Friedrich von Paulus

Friedrich von Paulus (September 23, 1890 - February 1, 1957) was commander of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Prohibited by Hitler from retreating, Paulus ground his army to dust against the Soviet defenses, and was eventually surrounded by the Russian counteroffensive and trapped in the city with his men. Hitler promoted Paulus to the rank of field marshal in 1943; since no German field marshal in history had ever surrendered, the implication was clear: Paulus was expected to hold Stalingrad to the death. Despite this, Paulus surrendered in Ferbruary 1943 and became a vocal critic of the Nazi regime while in Soviet captivity.