User:Juanpolistiakita/sandbox

Early Life:
Born on the 27th November 1896 under the name Ludwig Köhler, he was an only child to father Hans Köhler and mother Erika Schmidt. He was raised on a farm just outside of Berlin, Germany. He lived there until the age of 16, where he learnt from his father ways to survive in the German countryside. In his youth Köhler was part of several groups at his school, most of which were related to the political climate of the time. When the First World War began, Ludwig was encouraged to join the Imperial German Army by his father. When enlisting Ludwig used the name Hans Köhler, taking after his father as he was too young to legally enlist.

WWI:
Köhler joined the Imperial German Army on June 17 1914 under the advice and discretion of his close friend Corporal Hans Kranz under the name of Hans Köhler, his fathers’ name, and was sent to a military training camp close to Dresden. He was inducted into the military as a Lance Corporal (Gefreiter) and was sent to fight the French and the British Expeditionary Force in North-Eastern France in October 1914. He quickly displayed his virtue as a soldier and was promoted to a Junior NCO as a Sergeant in May 1916. In August 1916, he led his troops heroically against a British attack in what would come to be known as the Battle of the Somme, in an action for which he would be awarded the Iron Cross First Class for incredible bravery in the face of certain death in the face of a savage British attack. He would go on to be promoted to Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (Senior NCO) as a Sergeant-Major (Feldwebel) in September 1916 for distinguished service to the German Empire.

By January 1917 he was transferred to the 6th Army under commanding General Ludwig von Falkenhausen billeted outside Vimy Ridge. In April, when a Canadian force, part of the British Army, successfully attacked Vimy Ridge in the fierce Battle of Vimy Ridge, Köhler's troops were the ones who held the position until the end when he was forced to retreat by his commanding officer. During the fighting, in which the Allied forces used gas against the Germans, Köhler gave his gas mask to a wounded German soldier who would have succumbed to the gas very early on. Köhler suffered gas burns to his face and lungs from gas inhalation. For his actions in delaying the Allied offensive and his humble actions in gifting his gas mask, he was awarded the Military Merit Cross. He spent most of the rest of 1917 recovering in hospital in Germany before he was discharged and returned to his men at the front line in January 1918.

He participated in the German Spring Offensive, and led troops with distinction against the Australians at Villers-Bretonneux, but was pushed back after heavy fighting. He kept fighting as the Germans were pushed back throughout 1918, and was dismayed when Germany signed the armistice on November 11 1918.

Interwar period:
After returning to Germany in December 1918, Köhler married his fiancé Ida Weber in May 1922 in Berlin. He was 26 and she was 22. Erika, his eldest daughter, was born in 1929, and Hans Jr was born in 1932. Köhler joined the Nazi Party in June of 1933, and was sworn in as an Alter Kampfer. He was present at Hitler’s famous annual Nuremberg Rallies from 1933 onwards.

WWII:
By the start of the Second World War Köhler was already greatly known throughout Germany as a celebrated war hero. Prior to the Invasion of Poland Köhler was promoted to Oberfuhrer and was given command of military matters in his sector. When the September invasion finally came around, Köhler was ready, and helped move his troops into Poland in record time, bypassing Polish defences and helping secure the German half of the country. In 1940, Köhler was placed in command of an armoured unit that participated in the Fall of France, and he put the innovative Blitzkrieg tactics into action, destroying French defenses in lightning speed, completing what he thought an impossible task in the First World War. His armoured unit was transferred to North Africa under the command of Erwin Rommel in January 1941. On February 2 1941, his unit was all but destroyed in a suicidal last charge at the British guns. Köhler was considered lucky to escape back to German lines after the battle. He was injured in the leg, and was taken back to Germany in late February 1941. As he was recovering, he was put in charge of the Dachau concentration camp from April 1941 to January 1942 against his wishes, which were to return to his surviving men in North Africa and lead them into battle once more. He turned his anger at this on the Jewish inmates of the camp, and was known to occasionally be very brutal towards the inmates at Dachau, ordering beatings and executions from time to time, however after these events, it has been recorded that he felt extreme remorse and guilt for his actions.

Retirement:
After the war, he retired to Austria, where he reunited with his wife Ida and his children, Hans Jr and Erika Köhler, now 13 and 16 respectively. He spent most of his remaining time in Munich, frequently visiting the city with his children. 2 years after the end of the war, he returned to the bookstore he was given during the war to re-establish it. Much of his time was spent on his writing. A year and a half later, he finished a book about his experiences in both of the wars in which he fought. He left the original copy in a locked box under his desk until it was opened after his death. It is unknown if any copies of this book are surviving.

Death:
Hans was visiting Berlin in early 1960 to reminisce about the days with his dead comrades. He invited fellow survivor of World War II, Walter Jäger. The two spent Hans’ final days on a trip around the memorial sites of Berlin, visiting the graves of their friends. Coincidentally timed a day after their final stop, Hans began to fall ill. He knew death was coming. He died peacefully in a hotel in Berlin. Following his death, Jäger wrote:

''“Hans died on the 18th of the 8th. Death is a frightening concept to many, but he accepted it with open arms. His last words to me were, “Tell Ida I won’t be coming home after all. I have conquered many foes in my days, all that’s left is for me to leave you to conquer death herself. Farewell, old friend. Don’t take too long to join me, I’ll be waiting.”''

By his will, Jäger took him to be cremated the next day.

Hobbies:
Hans was known to be a hunter, and enjoyed spending days at a time in the forests of Northern Europe. The times he was unable to hunt, he spent time reading in an armchair, and was inclined to Cuban cigars from time to time. During the later years of his life, he took on cooking with ingredients sourced from his farm. Although his cooking skills were subpar, and often called garbage by friends and family, he enjoyed it nonetheless.