In Nazi Germany, what was the highest military rank that went into the frontline?


 That is an interesting question. Most people think the great generals are in safe, air conditioned offices far from where they were shot. But in the German army during world war 2 it was something else entirely and much more dangerous for the leaders.

I remember reading a story about a battle in Russia. A German unit was trapped at the foot of a hill. The Russian defense was so strong that the soldiers were afraid to move. The attack was a complete failure. Suddenly the general was no longer behind. He took a rifle and ran up the hill to the enemy. When his men saw their leader risking his life, they felt the need to follow him. They rose up, attacked and took the hill.


Later his boss asked Hitler office to give this general a large medal for bravery. But the response of a man named Otto Gunsche was very cold. He said no. He explained that Hitler expected any general to lead in this way. It wasn't extra courage, it was just a job.


They called it driving forward. They thought a leader had to see the battle for himself. He helped them win but he was deadly. By the end of the war over 200 German generals had been killed in combat. They were not just uniformed managers they were soldiers who were destined to die, just like the young men they led. It was a very hard way to drive.

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