Friedrich Paulus did not have time to celebrate the assignment of the field marshal title, the highest in the Third Reich. The newly-made field marshal, with the remnants of his army, ingloriously surrendered to the Soviet troops. The name of the German commander is closely connected with the development of a plan of war with the USSR and with the victory of the Soviet Army at Stalingrad.
From the biography of Friedrich Paulus
The future German military leader was born on September 23, 1890 in Breitenau (Germany). His father served as a bookkeeper in Kassel prison. After completing schooling, Friedrich intended to become a cadet of the Kaiser fleet. However, he entered the University of Marburg, where he studied law. But Paulus did not complete his training here: he became a cadet in the infantry regiment. In the summer of 1911, Frederick received the rank of lieutenant.
In July 1912, Paulus started a family. His wife was Elena-Constance Rosetti-Solescu. However, a military career was always more important for Frederick than his personal life.
Paulus military career
The imperialist war regiment, where he served Paulus, began in France. During the war, Frederick served as a staff officer in mountain infantry units in France, Macedonia and Serbia. Paulus completed World War I with the rank of captain.
Before Hitler came to power, Paulus served in various positions. In 1935, he became the head of a motorized regiment, and a year later he was appointed chief of staff in a group of tank troops.
In 1938, Colonel Friedrich Paulus was promoted to chief of staff of the motorized corps commanded by General Guderian. A year later, Paulus received the rank of major general and headed the headquarters of the 10th Army.
With the outbreak of World War II, the army, where Paulus was the chief of staff, was stationed in Poland, and then in Belgium and the Netherlands. The numbering of the military unit has changed: the 10th army became the 6th.
In 1940-1941, Paulus was directly involved in the development of a plan of attack on the Soviet Union. At this time, Paulus was already deputy chief of staff of the Nazi army.
