page_title: Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz
section_title: National Socialism
hierarchical_section_title: Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz / Interwar period / National Socialism
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Wehrmachtsmanöver 1937 in Mecklenburg und Pommern Hitler und Mussolini im Manövergelände Hitlers Adjutant Oberst Hosbach Information added by Wikimedia users.Deutsch: Hitler und Mussolini mit Fahrer Friedrich Hoßbach bei einem Wehrmachtsmanöver in Mecklenburg und Pommern im September 1937, an Bord eines Mercedes-Benz G4 (Baumuster W31) in der Ausführung von 1937 mit 6x4-Antrieb. Čeština: Adolf Hitler přihlíží manévrům Wehrmachtu v Meklenbursku a Pomořansku, 1937 Italiano: Hitler e Mussolini alle manovre militari svoltesi nella regione del Meclemburgo-Pomerania Anteriore, nel settembre 1937, a bordo di una Mercedes-Benz Typ G4 (2ªserie - W31) del 1937. Source of vehicle data: Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen 1886-1986, W.Oswald, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1991 (5.), S.398-403, ISBN&#160;3-613-01133-6
context_page_description: Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz was a German Army officer. Strachwitz saw action in World War I, but rose to fame for his command of armoured forces in World War II. For these services he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
  Strachwitz was born in 1893 on his family estate in Silesia. He was educated at various Prussian military academies and served with distinction as a cavalry officer in the opening weeks of World War I. He was captured by the French in October 1914. He was nearly shot as a spy after he was caught wearing civilian clothes, but was later sentenced to forced labour. He attempted to escape several times, but was unsuccessful, and returned to Germany after the war ended in late 1918. In the aftermath of World War I, Strachwitz fought with the Freikorps in the Spartacist uprising of the German Revolution in Berlin, and in the Silesian Uprisings against the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia. In the mid-1920s he took over the family estate, Groß Stein, from his father and became a member of the Nazi Party and the Allgemeine SS.
context_section_description: Strachwitz applied for membership in the Nazi Party (NSDAP—National Socialist German Workers' Party) with the Reichsleitung (Reich Leadership) of the NSDAP in Munich in 1931. He was accepted and in 1932 joined the Ortsgruppe (Local Group) of the NSDAP in Breslau with a membership number 1,405,562. On 17 April 1933 he became a member of the Allgemeine SS with the SS membership number 82,857. A series of quick promotions within the SS followed. He progressed to SS-Obersturmführer by the end of 1934 and SS-Sturmbannführer in 1936. In parallel to his SS-career, his military rank in the military reserve force also advanced. He attained the rank of Hauptmann (Captain) of the Reserves in 1934 and a year later became a Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain) of the Reserves.
  On 30 January 1933, the Nazi Party, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, came to power and began to rearm Germany. The Heer (Germany Army) was increased and modernized with a strong focus on the Panzer (tank) force. Personnel were recruited from the cavalry. In October 1935 Panzer-Regiment 2 was created and was subordinated to the 1st Panzer Division, at the time under command of General Maximilian von Weichs. The soldiers of the I. Abteilung (1st Battalion) came from Saxony and Thuringia, the II. Abteilung (2nd Battalion) was made up from soldiers from Silesia. Strachwitz, who had served as an officer of the reserves in Reiter-Regiment 7 (7th Cavalry Regiment) in Breslau, had asked to be transferred to the Panzer force and, in May 1936, participated in his first manoeuvre on the training ground at Ohrdruf, followed by an exercise of live firing on the gunnery training ground at Putlos—today in the administrative district of Oldenburg-Land—near the Baltic Sea. A year later, from July to August 1937, he participated in a second reserve training exercise on the Silesian training grounds at Neuhammer—present-day Świętoszów.
  Following a brief vacation in Silesia, Strachwitz returned to the 1st Panzer Division at the training grounds at Königsbrück, near Dresden. During the preparations for the fall manoeuvres the General der Kavallerie (General of the Cavalry) von Weichs was dismissed. On 18 September Panzer-Regiment 2 was relocated from Königsbrück to Fürstenberg and then to Neustrelitz. Here, under the watchful eyes of Hitler and Benito Mussolini from the Schmooksberg near Laage, the 1st and 3rd Panzer-Brigade, supported by Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wings), practiced a large scale tank attack. The regiment returned to Eisenach on 30 September. Strachwitz returned to his estate but was called back shortly before the Anschluß, the annexation of Austria by Germany, in March 1938.
  Strachwitz and Panzer-Regiment 2 were placed on standby from 21 September to 2 October 1938 at the training grounds in Grafenwöhr during the Sudeten Crisis, the German annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland. On 3 October, the regiment headed for Karlsbad, via Gossengrün and Chodau, where they arrived on 5 October. The regiment was stationed at Saatz and Kaaden in the Sudetenland until 15 October before it returned to Eisenach on 16 October 1938. He was again put on standby in March 1939, when the remaining Czech territories became the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, a German satellite. Following this, Panzer-Regiment 2 was sent to Berlin to participate in the Wehrmacht parade held to celebrate Hitler's 50th birthday on 20 April 1939. In July and August 1939, Panzer-Regiment 2 participated in the summer manoeuvres in Jüterbog and Putlos, followed by exercises at Altengrabow. In preparation for the opening stages of World War II, the 1st Panzer Division left their training grounds in Thuringia and Hesse on 21 August 1939 and were transported by train to Silesia between Rosenberg—present day Olesno—and Oppeln, where they arrived on the night of 24/25 August 1939. Strachwitz arrived at his regiment on 26 August where he, as the oldest Reserve officer, was assigned the task of organizing the regiment's battlefield resupply.
caption: Mussolini, Hitler and Friedrich Hoßbach at the Wehrmacht manoeuvre, September 1937
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