Franz Zaiser

Franz Zaiser (born January 29, 1886 in Pöllau , Styria , † January 14, 1959 in Graz ) was an Austrian officer , most recently in the character of Lieutenant General in the German Air Force before the Second World War .

Life

Promotions

• August 18, 1908 Lieutenant with patent
• May 1, 1913 First Lieutenant
• September 1, 1915 Captain
• January 1, 1921 Major
• March 1, 1923 Staff Captain
• March 27, 1928 Lieutenant Colonel
• February 25, 1931 Colonel
• December 22, 1936 Major General
• July 31, 1938 Character as Lieutenant General

Early years and World War I

Zaiser joined the Austro-Hungarian army on August 18, 1908, and was initially employed there in Infantry Regiment 27 until the end of September 1912 . Then Zaiser attended the war school in Vienna from October 1912 to July 27, 1914 . After its completion he was used from July 28, 1914 to April 21, 1915 with the staff of the 22nd Rifle Division . Following this, he served as a captain in various staffs until the end of the war. So from May 29, 1915 to September 17, 1916 with the 38th Infantry Troop Brigade , 106th Infantry Troop Division and finally with the General Staff of the VIII Corps .

Years until the annexation of Austria

After the First World War , Zaiser served from December 16, 1918 to February 4, 1919 as a watch officer at the Crown Estate Guard in the Vienna Hofburg and then until June 8, 1919 at Censorship I in Vienna. From June 9, 1919 to mid-September 1919, he was a transport escort officer at the food branch in Graz . From there he switched to the Eastern Border Guard in Styria on October 14, 1919, where he remained until the end of November 1920. Subsequently, he served with the staff of Brigade Command 5 until the end of October 1929, after which he was deployed for twelve months in Alpenjäger Regiment 10 . On November 1, 1931, Zaiser came to Brigade Artillery Department 5 , but only switched back to the staff of Brigade Command 5 a little later on March 1, 1931 . Here he became Chief of Staff on September 1, 1931. Zaiser held this position until June 1, 1933, after which he was assigned as an officer in his brigade until the end of 1934 .

On January 1, 1935, he moved to the Federal Ministry for National Defense , where he was employed in Department 1 / A until the end of February 1936. He then joined the 5th Division on March 1, 1936 as an infantry brigadier . There he joined the Luftwaffe on March 12, 1938, after the annexation of Austria . From April 1, 1938 to the end of July 1938, he was an officer there. b. V. of the Reich Aviation Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force , but was no longer in command. On July 31, 1938, he was dismissed from the Luftwaffe (removed) while simultaneously conferring the character of Lieutenant General.

Military awards (as of 1933)

• Iron Cross 2nd class
• Military anniversary cross
• Wounded medal
• Bronze Military Merit Medal on the ribbon of the Military Merit Cross with Swords
• Silver Military Merit Medal on the ribbon of the Military Merit Cross with Swords
• Military Merit Cross III. Class with the war decorations and swords
• Gold medal for services to the Republic of Austria

literature

• Karl Friedrich Hildebrandt: The Generals of the Air Force 1935-1945 , Volume 1: Abernetty - v. Gyldenfeldt, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-7648-2207-4 , p. 556 f.