Friedrich Paulus

Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1945. He attained the rank of Field Marshal during World War II, and is best known for commanding the Sixth Army in the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943), including the successful advance toward Stalingrad and the less successful attack in 1942 (part of Case Blue, June to November 1942) stopped by the Soviet counter-offensives during the 1942–1943 winter. The battle ended in disaster for Nazi Germany when Soviet forces encircled and defeated about 265,000 personnel of the Wehrmacht, their Axis allies, and the anti-Soviet volunteers. Of the 107,000 Axis servicemen captured, only 6,000 survived captivity and returned home by 1955.

Soviet troops took Paulus by surprise and captured him in Stalingrad on 31 January 1943, the same day on which he was informed of his promotion to Field Marshal by Adolf Hitler.

Hitler expected Paulus to commit suicide, citing the fact that there was no record of a German field marshal ever being captured alive. Paulus' Catholic faith forbid him to do this. While in Soviet captivity during the war, Paulus became a vocal critic of the Nazi regime and joined the Soviet-sponsored National Committee for a Free Germany. He moved to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1953.

Friedrich Paulus in After the Downfall
Friedrich Paulus was regarded as a traitor by all the Wehrmacht, except perhaps a few who took his advice and deserted. Hasso Pemsel was no exception in thinking this. However, after his capture by the Bucovinans, Hasso began to realise that he was in Paulus' shoes.