Erich Dethleffsen Erich Dethleffsen ( 2 August 1904 – 4 July 1980 ) was a German general from Kiel . He was married to a daughter of Nikolaus von Falkenhorst , who planned the German invasion of Norway and Denmark during World War II . Dethleffsen joined the Reichswehr in 1923 , and was promoted to the German General Staff in 1937 . He fought as a Captain in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front in World War II . Dethleffsen was wounded , and awarded with the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross for his service . After his injury , he rose to the rank of Generalmajor , and served on the army General Staff in Adolf Hitler ' s headquarters . Dethleffsen was arrested on 23 May 1945 , and was held until March 1948 in an American Prisoner of War Camp . He was originally held in Luxembourg with Hermann Göring , Joachim von Ribbentrop , and others . 1904 Aug 2 : born in Kiel . 1923 Nov 1 : entered army . 1925 Nov 1 : als Freiwilliger in das Infanterie - Regt 8 1927 Dec 1 : Leutnant ( 2nd Lt . ) , Infantry - Regt 1 1931 Jan 1 : Oberleutnant ( 1st Lt . ) 1931 Oct 1 : Adjutant , des I . Bataillons , Inf - Regt 1 1934 Oct 1 : Adjutant , II Bataillons , Inf - Regt Konigsberg 1935 May 1 : Hauptmann ( Captain ) . 1935 Oct 1 : kommandiert zur Kriegsakademie . 1937 Aug 1 ; transferred to : zum Stab der Kommandantur Glogau versetzt . 1939 Apr 1 : transferred to : unter Belassung in dieser Stellung in den Generalstab des Heeres . 1939 Aug 24 : transferred to : Generalstab des Hoheren Kommandos z . b . V . XXXV . 1939 Dec 19 : Gruppenlieter in der Herres - Ausbildungs - Abteilung des Genealstabs des Heeres . 1940 Oct 1 : Major 1941 Feb 15 : Ops general - staff officer ( Ia ) des LVI Armeekorps ( motorized ) . 1942 Jan 10 : ( Ia ) Ops general - staff officer in 330 Infanterie - Division . 1942 Feb 5 : wounded in battle . 1942 Feb 6 : transferred to Fuhrerreserve OKH . 1942 Apr 1 : Oberstleutnant ( Lt . Col . ) 1942 May 1 : awarded German Gold Cross . 1942 Aug 30 : Taktiklehrer ( tactical instructor ) and Horsaalleiter bei den Generalstabs - Lhergangen der Kriegsakademie . 1943 Mar 1 : Oberst ( Col . ) 1943 June 10 : Chef des Generalstabs des XXXIX Panzerkorps ; awarded Ritterkreuz . 1944 May 5 : Chef des Generalstabs der 4 Armee . 1944 Nov 9 : Generalmajor ( Brigadier General ) 1945 Feb 15 : Fuhrerreserve OKH . 1945 Feb 18 : ins Reserve - Lazarett Detmold eingeliefert . 1945 March 15 : kommandiert zur Heeresgruppe Weichsel zur Einarbeitung als Divisions - Kommandeur beim Armeeoberkommano 9 1945 March 15 : mit der Fuhrung der Divisionsgruppe " Raegener " beauftraft ( Division Dethleffsen ) . 1945 March 23 : Chef der Fuhrungsgruppe im OKW / Wehrmachtfuhrungsstab . 1945 Apr 30 : Chef des Generalstabs der Heeresgruppe Weichsel . 1945 May 4 : Chef der Heeres - Fuhrungsabteilung im Wehrmachtfuhrungsstab . 1945 May 23 : became POW of British . 1948 March 31 : retired ; left POW camp . On his release , Dethleffsen became executive secretary of the Wirtschaftspolitische Gesellschaft von 1947 ( Society of 1947 for Economic Policy . ) The society was used to spread pro - Western feeling in West Germany . He spent much of his time giving speeches on various military subjects , including support for the European Defence Community . During the mid - 1950s , he was an important figure in the discussions on German rearmament ( see : Searle ' s " Wehrmacht Generals " ) . He was unhappy with Western suggestions regarding the German army , and did not believe they understood the German situation . Dethleffsen was critical of the United States , and is known to have said , " We are good enough for becoming American labor slaves . " Dethleffsen said of the German people after World War II , " The people are confronted with a political system that appears to them as an opaque , intangible , very mysteriously interlocking pluralism of bearers of political influence ; puzzled and estranged they let it operate . . . The esoteric games of the bearers of influence and power in a strange sphere , in which none of the participants can identify himself with the state or the people , does not induce the people to give up its cool and distant reserve . " Dethleffsen is known to have attended several meetings of the Bilderberg Group . He was the author of " Das Wagnis der Freiheit " ( Tactical Mobility of Carriages ) ( 1952 ) ; " Soldatische Existenz morgen " ( 1953 ) ; " Der Artillerie gewidmet " ( 1975 ) ; and " Robert Martinek : General der Artillerie , Lebensbild eines Soldaten " ( 1975 ) . Dethleffsen died in Munich on 4 July 1980 .