Wilhelm Bittrich

Wilhelm Bittrich
Bittrich as a Gruppenführer in 1943
Born	(1894-02-26)26 February 1894 Wernigerode, German Empire
Died	19 April 1979(1979-04-19) (aged 85) Wolfratshausen, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany  Schutzstaffel
Service/branch	Prussian Army Luftstreitkräfte Reichsheer Waffen-SS
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	SS-Obergruppenführer
Service number	NSDAP #829,700 SS #39,177
Commands held	SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
Battles/wars	See battles World War I Western Front Italian Front World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Eastern Front Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Clasp to the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Bittrich (26 February 1894 – 19 April 1979) was a high-ranking Waffen-SS commander of Nazi Germany. Between August 1942 and February 1943, Bittrich commanded the SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer, in rear security operations (Bandenbekämpfung, literally: "gang fighting") in the Soviet Union. From July 1944 until the end of the war Bittrich commanded the 2nd SS Panzer Corps in Normandy, during Market Garden and in Hungary.

After his arrest in May 1945, Bittrich was extradited to France to stand trial for allegedly ordering the executions of 17 members of the French Resistance. After being convicted of less serious charges in relation to the executions, Bittrich was sentenced to five years in prison. Following his release, he became active in HIAG, a revisionist organization and a lobby group of former Waffen-SS members and served as chairman during the 1970s.