Rudolf Holste

Rudolf Holste
Born	9 April 1897 Hessisch Oldendorf
Died	4 December 1970 (1970-12-05) (aged 73) Baden-Baden
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–45
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	ArtRgt 73 4.KavBrig 14. Infanterie-Division 4. Kavallerie-Division XLI Panzer Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Rudolf Holste (9 April 1897 – 4 December 1970) was a German officer during World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Early life

Holste was born in Hessisch Oldendorf, Hesse-Nassau and joined the German Army on 15 August 1914. He became a Lieutenant (Leutnant) in August 1915.

World War II

From 1 January to 15 May 1943, Holste commanded the 14th Panzergrenadier Division in the central sector on the Eastern Front. From 28 February to 29 March 1945, Holste commanded the 4th Cavalry Division. The division fought in Hungary from February to March. When the division was forced back into Austria, Holste changed commands. From 19 April to 8 May 1945, Holste commanded the XLI Panzer Corps in the area north of Berlin. On 20 April 1945 he was promoted to Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant).

Battle of Berlin

Main article: Battle of Berlin

On 22 April 1945, Holste became part of a poorly conceived and incredibly desperate plan that Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl proposed to German dictator Adolf Hitler. The plan envisaged for the few remaining German forces in central Germany to attack the Soviet forces encircling Berlin. The plan called for General Walther Wenck's Twelfth Army on the Elbe and Mulde fronts to be turned around and to attack towards the east, then linking up just south of Berlin with General Theodor Busse’s Ninth Army. Then both armies would strike in a northeastern direction towards Potsdam and Berlin. Wenck’s objective would be the autobahn at Ferch, near Potsdam.

Holste directive was to attack from the area northwest of Berlin with his XLI Panzer Corps across the Elbe between Spandau and Oranienburg. To give Holste as much punch as possible, Steiner was to turn over to Holste his mechanized divisions (the 25th Panzer-Grenadiers and the 7th Panzer). Wenck's army did make a turn around and attacked towards Berlin, but was soon halted outside of Potsdam by strong Soviet resistance. Neither Busse nor Holste made much progress towards Berlin. By the end of the day on 27 April, the Soviet forces encircling Berlin linked up and the forces inside Berlin were cut off.

Late in the evening of 29 April, Hans Krebs contacted Jodl by radio from Berlin and requested an immediate report on the whereabouts of Holste's spearhead". On 30 April, Jodl replied that Holste's Corps was on the defensive". Two days later, on 2 May, the Battle for Berlin came to an end when Helmuth Weidling unconditionally surrendered the city to the Soviets. Holste surrendered 8 May 1945. In 1947, he was released.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (24 July 1915)
  • 1st Class (16 November 1917)
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross
  • 2nd Class (19 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (14 October 1939)
• German Cross in Gold on 24 December 1941 as Oberstleutnant in Artillerie-Regiment 73
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 6 April 1942 as Oberst and commander of Artillerie-Regiment 73
  • 561st Oak Leaves on 27 August 1944 as Oberst and commander of 4. Kavallerie-Brigade
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (8 August 1944)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Rudolf Holste @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived January 29, 2011)

Military offices
Preceded by Generalleutnant Walther Krause	Commander of 14. Infanterie-Division 1 January 1943 – 15 May 1943	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Hermann Flörke
Preceded by Formed from 4. Kavallerie-Brigade	Commander of 4. Kavallerie-Division 28 February 1945– 29 March 1945	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Helmuth von Grolman
Preceded by Generalleutnant Wend von Wietersheim	Commander of XLI Panzer Corps 19 April 1945– 8 May 1945	Succeeded by None