🇩🇪 FRIEDRICH HOSSBACH
1894 – September 1980

Friedrich Hossbach was born on November 22, 1894, in Unna, Germany. He was a career officer in the German Army, serving in World War I and continuing through the interwar Reichswehr. By the 1930s, he had become a key aide to Adolf Hitler, serving as his military adjutant.

Hossbach is most well known for the Hossbach Memorandum, a document he wrote on November 5, 1937, summarizing a secret meeting between Hitler and several high-ranking military and foreign policy officials. The meeting outlined Hitler’s aggressive expansionist goals, including plans to seize Austria and Czechoslovakia. This document would later be cited as important evidence of premeditated war planning during the Nuremberg Trials.

In early 1938, Hossbach fell out of favor for defending General Werner von Fritsch during the Blomberg–Fritsch Affair and was dismissed from Hitler’s personal staff. However, he remained in military service and was later promoted during World War II, eventually reaching the rank of General.

He died on September 10, 1980, in Heidelberg, West Germany.

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🇩🇪ROBERT LEY
1890 – October 1945

Robert Ley was born on February 15, 1890, in Niederbreidenbach, within the German Empire. He studied chemistry and earned a doctorate before serving as a pilot in World War I, during which he was captured and became a prisoner of war. After the war, he joined the NSDAP in 1925 and quickly rose through the ranks due to his loyalty to Adolf Hitler and his aggressive support for party ideology.

In 1933, following the National Socialist rise to power, Ley was appointed head of the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF), replacing the trade unions with a state-controlled organization. He oversaw projects like “Strength Through Joy” (Kraft durch Freude), which organized leisure activities and holidays for German workers, as part of a broader strategy to align the workforce with party goals.

Despite holding a significant position, Ley was widely criticized—even within NSDAP circles—for his corruption, alcoholism, and mismanagement. After Germany’s defeat, he was arrested by Allied forces and indicted for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials. Before his trial began, Robert Ley committed suicide in his cell on October 25, 1945.

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🇩🇪 HJALMAR SCHACHT
1877 – June 1970

Hjalmar Schacht was born on January 22, 1877, in Tingleff, then part of the German Empire (now Tinglev, Denmark). He studied economics and philosophy in Kiel, Munich, Berlin, and Paris, and earned a doctorate in political science.

Schacht began his career in banking and rose to prominence during World War I as a financial expert. After the war, he played a key role in stabilizing the German currency during the hyperinflation crisis of the early 1920s. He was appointed President of the Reichsbank in 1923 and again in 1933, shortly after the NSDAP came to power. He also served as Minister of Economics from 1934 to 1937, where he was instrumental in implementing policies that helped reduce unemployment and restore industrial production.

Although Schacht supported the early economic recovery efforts under Adolf Hitler, he increasingly opposed the regime’s militarization and antisemitic policies. He was dismissed from the Reichsbank in 1939. Later implicated in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler, Schacht was arrested and sent to concentration camps but survived the war.

After being acquitted at the Nuremberg Trials, he briefly returned to private banking. Hjalmar Schacht died on June 3, 1970, in Munich, West Germany, from natural causes.

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🇯🇵 HIROSHI OSHIMA
1891 – June 1975

Hiroshi Ōshima was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, in 1891. He was a prominent Japanese military officer and diplomat, best known for serving as Japan’s ambassador to Germany during the era of the Axis alliance in World War II.

Ōshima was fluent in German and developed strong ties with the German military and leadership, particularly during his two terms as ambassador in Berlin (1938–1939 and 1941–1945). He was a fervent supporter of closer Japanese-German cooperation and played a crucial role in the Tripartite Pact. Ōshima acted as an important liaison between the Japanese Empire and the German Reich, often communicating strategic military and political information.

Notably, his diplomatic dispatches—intercepted and decrypted by Allied intelligence through the American MAGIC program—provided crucial insights into Axis strategies and Germany’s war planning, making him an unwittingly valuable source of intelligence for the Allies.

After the war, Hiroshi Ōshima was arrested and tried for war crimes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East but was paroled in 1955.

He died in June 1975.

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🇫🇷 PHILIPPE PÉTAIN
1856 – July 1951

Philippe Pétain was born on April 24, 1856, in Cauchy-à-la-Tour, Pas-de-Calais, France. A career military officer, he rose to prominence during World War I, particularly as the hero of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where his leadership and defensive strategies earned him national acclaim.

Following the war, Pétain held various military and political roles, including Marshal of France and Minister of War. However, his legacy took a controversial turn during World War II. After France’s defeat in 1940, Pétain was appointed head of state of Vichy France, a regime that collaborated with the German authorities during their occupation of the country.

After the war, he was tried for treason in 1945 and sentenced to death, though the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and prior military service. He spent his final years in confinement on Île d’Yeu, where he died on July 23, 1951, from natural causes.

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🇪🇸 FRANCISCO FRANCO
1892 – November 1975

Francisco Franco was born in Ferrol, a town in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, in 1892. He embarked on a military career early in life, graduating from the Infantry Academy in Toledo at the age of 17. Franco rose quickly through the ranks, gaining prominence for his role in the Rif War in Morocco, where he earned a reputation for discipline and effectiveness.

By the early 1930s, he became one of Spain’s youngest generals. His staunch conservative and monarchist beliefs aligned with the right-wing factions during Spain’s period of political turmoil. In 1936, after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Franco emerged as one of the leading military figures of the Nationalist side. He eventually became the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Nationalist forces.

Following their victory in 1939, Franco established a military dictatorship that lasted until his death. His regime was characterized by authoritarian rule, suppression of political opposition, and a strong alignment with conservative Catholic values. Though Spain remained officially neutral during World War II, Franco’s government maintained favorable relations with the Axis powers in the early years.

Franco ruled Spain until his death in November 1975, after which the country transitioned toward democracy. He died from heart failure and complications related to Parkinson’s disease.

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🇩🇪 FERDINAND PORSCHE
September 1875 – January 1951

Ferdinand Porsche was born in Maffersdorf, a village in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Vratislavice nad Nisou, Czech Republic) in September 1875. He was an influential automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche car company. From an early age, he showed a strong interest in electricity and mechanics, eventually working his way into prominent roles within the growing automotive industry.

In the early 20th century, Porsche worked for several major manufacturers, including Lohner, Daimler, and Auto Union, contributing to the development of both electric and combustion engine vehicles. One of his most notable early achievements was the Lohner-Porsche, a pioneering hybrid vehicle.

In 1931, he established his own engineering firm, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH, which developed vehicle designs for multiple companies. Perhaps his most famous work was the Volkswagen Beetle, designed under commission from the German government during the 1930s. Porsche also played a significant role in the design of military vehicles and tanks during the era of the German Reich.

After World War II, he was arrested by French authorities for war-related activities and imprisoned for over 20 months without formal charges. Upon release, he returned to work with his son Ferry Porsche, who had begun producing cars under the Porsche name.

Ferdinand Porsche died in January 1951 in Stuttgart, West Germany, due to complications following a stroke.

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🇩🇪ERICH VON MANSTEIN
November 1887 – June 1973

Erich von Manstein was born on November 24, 1887, in Berlin, German Empire. He came from a Prussian aristocratic family with strong military traditions and was adopted by the von Manstein family, which gave him his well-known surname. After graduating from military academies, he served in World War I with distinction and remained in the Reichswehr during the interwar period.

During World War II, von Manstein rose to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall and was regarded as one of the most capable strategic minds in the German military. He played a key role in planning the 1940 invasion of France, particularly the breakthrough through the Ardennes. Later, he commanded armies on the Eastern Front, notably during the Siege of Sevastopol and the counteroffensive after the defeat at Stalingrad. His leadership at the Third Battle of Kharkov briefly turned the tide for German forces.

Von Manstein often clashed with Adolf Hitler over strategic decisions but remained loyal to the command structure. After the war, he was tried by a British military tribunal and convicted for war crimes related to the treatment of civilians and prisoners in the occupied Soviet territories. He was imprisoned from 1950 to 1953.

He died on June 9, 1973, in Irschenhausen, West Germany, of natural causes.

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🇫🇮CARL GUSTAF EMIL MANNERHEIM
June 1867 – January 1951

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was born in June 1867 in Askainen, in the Grand Duchy of Finland, then part of the Russian Empire. Coming from a noble Swedish-speaking Finnish family, he embarked on a military career in the Russian Imperial Army, where he served with distinction for over three decades. His service included time in East Asia during the Russo-Japanese War and a long intelligence-gathering journey through Central Asia and China.

After the Russian Revolution, Mannerheim returned to Finland and played a leading role in the Finnish Civil War (1918) as commander of the White forces, helping to secure victory against the Red faction. He later became Finland’s Regent (1918–1919) before briefly stepping away from politics.

He returned to national prominence during World War II, serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces. Under his leadership, Finland resisted the Soviet Union during the Winter War (1939–1940) and the Continuation War (1941–1944). In 1944, he became President of Finland, overseeing the country’s exit from World War II and the beginning of its postwar recovery.

Mannerheim retired from public life in 1946 due to health reasons and died in January 1951 in Lausanne, Switzerland. His cause of death was a duodenal ulcer. He is remembered as a key figure in Finnish history and one of the nation’s most respected leaders.

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🇩🇪 FRANZ VON PAPEN
October 1879 – May 1969

Franz von Papen was born in October 1879 in Werl, in the German Empire. He came from a wealthy Catholic noble family and received military training at the Prussian Military Academy. His early career was in the military and diplomacy; he served as a military attaché in the United States and Mexico before and during World War I.

After the war, von Papen entered politics and joined the Catholic Centre Party. In June 1932, he was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg, despite lacking strong political support. His brief tenure was marked by authoritarian tendencies and efforts to suppress left-wing political forces.

Von Papen played a key role in Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. After being replaced as Chancellor, he persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor in January 1933, believing he could control him as Vice Chancellor. This proved a grave miscalculation. Von Papen remained Vice Chancellor briefly and later served as German ambassador to Austria and Turkey.

After World War II, he was arrested by Allied forces. At the Nuremberg Trials, he was acquitted of war crimes but was later sentenced to time in a denazification court. He retired from public life and died in May 1969 in Obersasbach, West Germany. The cause of death was natural, due to old age.

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🇩🇪 GERD VON RUNDSTEDT
December 1875 – February 1953

Gerd von Rundstedt was born on 12 December 1875 in Aschersleben, Germany. Coming from a long line of Prussian military officers, he entered the German Army in 1892 and built a career as a professional officer. During the First World War, he served in staff roles, gaining a reputation as an able strategist.

In the interwar years, Rundstedt remained in the Reichswehr, where he advanced to senior positions. With the rise of the National Socialist government, he continued his service in the Wehrmacht. At the beginning of the Second World War, he commanded Army Group South during the invasion of Poland in 1939. In 1940, he led Army Group A in the campaign against France, playing a key role in the rapid German victory. Later, he commanded forces on the Eastern Front, notably during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

From 1942 onward, he was repeatedly appointed and dismissed as Commander-in-Chief West, responsible for defending occupied Western Europe against Allied invasion. Rundstedt oversaw German defenses during the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944 but was dismissed after the failure to repel the invasion. He was recalled once more later that year during the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge).

Captured by Allied forces in May 1945, Rundstedt was held as a prisoner of war until 1949 but was not tried for war crimes due to his advanced age and declining health.

He died on 24 February 1953 in Hanover, West Germany, from heart failure.

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🇩🇪 JULIUS DORPMÜLLER
24 July 1869 – 5 July 1945

Julius Heinrich Dorpmüller was born on 24 July 1869 in Elberfeld, Germany. He studied engineering and specialized in railway construction, beginning his career with the Prussian State Railways. In the early 20th century, he worked abroad, notably in China on the construction of the Shandong Railway, which strengthened his expertise in international railway projects.

In 1926, Dorpmüller became General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German National Railway. With the rise of the NSDAP regime, he continued in his position and, in 1937, was appointed Reich Minister of Transport. In this role, he oversaw the expansion of Germany’s railway system during the Second World War, which played a crucial role in the logistics of the regime.

After Germany’s defeat in 1945, Dorpmüller remained in office briefly under the Allied occupation until his death. He died of cancer on 5 July 1945 in Malente, Schleswig-Holstein.

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🇮🇹 ALBERTO VASSALLO DI TORREGROSSA
28 December 1865 – 7 September 1959

Alberto Vassallo di Torregrossa was born in San Cataldo, Sicily, Italy. He was the son of Baron Rosario Vassallo di Torregrossa and Rosa dei Baroni Torregrossa.

He studied at the archiepiscopal minor seminary in Catania, then the San Michele College in Acireale, and later at the Pontifical Roman Seminary, where he earned degrees in theology and both canon and civil law. On 22 September 1888 he was ordained a priest in Caltanissetta, and celebrated his first Mass in the mother church in San Cataldo.

Shortly after, in 1889, he entered the Vatican’s ecclesiastical diplomatic training (the Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles). He held various diplomatic posts: secretary of the nunciature in Munich, auditor at the nunciature in Brussels, and eventually was appointed titular archbishop of Emesa (in partibus) in 1913 and sent as apostolic delegate to Colombia. Later he served as nuncio in Argentina and, from August 1925, as Apostolic Nuncio in Munich, succeeding Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII).

The Bavarian nunciature was closed in 1936 after the German Länder lost autonomy and diplomatic relations were centralized. After that, Vassallo di Torregrossa returned to Italy and retired to his native San Cataldo.

He died in San Cataldo on 7 September 1959 at the age of 93.

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🇩🇪 VICTORIA MELITA
25 November 1876 – 2 March 1936

Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born on 25 November 1876 at the Grand Ducal Palace in Darmstadt, in the German Empire. A granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II, she grew up within a wide network of European royal families and received an education typical for a princess of her era, including languages, arts, and court etiquette.

Her first marriage, arranged for dynastic reasons, was to her cousin Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse. The union proved unhappy, and they divorced in 1901. That same year she married Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, a controversial step within imperial circles but one that defined the second half of her life. After moving into Russian high society, she converted to Orthodoxy and became known as Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna. She navigated turbulent years during the final phase of the Russian Empire and later lived in exile following the Russian Revolution.

Victoria Melita spent her later years in Western Europe, remaining active in émigré circles. She died on 2 March 1936 in Amorbach, Germany, due to a stroke.

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🇮🇹 KING VICTOR EMMANUEL III
11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947

Victor Emmanuel III was born in Naples, Kingdom of Italy, on 11 November 1869, the son of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. He ascended the Italian throne in 1900 following his father’s assassination and ruled for nearly 46 years, making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs in Italian history.

During his reign, Italy took part in major historical events, including the Italo-Turkish War, the First World War, and the Second World War. After the First World War, Italy experienced deep political and social instability. In this context, Victor Emmanuel III appointed Benito Mussolini as prime minister in 1922 and allowed the establishment of a Fascist dictatorship. In the late 1930s, Italy aligned itself with Adolf Hitler’s Germany, governed by the National Socialist regime (NSDAP), and adopted racial laws that significantly affected Italian society.

As the Second World War turned against Italy, Victor Emmanuel III dismissed Mussolini in 1943 and supported the formation of a new government aligned with the Allies. However, the monarchy’s association with Fascism severely damaged its legitimacy. In 1946, following a national referendum that abolished the monarchy, Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in favor of his son, Umberto II, and went into exile.

He died on 28 December 1947 in Alexandria, Egypt, where he had been living in exile. His death was due to natural causes following illness.

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🇩🇪 JULIUS SCHAUB
20 August 1898 – 27 December 1967

Julius Schaub was born in Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. He served as a medical orderly during the First World War. After the war, he became involved in nationalist circles in Munich and joined the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) in the early 1920s. He also participated in the failed Beer Hall Putsch of November 1923 and was briefly imprisoned.

Following the re-establishment of the NSDAP, Schaub became one of Adolf Hitler’s earliest and most loyal associates. From 1925 onward, he served as Hitler’s adjutant and personal aide, a role he maintained for nearly two decades. Although he did not play a major role in policymaking, he was responsible for managing Hitler’s personal affairs, correspondence, travel arrangements, and security coordination. Due to his proximity to Hitler, he became a trusted figure within the inner circle of the NSDAP leadership.

During the final days of the Second World War in April 1945, Schaub was ordered to destroy Hitler’s personal documents and belongings to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. After Germany’s surrender, he was arrested by Allied forces. He underwent denazification proceedings but was classified in a lesser category and later released.

Julius Schaub died in Munich in December 1967. According to available records, he died of natural causes.

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🇩🇪 HEINRICH KNIRR
2 September 1862 – 26 May 1944

Heinrich Knirr was a German painter and art teacher, born on 2 September 1862 in Pančevo, then part of the Austrian Empire and today located in Serbia. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and later at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. In 1888, he established a private art school in Munich, which became well known and attracted students from Germany and abroad.

Knirr was primarily known for portraits, landscapes, genre scenes and still lifes. He later taught at the Munich Academy and became an influential figure in German art education. Among his students were several notable artists, including Paul Klee and Emil Orlik.

During the National Socialist period, Knirr became particularly known for his portraits of Adolf Hitler and other prominent figures. His portrait of Hitler painted in 1937 was displayed at the Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung in Munich. He also portrayed figures including Julius Schreck and Rudolf Hess. In 1942, Knirr received the Goethe Medal for Art and Science.

Heinrich Knirr died on 26 May 1944 in Staudach, Bavaria, at the age of 81. A specific cause of death is not clearly documented in the available biographical sources.

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