Friedrich Paulus

Friedrich Paulus was a German general during World War II. He commanded the Sixth Army, which was surrounded and destroyed during the battle of Stalingrad.

Nearing the end of the battle, Hitler promoted Paulus to Field Marshal, hoping that this would induce him to kill himself. Prior to that no German Field Marshal had ever surrendered. The next day, however, Paulus and 90,000 Germans surrendered. Only 6,000 survived to return to Germany after the war.

Following the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler, Paulus became a critic of the Nazis and collaborated with the Soviets. He was returned to East Germany in 1953, and died of a degenerative neurologic disease in 1957.