the Soviet Union

When Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, commenced in late June 1941, the 16th Army controlled seven infantry divisions. Assigned to
Army Group North Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the ''Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high comm ...
, and operating on its southern flank during the advance into the Baltic States and Russia, it captured Staraya Russa in August. By December, the 16th Army had been considerably expanded, and Busch now had nine infantry divisions along with two motorised divisions, with one more in reserve, under his command. When the Red Army began its winter offensive in January 1942, several parts of his army became encircled and Staraya Russa was nearly lost. Busch had to resort to his reserve to ensure his forces could hold onto the city. The commander of Army Group North, Generaloberst
Georg von Küchler Georg Carl Wilhelm Friedrich von Küchler (30 May 1881 – 25 May 1968) was a German field marshal and war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 18th Army and Army Group North during the Soviet-German war of 1941–1945. After the en ...
, became dissatisfied with Busch's performance and wanted to relieve him of command. Permission to do so was denied. The Red Army offensive shifted focus towards
Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army f ...
which relieved the pressure on the 16th Army. Busch was able to relieve his encircled troops although it took several months and required his army to be reinforced. For the remainder of 1942 and into 1943 the 16th Army's sector was relatively quiet, with the Red Army directing its offensive operations against the 18th Army, which was besieging
Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. On 1 February 1943, Busch was promoted to Field Marshal but this owed more to Hitler's patronage than to his leadership of the 16th Army. Six months later, he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross he had been awarded during the campaign in France. On 28 October 1943, Field Marshal
Gunther von Kluge Gundaharius or Gundahar (died 437), better known by his legendary names Gunther ( gmh, Gunther) or Gunnar ( non, Gunnarr), was a historical king of Burgundy in the early 5th century. Gundahar is attested as ruling his people shortly after they ...
, the commander of Army Group Centre, was injured in a vehicle accident and Busch was named as his replacement. Army Group Centre controlled 76 divisions across four field armies. Fifty-four of these divisions were infantry, which included six from Hungary, and there were also five Panzer divisions. However, few divisions were at full strength and over the coming months Busch amalgamated several of them. Others were low quality, particularly the Hungarian divisions and also the eight Luftwaffe Field Divisions that were also part of two of his armies. By June 1944, his command numbered 38 infantry divisions. Busch had to contend with several attacks when the Red Army commenced its winter operations in late 1943. He showed little independence in exercising his command and often deferred to Hitler's orders without protest. When fighting around Vitebsk threatened to cut off one of the divisions of Generaloberst
Georg-Hans Reinhardt Georg-Hans Reinhardt (1 March 1887 – 23 November 1963) was a German general and war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 3rd Panzer Army from 1941 to 1944, and Army Group Centre in 1944 and 1945, reaching the rank of colonel gener ...
's
3rd Panzer Army The 3rd Panzer Army (german: 3. Panzerarmee) was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 3rd Panzer Group on 1 January 1942. 3rd Panzer Group The 3rd Panzer Group (german: Panzergruppe 3) was formed on 16 November ...
, he had to seek Hitler's permission to allow it to withdraw. Hitler declined and the division was only saved when Reinhardt, on his own initiative, ordered it to retreat. In May 1944, Busch also conceded to Hitler's instructions to transfer his LVI Panzer Corps to Army Group North Ukraine despite this leaving his own command with minimal tanks. An increased build-up of Soviet forces opposite Army Group Centre was largely ignored by Busch. Despite some of his subordinate's efforts to reduce their frontage, he refused to let them do so and blindly reiterated Hitler's orders that there be no retreat. In particular, the towns of Vitebsk,
Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as R ...
, Mogilev, and
Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
were to be held in force. Busch had attempted to query this with Hitler but was rebuffed and ridiculed. This only strengthened Busch's resolve to follow Hitler's directives without question. By mid-June, the 700,000 troops of Army Group Centre were outnumbered by 2,500,000 Soviet soldiers. When the Soviet summer offensive of 1944, Operation Bagration, began on 22 June, Army Group Centre's 34 divisions were overwhelmed by nearly 120 Red Army divisions. His army commanders immediately sought permission to withdraw to the Dnieper River but this was denied by Busch, who insisted their positions be held. Within two days, most of his divisions were effectively destroyed. Having overseen the loss of 250,000-300,000 men (25 full divisions), the biggest defeat for Germany on the Eastern Front, Busch was relieved of his command by Hitler on 28 June. He was replaced by Field Marshal
Walter Model Otto Moritz Walter Model (; 24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945) was a German field marshal during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of def ...
who managed to stop the advance of the Red Army, but not until it reached the Vistula. In the meantime, Busch became depressed after his sacking which effectively came about because of his adherence to Hitler's orders.


Army Group Northwest

Having gradually returned to favour with Hitler, Busch was recalled to duty on 20 March 1945 when he became head of Army Group Northwest. Tasked with defending the portion of German coastline along the North Sea, he had few resources and lacked the respect of many men under his command. Busch surrendered to Field Marshal
Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and th ...
on 4 May 1945. He died in a prisoner of war camp in
Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the Engli ...
, England, on 17 July 1945, and was initially buried at
Aldershot Military Cemetery Aldershot Military Cemetery is a burial ground for military personnel, or ex-military personnel and their families, located in Aldershot Military Town, Hampshire. The cemetery was created in 1850s by the Royal Engineers during the building of A ...
before his remains were later re-interred at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery.


References

Notes Citations Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Busch, Ernst 1885 births 1945 deaths Military personnel from Essen People from the Rhine Province German Army World War II field marshals Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with a Star German Army personnel of World War I Prussian Army personnel German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom Prisoners who died in British military detention Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Burials at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery German people who died in prison custody