Georg Zwade (5 October 1893 – 1968) was a German army officer who attained the rank of Generalmajor (major general) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He held command of several infantry divisions and corps on multiple fronts and was a recipient of the German Cross in Gold.
Early life and military entry
Born in Berlin, Zwade entered the Royal Prussian Army on 1 October 1913 as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet) with the Gardeschützen-Bataillon. He served through World I, though details of his wartime assignments during that conflict are limited in publicly available sources.
Interwar period
Following the end of World I, Zwade remained in the Reichswehr, the post‑imperial German armed forces, and continued his career through the Weimar Republic era. Specific postings during the interwar years are not extensively documented in open‑source references.
World War II service
During the Second World War Zwade commanded a succession of infantry formations:
- 208th Infantry Division
- 330th Infantry Division
- 321st Infantry Division
- 367th Infantry Division
- LXXII Army Corps
- 155th Infantry Division
His operational experience spanned several major theatres:
- Balkans campaign – Participated in the German invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece.
- Eastern Front – Engaged in combat against the Soviet Union following Operation Barbarossa.
- Romania – Served during the later stages of the Eastern Front as German forces fought to maintain the Romanian oil fields.
- Italian campaign – Commanded forces in northern Italy, ultimately surrendering to Allied troops at Belluno in 1945.
Zwade’s service concluded with the German capitulation; he was taken into Allied custody at the end of the war.
Awards and decorations
- German Cross in Gold – Awarded for repeated acts of bravery or leadership in combat.
Later life and death
After the war, Zwade lived in Westphalia. He died in 1968 in Rheda, Germany, at the age of 74 or 75 (exact date within the year is not specified in the available sources).
References
- “Georg Zwade.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Zwade.
- “Georg Zwade.” Lexikon der Wehrmacht. Retrieved from https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/Z/ZwadeGeorg-R.htm.
- “Georg Zwade.” Traces of War. Retrieved from https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/21438/Zwade-Georg-Heinrich.htm.