Kurt Zeitzler

Germany state institutions Counter-revolutionary forces 1895–1963 ○ Died of lung cancer

Chief of the German Army General Staff who planned Operation Citadel and talked Hitler into it

Born into a family of pastors in Brandenburg, he joined the army in 1914 and served almost entirely as a staff officer, known for his skill in moving large mobile formations. In September 1942 Hitler made him Chief of the Army General Staff in place of Franz Halder. In early 1943 he developed the first plans for Operation Citadel and, against the objections of other senior officers, persuaded Hitler to launch the Kursk offensive. He then lost faith in Hitler's judgement and left his post in June 1944 after a nervous breakdown. Captured by British troops at the end of the war, he was held until February 1947.