18 Facts About Felix Steiner

Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German SS commander during the Nazi era.

Felix Steiner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

On 28 January 1945, Felix Steiner was placed in command of the 11th SS Panzer Army, which formed part of a new Army Group Vistula, an ad-hoc formation to defend Berlin from the Soviet armies advancing from the Vistula River.

Felix Steiner faced charges at the Nuremberg Trials, but they were dropped and he was released in 1948.

In 1953, Felix Steiner was recruited by the US Central Intelligence Agency to found the Gesellschaft fur Wehrkunde, composed of former German military officers, as a propaganda tool and a military think tank for the rearmament of West Germany.

Felix Steiner was born on 23 May 1896 in Stalluponen in Prussia, German Empire.

Felix Steiner joined the Royal Prussian Army as an infantry cadet.

In 1919, Felix Steiner joined the paramilitary Freikorps in the East Prussian city of Memel during the German Revolution and was later incorporated into the Reichswehr in 1921.

Felix Steiner first joined the Nazi Party and the Sturmabteilung.

Felix Steiner took command of a battalion of SS-Verfugungstruppen troops, and within a year had been promoted to SS-Standartenfuhrer; and later was put in command of the SS-Deutschland Regiment.

Felix Steiner led this regiment through the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 August 1940.

Felix Steiner was introduced to Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, to oversee the creation of, and then command the new SS Division Wiking.

Felix Steiner's attack was supposed to coincide with General Theodor Busse's Ninth Army attacking from the south in a pincer attack.

Felix Steiner called Heinrici and informed him that the plan could not be implemented because the 5th Jager Division and the 25th Panzergrenadier Division were deployed defensively and could not be redeployed until the 2nd Naval Division arrived from the coast to relieve them.

On 22 April 1945, at his afternoon conference, Hitler, becoming aware that Felix Steiner was not going to attack, fell into a tearful rage.

Felix Steiner faced charges at the Nuremberg Trials, but they were dropped and he was released.

In 1953, Felix Steiner was recruited by the US Central Intelligence Agency to found the Gesellschaft fur Wehrkunde, composed of former German military officers, as a propaganda tool and a military think tank for West German rearmament.

Felix Steiner died on 12 May 1966,11 days before his 70th birthday.