Obersturmbannfhrer Jochem Peiper
Early Life
Born in Berlin on the 30th of January, 1915, his official name was Joachin which he later changed to Jochen preferable to him. According to Agte, he joined the army as a Boy Scout in 1920 at the tender age of 9, becoming a Boy Scout leader, a good performing student and an active sportsperson. Bouwemeester documents that although active in sports neither Peiper nor his brother is recorded to have participated in any political activity of the Nazi youth organization. The onset of the boys link to the Nazi team is 1933 when he was transferred to the Young people, a year when the German Young people team was incorporated in the Hitler youth.
Peipers motivations as a soldier can be seen in his personality, Agte affirms that Peiper developed a passion to be a professional soldier. The stories of his father who happened to be a soldier himself, is noted to have influenced the young Peiper furthermore, the early stories of German history and Germans fundamental interest in the Prussian history further increased his motivation. Intending to enroll in the Prestigious German Army, the fourth Calvary Regiment (Reiter Regiment 4), he joined the Allgemeine or the General Secret Service in 1993 in order to learn horsemanship in the Seventh SS Calvary unit, Reiterstandarte 7. Bouwemeester affirms that the unit was decent, with a number of noblemen, university students, middleclass youths, schoolboys and former Calvary officers.
Military historian Agte affirms that from the onset the was no foreseeable future of becoming one of the leaders of Germans most dreadful organization although later revelations indicate that he already had this in mind. He officially enrolled as an SS man attaining a number 132496 and became an acting squad leader hence at age nineteen, he had taken part in the Nazi Triumph that took place in Nuremberg an event that was to change the life of the young youth.
Weingartner documents that Himmler convinced Peiper to Join the SSVT in the capacity of the officer rather than the Waffen SS which he was interested in early on. His association with Himmler, a dreadful Nazi could be a justification for the bloody atrocities he was accused of. He therefore left the Goethe High School prior to graduation and was immediately sent to an SS course in Jterbog. Graduating number 16 out of the 240 cadets in 1936, Peipers performance is considered outstanding and after attending a short platoon leader course, he officially joined the Leibstandarte within the same year as a leader of the third platoon, hence this marks the beginning of his active military service. Analyzing his academic performance, his extreme personality and the need to lead and be the best could also form a justification for the atrocities Peiper is confused of.
Early Military Career
In 1938, two years after joining the military, Peiper was transferred as an adjutant to the third battalion of Leibstandarte a position that enabled him see the annexation of Austria in the German Reich in March 1938. Although Agte affirms that the events could have also increased his motivations as well as brutality, Weingartner contradicts noting that they strengthened his view of the military service and the need to follow orders. Favorite of Heinrich Himmler, it is documented that Himmler personally directed Peiper to be assigned duties on his personal staff, a position he served until May 1940 when he left Himmlers personal staff to serve as a Platoon commander within the Leibstandarte platoon. Peipers first war experience was in France in May and June 1940, serving as a commander of both a company and a platoon. Weingartner notes that it is this experience that hardened Peiper hence although he did not receive any recorded wounds this experience shaped his way of thinking.
Operations Following Hitlers Plan
Peiper participated in a number of battles based on Hitlers plan for the offensive as the war intensified in 1944 and 1945. He advanced rapidly, becoming the commander of the Panzer Regiment in Leibstandarte which served on the Eastern Front in 1943, and the commander of the Panzer Regiment of the Leibstandarnte in Normandy in December, 1944 a time that critically influenced his history as he was still serving in the Leibstandarte in 1944. In 1943 he was moved to Italy to aid in the disarmament of the Italian forces that supported the western allies. Peiper is accused of planning to finish the Jews in Northern Italy, and his Unit was sent back to Russia. The interaction with other hardcore Nazis while in Italy could also have prompted Peipers view of the world war II hardening him to commit the atrocities he was later accused of.
A number of battles followed this period most notably, from the 16th to the 26th of December, 1944. With the death of George Schnberger in action, he became the head of 1st SS Panzer regiment a position he headed until the end of the war. As noted above, he was only 28, and Bouwemeester, documents that he managed to command the war against the soviets several times, successfully retarding the soviet offence. Perhaps Peipers greatest atrocities were evident on the battle of Meledy when the men under Peipers command massacred an estimated 84 American prisoners of war in the town of Malady. Now famously known as the Malady massacre, it is reported that Peiper further killed eight American Prisoners of War in the town of Ligneuville. Military historians have noted that, based on Peipers personality, very young age, the desire to please his master Adolf Hitler and his firm commitment to his country it is possible that Peiper was a brutal, hardened Nazi officer.
Postwar
Following the surrender of the German armies, Peiper was hunted for in the many POW camps, accusing him of leading a number of bloody war crimes. He was finally arrested and Jailed in the Town of Freising, Upper Bavaria. Historians affirm that he took personal responsibility of the men accused who were under his command during pretrial. The interrogations were inclusive of both physical and psychological torture in additions to mock trials. He was finally transferred to the prison at Schwbisch hall where there were over 1000 former soldiers awaiting trial.
During the trial, which took place between 16th May and 16th July in 1946, Peiper who had earlier on given a testimony which was found unconvincing, was given charges on two cases that had ordered the killing of a prisoner of war. He accepted the responsibility of his mens actions and was sentenced to death by hanging on 1946 July 16th. However, after serving for 11 years in prison, following an investigation by the US senate committee on Armed Services, Peiper was released from prison. He worked in Porsche division and while leading a quiet discreet life in 1974 was murdered when attacked in his home and his home set on fire. Although the suspects were never identified, it was suspected that the attackers were either former members of the French Resistance or communists.
Analysis
Peipers actions during the entire military career can be attributed to his personality. As noted above, the evidence of his leadership ability is visible from both his scouting period as a German boy scout and in his days an active squad leader in SS Reiter. He could have therefore learnt to follow orders early in his life, although this is not a justification of his cruelty. One of Peipers commanders wrote in his daily report that Peiper was attentive to duty, had military enthusiasm that were exemplary and that in spite of his youth had already been nominated as an acting squad leader. Two notable military historians Whiting and Weingarten both admitted that while examining Peiper in a Germans army psychiatric hospital, he was found to be intelligent although both egocentric and mistrustful of others. Peiper is also noted to be of a very strong will and someone who was committed to serve in his organization, the Waffen-SS whose commitment was to defeat the enemies of their society at all costs.
His is also noted to have endowed him as a darling in his platoon, furthermore it is noted that his commanders such as regimental commander Fritz Witt had described him as straight, reserve, and a sharp observer. He had also noted that he was not only innovative and meticulous in training, but was also calm and clear thinking during action. Bouwemeester affirms that Whiting described him as a having a very hardened personality that appeared almost nave although in essence, he had a strong spirit of a brutal soldier who knew one loyalty, to his own unit, Adolf Hitler.
Summary
In summary, Jochem Peiper still remains one of the most controversial figures in World War II military history. However, the evidence presented, his eccentric and egocentric personality, association with Himmler, commitment to Hitler, admission during trial and trauma associated with war could have been some of the motivating factors for his contentious though evidently brutal participation during the Nazi regime.
Categories:
0 comments:
Post a Comment