Alexander von Falkenhausen

Alexander von Falkenhausen was born in Germany on 29th October 1878. He joined the German Army and served as a military attaché in Japan. During the First World War he served with the Turkish Army in Palestine where he won the Pour le Mérite.

He remained in the army and in 1927 he became the head of the Dresden Infantry School. After retiring in 1930 Falkenhausen went to China where he was a military adviser to Chaing Kai-Shek.

Falkenhausen was recalled to the German Army in May 1938 and after serving as general of infantry during the Western Offensive he was appointed as military governor of Belgium (1940-44). In this post he authorized deportations and the execution of hostages.

A close friend of anti-Hitler conspirators, Carl Goerdeler and Erwin von Witzleben, Falkenhausen was arrested after the July Plot. However, unlike his two friends he was not brought to trial and was still alive at the end of the Second World War.

Falkenhausen was sent back to Belgium and in March 1951 he was sentenced to 12 years for deporting Jews and executing hostages. However, after serving three weeks he was released. Alexander von Falkenhausen died on 31st July 1966.