World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseHelmuth Weidling was a colonel during the campaign in Poland in 1939 with the 56th Artillery Regiment, and climbed the rank ladder very quickly through his early victories in Poland, France, and Russia. He was promoted to the rank of a full general on 20 Oct 1943 after a steady series of promotions. On 10 Apr 1945, he was removed and appointed to the reserves, and on 22 Apr condemned to death by Adolf Hitler due to a serious misunderstanding. A day later, however, his charges were cleared by Hitler and he was named the commander of all defenders in Berlin. "You might just as well have me shot", he responded to the messenger, but he was soon able to regain composure and accepted the position. Initially he urged Berlin to fight until the last day, though he was disgusted at the use of Hitler Youth members to defend Berlin; some of the Hitler Youth boys were as young as 12 years old. Nevertheless, he obeyed his orders to defend the city, and only surrendered on 2 May 1945, two days after Hitler committed suicide, when defeat became inevitable.

ww2dbaseWeidling was imprisoned in a Russian camp for the remainder of his life.

Helmuth Weidling Interactive Map

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Helmuth Weidling Timeline

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