Eberhardt Bohnstedt
German and Salvadoran military officer
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Eberhardt Julius Georg Waldemar Bohnstedt (22 July 1886 – 3 October 1957), also sometimes spelt Eberhard,[1] was a German general and commander of the 7th Infantry Division in 1939. He is most well known for being the director of the Military School in El Salvador from 1938 to 1939. He retired from military life in 1939. He was the older brother of Wilhelm Bohnstedt.
German Empire (1905–1918)
Weimar Republic (1918–1933)
Nazi Germany (1933–1935)
El Salvador (1938–1939)- Nazi Germany (1939)
Deutsches Heer (1905–1918)
Reichswehr (1918–1935)
Heer (1935)- Army (1938–1939)
Heer (1939)
Eberhardt Bohnstedt | |
|---|---|
Bohnstedt in Heer uniform | |
| Born | 22 July 1886 |
| Died | 3 October 1957 (aged 71) |
| Allegiance |
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| Service/branch |
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| Service years | 1905–1935, 1938–1939 |
| Rank | Generalmajor (Heer) General (Salvadoran Army) |
| Commands | 7th Infantry Division |
| Conflicts | |
Early life
World War I
Bohnstedt attended the War Academy from 1912 to 1914, and after which, he served in World War I as a Hauptmann in the General Staff of the 242nd Infantry Division.[2][3] He participated in the German spring offensive and the Hundred Days Offensive.[3]
Interwar period
Bohnstedt was allowed to continue service in the Reichswehr following the war and served in the General Staff of the 3rd Division until 1923, when he was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry Division until 1924, the 12th Infantry Regiment until 1925, and then returned to the 3rd Division until 1929.[3] In 1930, he transferred to the 6th Infantry Regiment and then to the 7th Infantry Regiment in 1932. He was promoted to Generalmajor in 1935, but retired shortly after his promotion.[2][3]
On 24 April 1938, Bohnstedt came out of retirement and was appointed to be the director of the Military School in El Salvador by President Maximiliano Hernández Martínez.[1][5][6][7][8] In El Salvador, he was promoted to the rank of General.[6][8] He helped contribute to the fascist sympathies being held by the Salvadoran Army at the time, despite him being selected for his military expertise and not his political positions.[7][9] Bohnstedt resigned his position in early September 1939 due to pressure from the United States on El Salvador to remove Germans and Italians from high ranking positions in their military.[10][11]
World War II
Personal life
Bohnstedt married a woman named Kate.[3] He had a brother, Wilhelm, who commanded the 32nd Infantry Division during World War II and who was a fellow recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[3]
Death
Military ranks
| Insignia | Rank | Service branch | Date of promotion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fahnenjunker | Imperial German Army | ?[3] | |
.gif){kind=small} | Leutnant | Imperial German Army | 18 August 1905[2][3] |
.gif){kind=small} | Oberleutnant | Imperial German Army | 18 February 1913[2][3] |
.gif){kind=small} | Hauptmann | Imperial German Army | 12 December 1914[2][3] |
 | Major | Reichswehr | 1 February 1925[2] |
 | Oberstleutnant | Reichswehr | 1 February 1930[2] |
 | Oberst | Reichswehr | 1 October 1932[2] |
 | Generalmajor | Heer | 1 July 1935[2][3] |
.svg){kind=small} | General | Salvadoran Army | 24 April 1938[6] |
Commands held
- 12th Grenadier Regiment[3]
- 242nd Infantry Division[3]
- 3rd Division[3]
- 2nd Cavalry Division[3]
- 12th Infantry Regiment[3]
- 3rd Division[3]
- 6th Infantry Regiment[3]
- 7th Infantry Regiment[3]
- Military School of El Salvador[1][5][6]
- 7th Infantry Division[2][3]
Awards and decorations
Nazi Germany
House of Hohenzollern
Knight's Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern
Knight's Cross of the Albert Order
Knight's Cross of the Military Merit Order
