Career
Hermann Foertsch surrendered to American forces under the command of General Jacob Devers, commanding general of the United States. Sixth Army Group, in 1945 and was later tried at the Hostages Trial in 1947. The trial resulted in Foertsch"s acquittal. As a chief of staff for several generals commanding Wehrmacht forces in Greece and Yugoslavia, Foertsch passed on orders to subordinate units to take hostages or conduct reprisals.
These orders were deemed criminal in by the Tribunal, but staff officers were not considered culpable unless they drafted such criminal orders or made a special effort to distribute them to the troops that carried them out.
Citing a lack of evidence of a commission of an unlawful act, the Tribunal acquitted Foertsch of war crimes. After his acquittal, Foertsch collaborated with Hans Speidel in the development of concepts for Germany"s rearmament many years before the official foundation of the Bundeswehr, the German army, in 1955.
The conference resulted in the Himmerod memorandum that contributed to the myth of the "clean Wehrmacht". Interdoc Foertsch was involved in the establishment of the European anti-communist organisation Interdoc.
Wehrmachtbericht reference Bibliography.