The Westheer ( Western Army ) is the name given to the German Army fighting on the Western Front after 1941. The Oberbefehlshaber West was the largest command structure for the Westheer .
43-850: It was composed of Army Group H , which was based in the Netherlands under Generaloberst Kurt Student , Army Group B , covering northern France under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Army Group G , which was based in southern France under the command of Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz . Also included was the Panzer Group West , under the command of General der Panzertruppe Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg . Most of Westheer's divisions were static infantry divisions , which did not have their own organic transport to move their own artillery . They were also laden with Ost battalions , which were made up of Russian POWs who had chosen to serve in
86-686: A Low Countries derby ( Derby der Lage Landen ), is a sports event between Belgium and the Netherlands. Belgium separated in 1830 from the (northern) Netherlands. The new country took its name from Belgica , the Latinised name for the Low Countries, as it was known during the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). The Low Countries were in that war divided in two parts. On one hand, the northern Federated Netherlands or Belgica Foederata rebelled against King Philip II of Spain ; on
129-455: A conquest of the Low Countries with the shortest possible notice, to forestall the French, and prevent Allied air power from threatening the strategic Ruhr Area of Germany. It would also provide the basis for a long-term air and sea campaign against Britain. As much as possible of the border areas in northern France should be occupied. Germany's Blitzkrieg tactics rapidly overpowered
172-574: A multi-layered airborne assault against several targets in the Low Countries with the aim to quickly cross the major geographic barrier of the area, the Rhine river . Although the German counterattack against Market Garden broadly succeeded and inflicted heavy Allied casualties (especially at Arnhem ), German operational planners feared repeated Allied attempts to break through the German defenses in
215-537: Is the blind poet Bernlef , from c. 800 , who sang both Christian psalms and pagan verses. Bernlef is representative of the coexistence of Christianity and Germanic polytheism in this time period. The earliest examples of written literature include the Wachtendonck Psalms , a collection of twenty five psalms that originated in the Moselle-Frankish region around the middle of
258-473: The 172nd Reserve Division for coastal defense in Frisia . On 10 February 1945, VI Flak Corps was formed to oversee 16th Flak Division , 9th Flak Brigade and 18th Flak Brigade in the sector of Army Group H. On 1 March 1945, the army group had an overall strength of seven infantry divisions, four airborne divisions, one panzer division, one Panzergrenadier division and the 106th Panzer Brigade. With
301-618: The Austrian Netherlands . The United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) temporarily united the Low Countries again before it split into the three modern countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. During the early months of World War I (around 1914), the Central Powers invaded the Low Countries of Luxembourg and Belgium in what has been come to be known as the German invasion of Belgium . It led to
344-496: The Dutch Revolt . Each of the provinces had its own laws, customs and political practices. The new policy, imposed from the outside, angered many inhabitants, who viewed their provinces as distinct entities. It and other monarchical acts, such as the creation of bishoprics and promulgation of laws against heresy , stoked resentments, which fired the eruption of the Dutch Revolt . After the northern Seven United Provinces of
387-652: The Franco-Flemish School were highly sought by the leading classes of all Europe. In 1477 the Burgundian holdings in the area passed through an heiress— Mary of Burgundy —to the Habsburgs . Charles V, who inherited the territory in 1506, was named ruler by the States General and styled himself as Heer der Nederlanden ( lit. ' Lord of the Netherlands ' ). He continued to rule
430-489: The Free County of Burgundy , which were part of their realm but geographically disconnected from the Low Countries. Governor Mary of Hungary used both the expressions les pays de par deça and Pays d'Embas ("lands down here"), which evolved to Pays-Bas or Low Countries . Today the term is typically fitted to modern political boundaries and used in the same way as the term Benelux . The name of
473-660: The German regions of East Frisia , Guelders and Cleves . During the Middle Ages , the Low Countries were divided into numerous semi-independent principalities . Historically, the regions without access to the sea linked themselves politically and economically to those with access to form various unions of ports and hinterland , stretching inland as far as parts of the German Rhineland . Because of this, nowadays not only physically low-altitude areas, but also some hilly or elevated regions are considered part of
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#1732772918990516-524: The Kingdom of France or the Holy Roman Empire . While the further history the Low Countries can be seen as the object of a continual struggle between these two powers, the title of Duke of Lothier was coveted in the low countries for centuries. In the 14th and 15th century, separate fiefs came gradually to be ruled by a single family through royal intermarriage . This process culminated in
559-625: The Netherlands (Dutch: de Nederlanden ), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern " Benelux " countries: Belgium , Luxembourg , and the Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland , which is singular). Geographically and historically, the area can also include parts of France (such as Nord and Pas-de-Calais ) and
602-521: The Roman provinces of Gallia Belgica and Germania Inferior . They were inhabited by Belgic and Germanic tribes . In the 4th and 5th century, Frankish tribes had entered this Roman region and came to run it increasingly independently. They came to be ruled by the Merovingian dynasty , under which dynasty the southern part (below the Rhine ) was re- Christianised . By the end of the 8th century,
645-521: The Wehrmacht . The leadership was also divided how to meet the invasion. Rommel, who commanded the expected landing areas, insisted that the panzer divisions should be near the coast, where they could quickly act without much interference. Rundstedt and von Schweppenburg suggested that they should be kept inland, to outmaneuver the enemy in battle. Thus, they were unsure on what to do in D-day. Despite that,
688-535: The 1st Parachute Army and the 15th Army. On 1 December 1944, Army Group H counted 484,656 soldiers. In the broader German strategy of the Western Front , Army Group H was subordinate to Supreme Command West (also known, from its previous designation, as "Army Group D"), along with Army Group B and Army Group G . Army Group H stood opposite the northern flank of the Western Allied forces, which
731-419: The German occupation of the two countries. However, the German advance into France was quickly halted, causing a military stalemate for most of the war. In the end, a total of approximately 56,000 people were killed in the invasion. During World War II , when Adolf Hitler 's gaze turned his strategy west toward France, the Low Countries were an easy route around the imposing French Maginot Line . He ordered
774-647: The Low Countries formed a core part of a much expanded Francia and the Merovingians were replaced by the Carolingian dynasty . In 800, the Pope crowned and appointed Charlemagne Emperor of the re-established Roman Empire . After the death of Charlemagne , Francia was divided in three parts among his three grandsons. The middle slice, Middle Francia , was ruled by Lothair I , and thereby also came to be referred to as "Lotharingia" or "Lorraine". Apart from
817-601: The Low Countries, including Luxembourg and the south of Belgium. Within the European Union , the region's political grouping is still referred to as the Benelux (short for Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg). During the Roman Empire , the region contained a militarised frontier and contact point between Rome and Germanic tribes . The Low Countries were the scene of the early independent trading centres that marked
860-638: The Netherlands. However, in official use, the name of the Dutch kingdom is still Kingdom of the Netherlands , Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (plural). This name derives from the 19th-century origins of the kingdom which originally included present-day Belgium. In Dutch, and to a lesser extent in English, the Low Countries colloquially means the Netherlands and Belgium, sometimes the Netherlands and Flanders —the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium. For example,
903-679: The Westheer disintegrated after the American breakthrough in the Battle of Remagen . Most units of the Westheer surrendered in the last weeks of World War II , especially at the Ruhr Pocket . This German military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Army Group H Army Group H ( German : Heeresgruppe H ) was a German army group during World War II, active between November 1944 and May 1945. It
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#1732772918990946-521: The Westheer had 10 Heer and Waffen SS panzer and panzergrenadier divisions , besides some veteran infantry divisions of the Eastern Front which were currently refitting in France at D-day. At D-day, the Westheer had around 58 divisions organized into four armies. It was commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt at the time of Operation Overlord . Hitler's refusal to release
989-522: The Westheer's order of battle was decimated by the destruction of the Falaise pocket , which consisted primarily of Army Group B. Although the Westheer regrouped after Falaise to fight in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and Battle of the Bulge , it never exhibited the strength that they had in the summer of 1944. Most of its divisions at that time were understrength in personnel and equipment. The remnants of
1032-510: The advancing Western Allies, but the I SS Panzer Corps was rerouted on short notice to join the Austrian front , where the Red Army was making rapid gains. Johannes Blaskowitz replaced Student as commander of Army Group H on 30 January 1945. Between January and March 1945, the army group contained the 1st Parachute and the 25th Army. On 1 February 1945, the army group was supplied with
1075-571: The armored reserve until 1430 hours on D-day prevented the Germans from eliminating the allied beachheads while they were lightly held. Thus, the Westheer was embroiled in a battle of attrition which it could not win. Particularly difficult was the surrounding bocage of the Norman countryside, which seriously hampered armored operations and the allied bombing, which prevented the Germans from receiving reinforcements in strength. After Operation Cobra ,
1118-721: The command staff of Army Group H was also designated "Supreme Commander North West". Army Group H was mainly to hold the German defenses along the Rhine river, though it also had to shield several key targets on the west bank of the river, such as the Düsseldorf – Duisburg bridgehead (which stretched from Dinslaken via Krefeld to Düsseldorf), with which the Germans intended to shield the vital Rhine-Ruhr industrial region . Secondary defensive lines inside this bridgehead were installed at Duisburg-Homburg , Krefeld-Uerdingen , and Düsseldorf. As of December 1944, Army Group H contained
1161-413: The country of the Netherlands has the same etymology and origin as the name for the region Low Countries, due to "nether" meaning "low". In the Dutch language itself De Lage Landen is the modern term for Low Countries, and De Nederlanden (plural) is in use for the 16th century domains of Charles V , the historic Low Countries, while Nederland (singular) is the normal Dutch name for the country of
1204-618: The deep advances by the Western Allies into the German heartland between March and April (such as the capture of Eisenach and Würzburg on 7 April), western Germany was effectively split into several areas of defense, of which the remaining forces of Army Group H in the "Fortress Holland", especially 25th Army, were the strongest. Ernst Busch replaced Blaskowitz as commander of Army Group H on 15 April 1945. Low Countries The Low Countries ( Dutch : de Lage Landen ; French : les Pays-Bas ), historically also known as
1247-658: The defences of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. All three countries were occupied from May 1940 until early 1945. During the occupation, their governments were forced into exile in Britain. In 1944, they signed the London Customs Convention , laying the foundation for the eventual Benelux Economic Union , an important forerunner of the EEC (later the EU ). One of the Low Countries' earliest literary figures
1290-575: The encouragement of the free flow of goods and craftsmen. Dutch and French dialects were the main languages used in secular city life. Historically, the term Low Countries arose at the Court of the Dukes of Burgundy , who used the term les pays de par deçà ("the lands over here") for the Low Countries as opposed to les pays de par delà ("the lands over there") for the Duchy of Burgundy and
1333-537: The heirs. By streamlining the succession law in all Seventeen Provinces and declaring that all of them would be inherited by one heir, Charles effectively united the Netherlands as one entity. After Charles' abdication in 1555, the Seventeen Provinces passed to his son, Philip II of Spain . The Pragmatic Sanction is said to be one example of the Habsburg contest with particularism that contributed to
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1376-584: The northern sector of the Western Front. Army Group H was formed on 11 November 1944 in the German-occupied Netherlands , using personnel from the former Army Detachment Kleffel as well as parts of the former Army Detachment Serbia . Kurt Student was assigned for command of the army group, then being prepared for formation, on 27 October 1944. The staff for the army group was assembled on 10 November. After 7 April 1945,
1419-490: The offensive with a southwards thrust once the operational breakthrough to Antwerp had been secured. As this breakthrough did not materialize, Army Group H did not join the Ardennes Offensive with its own forces. Initially, Army Group H had been intended to receive the I SS Panzer Corps (with 1st SS Panzer Division and 12th SS Panzer Division ) in late January 1945 to possibly commence counterattacks against
1462-506: The original coastal County of Flanders , which was within West Francia , the rest of the Low Countries were within the lowland part of this, " Lower Lorraine ". After the death of Lothair, the Low Countries were coveted by the rulers of both West Francia and East Francia . Each tried to swallow the region and to merge it with their spheres of influence. Thus, the Low Countries consisted of fiefs whose sovereignty resided with either
1505-541: The other, the southern Royal Netherlands or Belgica Regia remained loyal to the Spanish king. This divide laid the early foundation for the later modern states of Belgium and the Netherlands. The region politically had its origins in the Carolingian empire ; more precisely, most of the people were within the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia . After the disintegration of Lower Lotharingia, the Low Countries were brought under
1548-484: The political secession of the autonomous Dutch Republic (or "United Provinces") in the north, the term "Low Countries" continued to be used to refer collectively to the region. The region was temporarily united politically between 1815 and 1839, as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , before this split into the three modern countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The Low Countries were part of
1591-427: The reawakening of Europe in the 12th century. In that period, they rivalled northern Italy as one of the most densely populated regions of Western Europe. Guilds and councils governed most of the cities along with a figurehead ruler; interaction with their ruler was regulated by a strict set of rules describing what the latter could and could not expect. All of the regions mainly depended on trade, manufacturing and
1634-525: The rule of the House of Valois , who were the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy . At the height of Burgundian influence, the Low Countries became the political, cultural, and economic centre of Northern Europe , noted for its crafts and luxury goods, notably early Netherlandish painting , which is the work of artists who were active in the flourishing cities of Bruges , Ghent , Mechelen , Leuven , Tournai and Brussels , all in present-day Belgium. Musicians of
1677-773: The rule of various lordships until they came to be in the hands of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy . Hence, a large part of the Low Countries came to be referred to as the Burgundian Netherlands . After the reign of the Valois Dukes ended, much of the Low Countries were controlled by the House of Habsburg . This area was referred to as the Habsburg Netherlands , which was also called the Seventeen Provinces up to 1581. Even after
1720-854: The seventeen declared their independence from Habsburg Spain in 1581, the ten provinces of the Southern Netherlands remained occupied by the Army of Flanders under Spanish service and are therefore sometimes called the Spanish Netherlands . In 1713, under the Treaty of Utrecht following the War of the Spanish Succession , what was left of the Spanish Netherlands was ceded to Austria and thus became known as
1763-488: The territories as a multitude of duchies and principalities until the Low Countries were eventually united into one indivisible territory, the Seventeen Provinces , covered by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 , while retaining existing customs, laws, and forms of government within the provinces. The Pragmatic Sanction transformed the agglomeration of lands into a unified entity, of which the Habsburgs would be
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1806-404: Was deployed mainly in the German-occupied Netherlands . The staff was known as Supreme Commander North West (German: Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest ) from 7 April. The army group surrendered at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May 1945. H was the highest letter given to a German army group during World War II. In mid-to-late 1944, the Western Allies had undertaken the ambitious Operation Market Garden ,
1849-536: Was mainly covered by the Allied 21st Army Group (with the 1st Canadian Army and 2nd British Army ). Planning for the German Ardennes Offensive (" Battle of the Bulge ", December 1944 – January 1945) initially gave Army Group H an active role, but the 15th Army was then repurposed to merely serve to cover the flank of the advancing 6th SS Panzer Army . Army Group H was then intended to join
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