Kurt Zeitzler

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Kurt Zeitzler
Zeitzler in 1941
Chief of the General Staff of the German Army High Command
In office 24 September 1942 – 10 June 1944
Leader	Adolf Hitler
Preceded by	Franz Halder
Succeeded by	Adolf Heusinger
Personal details
Born	(1895-06-09)9 June 1895 Goßmar, German Empire
Died	25 September 1963(1963-09-25) (aged 68) Hohenaschau, West Germany
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Branch/service	German Army
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	Generaloberst
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Balkan Campaign Operation Uranus Battle of Stalingrad

Kurt Zeitzler (9 June 1895 – 25 September 1963) was a Chief of the Army General Staff in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Zeitzler was almost exclusively a staff officer, serving as chief of staff in a corps, army, and army group. In September 1942, he was selected by Adolf Hitler as Chief of the Army General Staff, replacing Franz Halder. In early 1943 he was one of the key figures in the decision to launch Operation Citadel, the last major German attack on the Eastern Front, which ended in defeat. Zeitzler lost faith in Hitler's judgement, and abandoned his position in July 1944 after suffering a nervous breakdown. Zeitzler was regarded as an energetic and efficient staff officer, noted for his ability in managing the movement of large mobile formations.^[1]