World War II came as a result of deviations from previously agreed World War I resolutions that were not welcomed by Germany, which was directly affected by the supernations’ heavy sanctions. The main actors in the war were Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union and China. The strong nations formed alliances with less strong nations with certain concessions from both parties. World War II became the bloodiest when more than 50 million lives were lost, and some of those deaths could be traced to Adolf Hilter’s number one man – Otto Skorzeny.
The famous Adolf Hilter used the unrest and discontent that was looming to conquer territories and unleash his evil propaganda, and he had loyal and devoted men like Otto Skorzeny to thank for a job well done.
Who is Otto Skorzeny?
Otto Skorzeny was Adolf Hilter’s top killer secrets and technical missions. Well trained as a bodyguard, he acquired great guerrilla skills and operational combat skills that set him apart from the crowd. He was also the most decorated of all commands.
He was nicknamed “the most” by Europeans, a title he captured due to his numerous exploits during the war. He was born in Vienna on June 12, 1908 and was Austrian. He was commonly referred to as Otto Skorzeny, Skorzeny, or Otto.
He was fluent in three languages; German, French and English. His family had done military service for years. Perhaps this fueled his desire to join the NS-SS, despite being previously rejected when selected.
All you need to know Otto Skorzeny
1. The educational background of Otto Skorzeny
He had his university education in Vienna, where he studied engine construction at the Technical University of Vienna, was active in sports such as fencing and represented his school in the German national fraternity. He had fifteen trips, one of which left a deep scar on his left cheek. He graduated in 1931.
2. Spouse and family
Colonel Otto Skorzeny married three wives throughout his life. His first wife was called Margareta Gretl Schreiber, who married twice after the divorce from Otto Skorzeny and according to the latest report is still very much alive at the age of 97 and still lives in Vienna.
His second wife, Emmi Linhart, was the niece of Hjalmar Schacht, Hilter’s former finance minister, and she was the mother of his only child – Waltraut, now called Frau Weiss – born in February 1940. Due to the war and long separation, they divorced in 1950 divorce
He went on to marry Countess Fincke Von Finckenstein (Ilse Luthje) in 1954, although the duo met in Bavaria in 1949. He was married to her until his death. It is reported that she also kicked the bucket in 2001.
3. His early contact with the Nazis
It was widely reported that as a young man Otto Skorzeny was not content with the hardships and difficult economic environment in which they worked as Austrians and often complained to his father. Given the opportunity, he quickly joined the Austrian Nazi Party in 1931 and became very active in the movement’s ideologies and activities. Gradually grew up in the NSDAP and became a member of the NSDAP (the party of Nazism responsible for attacking opposing parties such as Romania, Jews, Red Front Fighters Leagues and protecting all NSDAP rallies).
He soon made himself relevant and took on tasks assigned to him diligently and meticulously, earning respect and recommendations from his coaches. One such task for him was to occupy the Eastern Front and all technical parts of the German armed forces during the war, in particular to seize high-priority facilities and buildings in Moscow. He was also supposed to help save then-Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas from being assassinated by lucky Austrian Nazis in 1938, to convince them that if the man lived, there would be no resistance to the coup of the day.
4. Participated during World War II as NS-SS
In the 1940s he joined the Bundeswehr as an artillery officer and was later promoted to lieutenant before being sent to a campaign in Yugoslavia. He fought with the SS Division Das Reich in 1942 to invade the Soviet Union. Otto Skorzeny was hit in the back of the head but continued to fight until he was taken off for treatment. He was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery and sent to Berlin to learn about guerrilla and operational warfare. The knowledge gained formed the basis for his next assignment and the subsequent successes in his missions.
He was made one of Adolf Hilter’s bodyguards because of his stature and had direct contact with him from time to time. In 1943 he met with Adolf Hilter, who gave him orders to rescue Benito Mussolini, who was voted out of power by the Italian Great Council of Fascism after the Allied forces invaded in July 1943. On September 13, 1943, Otto Skorzeny led paratroopers in an air force of commandos, tracking and locating where Benito Mussolini was hiding.
Upon arrival at the scene, Benito Mussolini had been freed and flown to safety. The success of this operation earned him another promotion and the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was given operational control of Hitler’s SS special forces. He later received the highest German award, the Knight’s Cross. Some of his other operations and services included the assassination of Tito Josip in Bosnia, whom he failed to execute when Tito escaped, and the kidnapping of Miklos Horthy, who was on the verge of handing Hungary over to Allied forces in 1944.
5. Recruitment by MOSSAD
Otto Skorzeny was later undrecruited by Israel for top-secret assignments, including getting the names and addresses of all the scientists working on Egypt’s military projects and the companies in Europe that source and ship components for the military projects. In 1962, German rocket scientist Heinz Krug ran to Otto for help. Instead, Otto lured him into a Munich forest and killed him, effectively preventing possible Jewish genocide or annihilation.
Named Europe’s Most Dangerous Man in 1957, he later served as a government adviser to many governments including Egypt, Spain and Argentina. He also became the personal bodyguard of Eva Perón, wife of then Argentine President Juan Perón.
Read More: World War II Facts, Propaganda, Causes, Countries, Leaders, Impact
He is said to have traded information between Egypt and Israel and helped raids in Israel. He also founded a freelance intelligence and mercenary organization working for governments from Libya to Greece in 1960.
6. Sickness and Death
Otto Skorzeny’s spine grew into a tumor in 1970, rendering him paralyzed, but after intensive care he started walking again. On July 5, 1975, cancer recurred and he died in Madrid. His body was cremated and ashes transported to Austria for burial. Two funeral ceremonies were organized for him, one in the Spanish capital and the other with his ashes buried on his family’s property in Austria. During the funeral, Nazi chants and songs were performed by his family and some SS officers, honoring him for the last time, and he was greeted in a Nazi manner. Only a few MOSSAD watched the event from afar.
Books and Drama on Otto Skorzeny
Like other World War II warlords, Otto Skorzeny has written a few books about him, including a fictional television drama that portrays his exploits, and they are; The World War Tetralogy by Harry Turtledove in 1945, The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins etc.