34-901: For other uses, see Lothar (disambiguation) . Lothar or Lothair is a Danish , Finnish , German , Norwegian , and Swedish masculine given name , while Lotár is a Hungarian masculine given name. Both names are modern forms of the Germanic Chlothar (which is a blended form of Hlūdaz , meaning "fame", and Harjaz , meaning "army"). Notable people with this name include: Surname [ edit ] Ernst Lothar (1890–1974), Moravian-Austrian writer Hanns Lothar or Hanns Lothar Neutze (1929–1967), German actor Mark Lothar (1902–1985), German composer Rudolf Lothar (1865–1943), Hungarian-born Austrian writer Susanne Lothar (1960–2012), German actress Given name [ edit ] Lothar Ahrendt (born 1936), former interior minister of
68-596: A German military commander who instigated the Herero massacre Lothar Ulsaß (1940–1999), German football player Lothar Wolleh (1930–1979), German photographer Fictional characters [ edit ] Lothar (Legends of Chima) , a character in Legends of Chima Lothar – comic character, sidekick to Mandrake the Magician created by Lee Falk Lothar – a gatekeeper in the 2016 Indian film Mohenjo Daro Lothar –
102-699: A Nazi spy for Germany, sidekick to Nazi spy Neville Sinclair in the Rocketeer Lothar - character in E. T. A. Hoffmann's The Sandman Lothar Weiser – a spy for Socialist East Germany in Arnaldur Indriðason 's book, The Draining Lake Anduin Lothar – a historical warrior in the Warcraft Universe Lothar – a robot in The Metabarons Lothar – a powerful Planewalker wizard in
136-580: A Soviet attack on Germans near Saldus. The Soviet 2nd Baltic (northern sector) and 1st Baltic Fronts (southern sector) commenced a blockade, precipitating the German defence of the Courland perimeter during Soviet attempts to reduce it. In this battle, serving with the 2nd Baltic Front's 22nd Army , the Latvian 130th Rifle Corps faced their opposites in the Latvian 19th SS Division . The battle ended on 31 December and
170-739: A result the reported casualties were low. Stalin had initially been intent on destroying the German forces in Courland, reporting in September 1944 that he was "mopping up" in the Baltics, and in November, that the Germans were "now being hammered to a finish." As late as March 1945, Stalin was still making claims that German forces in Courland would soon be defeated. This victory was necessary, in Stalin's eyes, to re-establish Soviet control over its 1941 frontiers following
204-484: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Lothar (disambiguation) Lothar is a family name and a given name. Lothar may also refer to: Courland Pocket Soviet victory [REDACTED] Soviet Union [REDACTED] Free Germany 1942 1943 1944 The Courland Pocket was an area of the Courland Peninsula where Army Group North of Nazi Germany and
238-1615: The German Democratic Republic Lothar Albrich (1905–1978), Romanian hurdler Lothar Baumgarten (1944–2018), German artist Lothar Berg (1930–2015), German mathematician Lothar Bolz (1903–1986), East German politician Lothar-Günther Buchheim (1918–2007), German author Lothar Collatz (1910–1990), German mathematician Lothar Dräger (1927–2016), German comic writer Lothar Emmerich (1941–2003), German football player and manager Lothar von Faber (1817–1896), German industrialist Lothar Forcart (1902–1990), Swiss zoologist Lothar Geisler (1936–2019), German football player Lothar Hause (born 1955), East German football player Lothar Kreyssig , German bureaucrat and opposer of Aktion T4 Lothar Kurbjuweit (born 1950), East German football player Lothar Lindtner (1917–2005), Norwegian actor Lothar Machtan (born 1949), German historian, writer Lothar Malskat (1913–1988), German painter and art restorer Lothar Matthäus (born 1961), German football player and manager, 1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthes (born 1947), German diver Lothar de Maizière (born 1940), last Prime Minister of East Germany (1990) Lothar Meggendorfer (1847–7 July 1925), German illustrator Lothar Meyer (1830–1895), German chemist Lothar Mendes (1894–1974), German screenwriter and film director Lothar Metz (1939–2021), German wrestler and Olympic medalist Lothar Milde (born 1934), East German athlete who competed mainly in
272-756: The Reichskommissariat Ostland were cut off and surrounded by the Red Army for almost a year, lasting from July 1944 until 10 May 1945. The pocket was created during the Red Army's Baltic Offensive , when forces of the 1st Baltic Front reached the Baltic Sea near Memel (Klaipėda) during its lesser Memel Offensive Operation phases in October 1944. This action isolated the German Army Group North from
306-582: The Riga Offensive Operation on the 15th at 10:00 after conducting a heavy artillery barrage. Hitler permitted the Army Group Commander, Ferdinand Schörner , to commence withdrawal from Riga on 11 October, and the city was taken by the 3rd Baltic Front on 13 October. The front stabilised with the main remnant of Army Group North isolated in the peninsula. From 27 October to 25 November – Soviets launched an offensive trying to break through
340-874: The Valdai Hills camps. According to Robert Forczyk, the Battle of Courland was very costly for the Soviets, who lost over 1,000 tanks there. Army Group North (to 25 January 1945) Army Group Courland (25 January 1945 to 8 May 1945) Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff – from 10 March 1945 Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic – from 25 March 1945 Generaloberst Carl Hilpert General der Infanterie Carl Hilpert – from 10 March 1945 General der Infanterie Ernst-Anton von Krosigk (KIA) – from 16 March General der Gebirgstruppen Friedrich-Jobst Volckamer von Kirchensittenbach General der Infanterie Ehrenfried Boege Security Divisions Luftwaffe Marine The First Courland Battle
374-660: The Army Group's last commander – to surrender. Hilpert, his personal staff, and staffs of three Armies surrendered to Marshal Leonid Govorov , the commander of the Leningrad Front. At this time, the group still consisted of the remnants of 27 divisions and one brigade. On 8 May, General Otto Friedrich Rauser succeeded in obtaining better surrender terms from the Soviet command. On 9 May, the Soviet commission in Peilei started to interrogate
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#1732854955936408-720: The Baltic coast. Hitler still believed the war could be won, and hoped that Dönitz's new Type XXI U-boat technology could bring victory to Germany in the Battle of the Atlantic , forcing the Allies out of Western Europe. This would allow German forces to focus on the Eastern Front, using the Courland Pocket as a springboard for a new offensive. Hitler's refusal to evacuate the Army Group resulted in
442-598: The German and Latvian forces entrenched in the Courland Pocket between 15 October 1944 and 4 April 1945. The German two-phase withdrawals during the execution of the second stage of the Soviet Baltic Offensive (14 September – 24 November 1944), subsequent to the pocket being formed in the Baltic Offensive's first stage, the Memel Offensive Operation . From 15 to 22 October 1944 – Soviets launched
476-413: The Germans towards Džūkste [ lv ] . Other attacks took place south of Liepāja where the Soviets massed 21 divisions, and south of Tukums where 11 divisions tried to break through the German front and take the town. On 16 February the Soviets started an offensive against the 19th Division. On 8 May, Germany's Head of State and President Karl Dönitz ordered Colonel-General Carl Hilpert –
510-787: The Planescape setting for Dungeons & Dragons , likewise appearing in the game Planescape: Torment Lothar of the Hill People - a character in an SNL skit played by Mike Myers See also [ edit ] All pages with titles beginning with Lothar All pages with titles containing Lothar Luther (disambiguation) Ludwig (disambiguation) Lotar (name) Louis References [ edit ] ^ "Lothar" . Name-doctor.com . Retrieved February 6, 2020 . ^ "Lothár" . Name-doctor.com . Retrieved February 6, 2020 . [REDACTED] Name list This page or section lists people that share
544-509: The Russian historian Aleksei Isaev , Courland was a peripheral front for both the Soviets and Germans. The Soviet goal was to prevent the German troops there from being transported by sea to reinforce the defense of Berlin. Soviet operations intended to further isolate and also destroy the enemy, but the strength of the attacking troops was too low to make any significant progress in the difficult terrain. The Soviet commanders worked competently and as
578-557: The Soviet command on 8 May, they were in "blackout" and did not get the official order before 10 May, two days after the capitulation of Germany. It was one of the last German groups to surrender in Europe. Courland , with the rest of independent Latvia, had been occupied by the Soviets in June 1940 . The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , along with the rest of the Baltic eastern coast and islands,
612-399: The Soviets. However, in the absence of heavy weaponry and a near total lack of air support, total German casualties in Courland were heavy as well, and estimated to be over 150,000. The withdrawal of Soviet units starting from December 1944 indicates that the Soviet command did not consider Courland to be as important as other sectors of the Eastern Front. Destroying the German forces there
646-481: The annexation of the Baltic states. The Soviets launched six offensives to defeat Army Group Courland. Throughout the campaign against the Courland pocket, Soviet forces did not advance more than 25 miles anywhere along the front, ending no more than a few kilometers forward of their original positions after seven months of conflict. The Soviet operations were hampered by the difficult terrain and bad weather. The German army group reported inflicting heavy losses on
680-417: The battered 227th , 218th and 389th Infantry Divisions and 15th Latvian SS-Division were evacuated over the sea. On 23 January Soviet forces launched an offensive trying to break through the front toward Liepāja and Saldus. They managed to take the bridgeheads on Bārta and Vārtāja rivers but were once again driven off by the Germans. The fifth battle started on 12 February with a Soviet attack against
714-407: The captive staff of Army Group Courland, and general collection of prisoners began. By 12 May, approximately 135,000 German troops surrendered in the Courland Pocket. On 23 May, the Soviet collection of the German troops in the Courland Pocket was completed. A total of about 180,000 German troops were taken into captivity from the Baltic area. The bulk of the prisoners of war were initially held at
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#1732854955936748-474: The clearing of the Baltic coast, despite German attempts to restore the front in Operation Doppelkopf . The Red Army fought the Memel Offensive Operation with the goal of isolating Army Group North by capturing the city of Memel ( Klaipėda ). On 9 October 1944, the Soviet forces reached the Baltic Sea near Memel after overrunning the headquarters of the 3rd Panzer Army . As a result, Army Group North
782-781: The discus throw Lothar Müthel (1896–1964), German stage and film actor and director Lothar Osterburg (born 1961), German artist Lothar Rendulic (1887–1971), Austrian Nazi General in the Wehrmacht , one of the principal commanders of Courland Pocket , Lapland War , Continuation War , Operation Kutuzov and Prague Offensive Lothar von Richthofen (1894–1922), fighter ace and younger brother of top-scoring ace Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) Lothar Sippel (born 1965), German football player Lothar Späth (1937–2016), German politician Lothar Spranger , East German footballer Lothar von Trotha (1848–1920),
816-545: The entrenchment of more than 200,000 German troops largely of the 16th Army and 18th Army , in what was to become known to the Germans as the "Courland Bridgehead". Thirty-three divisions of the Army Group North, commanded by Field-Marshall Ferdinand Schörner , were cut off from East Prussia and spread out along a front reaching from Riga to Liepāja , retreating to the more defensible Courland position, abandoning Riga. Soviet forces launched six major offensives against
850-453: The front toward Skrunda and Saldus including at one point initiating a simultaneous attack by 52 divisions. Soviet forces also attacked southeast of Liepāja in an attempt to capture that port. 80 divisions assaulted the Germans from 1 to 15 November in a front 12 km wide. The Soviet breakthrough stalled after roughly 4 kilometers. The third phase of the fighting (also known as "the other Christmas Battle") started on 21 December with
884-413: The front was stabilized. On 15 January 1945, Army Group North was renamed Army Group Courland under Colonel-General Lothar Rendulic . In the middle of January, Guderian got Hitler's permission to withdraw 7 divisions from Courland, however, Hitler refused to consider a total withdrawal. The 4th Panzer Division , 31st , 32nd , 93rd Infantry Divisions , 11th SS Division Nordland and the remnants of
918-719: The rest of the German forces, having been pushed from the south by the Red Army, standing in a front between Tukums and Libau in Latvia , with the Baltic Sea in the West, the Irbe Strait in the North and the Gulf of Riga in the East behind the Germans. Renamed Army Group Courland on 25 January, the Army Group in the Courland Pocket remained isolated until the end of the war. When they were ordered to surrender to
952-627: The same given name or the same family name . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lothar&oldid=1227960694 " Categories : Given names Surnames Masculine given names Danish masculine given names Finnish masculine given names German masculine given names Norwegian masculine given names Swedish masculine given names Surnames from given names Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
986-586: Was cut off from East Prussia . Hitler's military advisors—notably Heinz Guderian , the Chief of the German General Staff —urged evacuation and utilisation of the troops to stabilise the front in central Europe. However, Hitler refused, and ordered the German forces in Courland and the Estonian islands Hiiumaa (Dagö) and Saaremaa (Ösel) to hold out, believing them necessary to protect German submarine bases along
1020-532: Was extremely successful, resulting in the almost complete destruction of Army Group Centre , and ended on 29 August. In its final stages (the Kaunas and Šiauliai Offensives ), Operation Bagration saw Soviet forces strike deep towards the Baltic coast, severing communications between the German Army Group North and the remnants of Army Group Centre. After Operation Bagration ended, the Soviet forces continued
1054-401: Was intended to destroy German forces. After that failure, official accounts ignore Courland, stating only that the Soviet goal was to prevent the Germans from escaping. In this account, the Soviet actions in Courland were defensive blocking operations. Hostilities consisted of containing German breakout attempts, and the Red Army made no concerted effort to capture the Courland Pocket, which
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1088-579: Was not worth the effort and the goal was now to keep them from breaking out. The next three offensives were most likely intended to prevent the evacuation of German troops by sea. By the start of April 1945, the Soviets viewed the German forces in Courland as not much more than self-supporting prisoners. On 9 May 1945, General Ivan Bagramyan accepted the surrender of German forces at Ezere Manor in southwest Latvia. According to Russian records, 146,000 German and Latvian troops were taken prisoner, including 28 generals and 5,083 officers, and taken to camps in
1122-530: Was of little strategic importance after the isolation of Army Group North, whereas the main offensive effort was required for the Vistula-Oder and Berlin Offensives . Soviet forces suffered correspondingly low casualties. The modern research of Grigoriy Krivosheev indicates a total of 160,948 Soviet casualties between 16 February and 8 May 1945": 30,501 "irrecoverable" and 130,447 "medical" losses. According to
1156-632: Was overrun by the German Army Group North during 1941. Army Group North spent most of the next two years attempting to take Leningrad , without success. In January 1944, the Soviet Army lifted the siege of Leningrad . On 22 June 1944, the Red Army launched the Belorussian Strategic Offensive, codenamed Operation Bagration . The goal of this offensive was to recapture the Byelorussian SSR from German occupation . Operation Bagration
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