Walther Schellenberg

Walther Friedrich Schellenberg (16 January 1910 – 31 March 1952) was a German SS-Brigadeführer who rose through the ranks of the SS to become the head of foreign intelligence following the abolition of the Abwehr in 1944.

Career 

Schellenberg was born in Saarbrücken, Germany, but moved with his family to Luxembourg when the French occupation of theSaar Basin after the First World War triggered an economic crisis in the Weimar Republic.

Schellenberg returned to Germany to attend university, first at the University of Marburg and then, in 1929, at the University of Bonn. He initially studied medicine, but soon switched to law. After graduating he joined the SS in May 1933. He met Reinhard Heydrich and went to work in the counter-intelligence department of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). From 1939 to 1942 he wasHeinrich Himmler's personal aide and a deputy chief in the Reich Main Security Office under Heydrich who answered only to Himmler. In addition Himmler bestowed upon Schellenberg a unique position beyond that of a simple aide, making him his special-plenipotentiary (Sonderbevollmächtigter). Since Himmler held the position of general plenipotentiary to the whole Reichs administration (Generalbevollmächtigter für die Verwaltung), this gave Schellenberg enormous influence within Nazi Germany. In summer 1939 Schellenberg became one of the directors of Heydrich's foundation, the Stiftung Nordhav.

SD operations

In November 1939 Schellenberg played a major part in the Venlo Incident, which led to the capture of two British agents,Captain Sigismund Payne-Best and Major Richard Stevens. Hitler awarded Schellenberg the Iron Cross for his actions.

In 1940 he was charged with compiling the Informationsheft G.B., a blueprint for the occupation of Britain. A supplement to this work was the list of 2300 prominent Britons to be arrested immediately after the successful invasion of Britain.[3] He also arranged many other plots of subterfuge and intelligence gathering, including the bugging of a Berlin brothel.

In 1940 he was also sent to Portugal to intercept the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and try to persuade them to work for Germany. The mission was a failure; Schellenberg managed only to delay their baggage for a few hours.

In March 1942, Heinz Jost was fired from his position as RSHA Chief of Amt VI, SD-Ausland (SD foreign intelligence). In his place, Schellenberg was appointed chief of SD-Ausland by Heydrich. According to his memoirs, Schellenberg had been a friend of Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the Abwehr (military intelligence). However in 1944, most of the sections of theAbwehr were incorporated into RSHA Amt VI SD-Ausland and therefore placed under Schellenberg's command. He was infamous for his "office fortress" desk, which had two automatic guns built into it that could be fired by the touch of a button.

By the time he led the hunt for the Soviet spy ring Red Orchestra, Schellenberg had become a general (Brigadeführer) in the Allgemeine-SS (General-SS). Schellenberg had been involved in planning operations in neutral Ireland including Operation Osprey, a plan involving No.1 SS Special Service Troop.

Peace negotiations and capture 

During early 1945, Schellenberg encouraged Himmler to overthrow Hitler in order to negotiate a separate peace with the Western Allies, using as an excuse Hitler's poor health; however, Himmler never took action toward doing it. At the end of the war, Schellenberg was able to persuade Himmler to try negotiating with the Western Allies through Count Folke Bernadotteand personally went to Stockholm in April 1945 to arrange their meeting. To foster goodwill Schellenberg organised the transport of 1,700 Jews out of German controlled territory. Hitler found out and put a stop to further evacuations.

Schellenberg was in Denmark attempting to arrange his own surrender when the British took him into custody in June 1945; the American, British, and Russian intelligence services had all been searching for him as a valuable intelligence asset. Captain Horace Hahn, a member of the OSS, was one of the few Americans allowed to interrogate General Schellenberg.

Nuremberg trials 

During the postwar Nuremberg Trials, Schellenberg testified against other Nazis. In the 1949 Ministries Trial he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, during which time he wrote his memoirs, The Labyrinth. He was released in 1951 on grounds of ill-health (a worsening liver condition) and moved to Switzerland before settling in Verbania Pallanza, Italy. The following year he died of cancer in Turin.

During the German occupation of Paris, Schellenberg was believed to have been a lover of Coco Chanel, who paid for the cost of his funeral when he died penniless.

Summary of military career

Dates of rank 

• SS-Mann – 10 January 1934
• SS-Sturmmann – 17 October 1934
• SS-Rottenführer – 15 January 1935
• SS-Unterscharführer – 15 May 1935
• SS-Scharführer 9 November 1935
• SS-Oberscharführer 13 September 1936
• SS-Untersturmführer – 20 April 1937
• SS-Obersturmführer – 30 January 1938
• SS-Hauptsturmführer – 1 August 1938
• SS-Sturmbannführer – 30 January 1939
• SS-Obersturmbannführer – 1 September 1941
• SS-Standartenführer – 21 June 1942
• SS-Oberführer – 21 June 1943
• SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei – 21 June 1944

Notable decorations

• Iron Cross Second Class
• Iron Cross First Class
• War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords
• War Merit Cross First Class with Swords
• SS Honour Ring
• Honour Sword of the Reichsführer-SS

See also 

• Glossary of Nazi Germany
• List of Nazi Party leaders and officials
• List of SS personnel