Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (29 August 1897 – 20 May 1947) was a general in the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He led an infantry regiment in the early stages of the war and by 1943 was commander of the
22nd Air Landing Division. Under his orders, troops of the division committed atrocities against Greek civilians. He was later commander of occupied
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
and his harsh methods of controlling the island saw him nicknamed "The Butcher of Crete." After the war he was convicted and executed by a Greek court for war crimes.
Biography
Müller was born in
Barmen, Prussia. When World War I began, Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller served as an infantryman with the 2nd Infantry Regiment. In 1915, he was promoted to second lieutenant and transferred to the 266th Regiment. After the war, Müller remained in the army and continued to rise through the ranks, attaining the rank of major in 1936. Shortly after World War II commenced, Müller was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
As the commanding officer of 105th Infantry Regiment, he saw action against the Soviet Army, for which he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
in 1941 and Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross in 1942. In August 1942, Müller was appointed commanding officer of
22nd Air Landing Division. Müller became notorious as a brutal commander responsible for several atrocities against Greek civilians.
The attacks on civilians included the massacres at
Viannos,
Anogeia
Anogeia (Ανώγεια) is a municipality in the Rethymno (regional unit), Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. The municipality has an area of ., excluding the former municipal departments Axos and Zoniana. Population 2,240 (2021).
When exact ...
,
Amari,
Damasta,
Skourvoula and
Malathyros. During the autumn of 1943, Müller led the German forces in their victory over the Italian-British forces in the
Dodecanese Campaign. On 6 October 1943, on the island of Kos, under his orders, German forces
killed and buried in mass graves over one hundred
Italian army officers captured at the end of the
battle for the island, who would not side with their former allies.
In 1943,
Captain William Stanley Moss, a recent British
Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and to aid local Resistance during World War II, resistance movements during World War II. ...
(SOE) recruit and
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
Patrick Leigh Fermor, an officer of SOE Cairo's Cretan Desk, hatched a plan for the abduction of Müller. The plan received widespread support in SOE's Cairo branch. However, on 1 March, Müller was replaced by
Major General Heinrich Kreipe who was
eventually abducted instead of Müller in April 1944. On 1 July 1944, Müller returned to his role of commander of Fortress Crete, replacing
Bruno Bräuer, and was determined to penalise the locals for providing shelter to the Kreipe abduction team, confirming British fears of mass reprisals. His brutal response earned him the nickname of "The Butcher of Crete."
Müller was also responsible for the
Holocaust of Kedros on 22 August 1944. Under his orders, German infantry killed 164 Greek civilians which was followed in the coming days by the razing of most villages, looting, and the destruction of livestock and harvests. By 1945, Müller commanded the German
4th Army on the
Eastern Front. Müller ended the war in
East Prussia
East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
where he surrendered to the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
.
After the war, he was tried by a Greek military court for war crimes. In 1946, Müller was convicted by a Greek court in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
for the massacres of hostages for reprisals. He was sentenced to death on 9 December 1946 and executed by
firing squad
Firing may refer to:
* Dismissal (employment), sudden loss of employment by termination
* Firemaking, the act of starting a fire
* Burning; see combustion
* Shooting, specifically the discharge of firearms
* Execution by firing squad, a method of ...
on 20 May 1947, along with former General
Bruno Bräuer, on the anniversary of the Axis invasion of Crete.
Awards
*
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(1914) 1st Class (25 May 1916) & 2nd Class (29 August 1916)
[Thomas 1998, p. 104.]
*
Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class (22 December 1939) & 2nd Class (12 June 1940)
*
German Cross
The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leade ...
in Gold on 18 June 1943 as ''Generalleutnant'' and commander of the 22. Infanterie-Division
[Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 318.]
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross on 22 September 1941 as ''Oberstleutnant'' and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 105
[Scherzer 2007, p. 555.]
** 86th Oak Leaves on 8 April 1942 as ''Oberst'' and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 105
** 128th Swords on 27 January 1945 as ''General der Infanterie'' and commanding general of the LXVIII. Armeekorps
See also
*
Viannos massacres
*
Holocaust of Kedros
*
Razing of Anogeia
*
Massacre of Kos
*
Kidnapping of Heinrich Kreipe
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
Beevor, Antony (1991). ''Crete: The Battle and the Resistance''.
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Friedrich-Wilhelm
1897 births
1947 deaths
Crete in World War II
Executed German mass murderers
Executed military leaders
Executed people from North Rhine-Westphalia
German Army generals of World War II
German Army personnel of World War I
German occupation of Greece during World War II
Generals of Infantry (Wehrmacht)
Military personnel from Wuppertal
Nazis executed in Greece
Military personnel from the Rhine Province
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords