Gerd Schmückle

Gerd Schmückle ( born December 1, 1917 in Stuttgart, † May 28, 2013 in Munich) was a German general.

Life

Schmückle was born the son of the prosecutor and writer Georg Schmückle. His older brother Hans- Ulrich was stage designer.

In 1936, he joined the Wehrmacht and served during the campaign in France in the 7th Panzer Division under Rommel. With this division he fought in the Soviet Union, where he was wounded five times. In early 1944 he was General Staff Officer, Major and artillery battalion commander.

After the capitulation of the Wehrmacht in 1945, he operated a farm in the Allgäu and worked as a journalist. In 1956 he joined the German Army and was from 1957 to 1962 Press Secretary Federal Ministry of Defence Franz Josef Strauss. He then spent four years as military adviser to the German NATO representative Wilhelm Grewe in Paris and Brussels ( 1964-1968 ). He then served two years as deputy commander of the 12th Panzer Division in Veitshoechheim and was subsequently used for another four years at NATO Headquarters Europe. From January to October 1974 Schmückle was Deputy Commanding General of I Corps in Münster.

With the promotion to lieutenant general was appointed as Director of the International Military Staff in Brussels. In 1978 he was appointed General and served from January 3, 1978 to April 1, 1980 as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe ( DSACEUR ) of NATO.

Schmückle was a member of the German section of the Club of Rome.

Works

• The Pick ret. Critical tours of the barracks. Seewald, Stuttgart, 1971 ( 2nd revised edition. Ibid. 1972, ISBN 3-512-00232-3 ).
• Without fanfare. Memories of war and peace. German publishing house, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-421-06109-2.
• The sword hanging by a thread. Crisis management in Europe. German publishing house, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-421-06185-8.