This edition contains historical portraits of the most famous military leaders of the West who fought against Russia in the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. In general historical works, there are references to all these figures, but nothing more. Therefore, both historians and a wide range of readers will undoubtedly be interested in learning more about the life and work of Napoleon's marshals, military leaders of the Third Reich. The final part presents the generals of the Great French Revolution, who fought for new ideals and brought liberation from feudal oppression to the peoples.

First of all, each character is shown as a military leader with all his advantages and disadvantages, his role and place in history are defined, and the qualities of the commander as a person are revealed.

Liszt Wilhelm

Liszt Wilhelm

German military leader List (List) Wilhelm (05/14/1880, Oberkirchberg, Württemberg, - 08/10/1971, Garmisch-Patenkirchen), Field Marshal General (1940). The son of a doctor.

He began his military service in 1898 as a cadet of the 1st Bavarian engineer battalion. In 1900 he graduated from a military school and was promoted to officer (junior lieutenant). He served as a battalion adjutant, chief lieutenant (1908). In 1912 he graduated from the Military Academy, after which he continued to serve in the engineering troops. In 1913 he was transferred to the Bavarian General Staff (Munich), major (1914). Member of the First World War on the Western Front. In 1914-1916 he was an officer of the General Staff at the 2nd Bavarian Army Corps.

In the summer of 1916 he was sent on a business trip to the Balkan front, where he spent several months, establishing close ties with many Bulgarian and Turkish officers. Subsequently, he was considered one of the leading military specialists of the German army in the Balkan region.

In 1917 he returned to the Western Front and was appointed an officer of the General Staff at the 8th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Division. At the beginning of 1918, he was transferred to the Bavarian War Ministry (Munich), where he was caught by the end of the First World War, and with it the collapse of the German Empire. He finished the war with the rank of major.

In 1919, he joined the Volunteer Corps of Colonel F. von Epp, who played an important role in the suppression of the revolutionary movement in Germany, served in the headquarters of the corps. After the demobilization of the Kaiser's army, he was left in the service of the Reichswehr and was assigned to the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division in Munich (1919). In 1922-1923 he was commander of a battalion of mountain shooters, then served in the headquarters of the 7th military district (Munich), lieutenant colonel (1924).

In 1926 he was appointed head of the organizational department of the Military Ministry and promoted to colonel. He held this position for 4 years, after which he was appointed head of the military (infantry) school in Dresden and promoted to major general (1930). He took severe disciplinary measures against cadets participating in the Nazi movement. In 1932 he returned to the War Ministry, taking the post of head of the combat training department, but was soon appointed commander of the 4th Infantry Division and promoted to lieutenant general (1932).

The Nazis came to power in Germany with cold wariness, as did the vast majority of senior officers of the Reichswehr. In 1935, his division was deployed to the 4th Army Corps, and List himself became its commander and was promoted to infantry general. In the same year he was appointed commander of the 4th military district (Dresden). During this period, List was among the top ten senior commanders of the German army, ranking 8th among them in terms of seniority.

During the well-known crisis in the military leadership of the Wehrmacht (the Blomberg-Fritsch case), List unconditionally took the side of Hitler, which earned him his favor and happily avoided the "general's purge". In February 1938, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Army Group (Kassel) instead of the retired General W. von Leeb.

After the Anschluss of Austria, he was appointed commander of the 5th Army Group deployed there (headquarters, Vienna), replacing General F. von Bock in this post (April 1938). This arrogant Prussian, during his short stay in Austria, managed to cause such irritation among the new subjects of the Reich that they demanded from their countryman Hitler his immediate recall. Therefore, the Fuhrer replaced Bock with the more diplomatic Bavarian List. List reorganized the Austrian army and united it with the German Wehrmacht, formed 2 new army corps in Austria (17th and 18th). He commanded the troops of the newly formed 14th Army during the occupation of the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. In April 1939 he received the rank of Colonel General.

By the outbreak of World War II, List already had a solid reputation as a Nazi sympathizer. During the Polish campaign of 1939 he successfully commanded the 14th Army operating in southern Poland; his troops took Krakow and Lvov. For military merit in this campaign, he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Since October 1939, commander of the 12th Army on the Western Front. During the French campaign of 1940, he again distinguished himself and was promoted to field marshal general (July 19, 1940).

At the beginning of 1941 List's army was transferred to the Balkans. During this period, List showed outstanding diplomatic skills. In February 1941, he skillfully negotiated and concluded a military treaty with Bulgaria, according to which the troops of his 12th army were stationed on the territory of this country.

Commanding the army during the Balkan campaign of 1941, List again proved himself to be an outstanding military leader. Under his command, the troops of the 12th Army defeated the Greek army, as well as the English expeditionary force that came to its aid, and occupied Greece (surrendered on April 23, 1941). At the same time, in cooperation with the 2nd Army of General M. von Weichs, they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Yugoslav army and occupied Yugoslavia (capitulated on April 17, 1941). The losses of the 12th Army during the Balkan campaign, which ended with a brilliant victory for the Wehrmacht, amounted to only 5 thousand people, while the enemy lost more than 370 thousand people only as prisoners.

On June 10, 1941, Hitler appointed List as commander-in-chief of the Nazi troops in the Balkans (headquarters, Thessaloniki). But List did not stay long in the Balkans. In October 1941, he fell ill, gave up his command and left for Germany.

For more than 8 months Liszt was out of work. Only on July 9, 1942, on the recommendation of Field Marshal W. Keitel (Chief of Staff of the High Command) and Colonel General F. Halder (Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces), Hitler appointed List commander of Army Group A (11th A, 17th I am A, 1st TA, then 4th TA) on the Eastern Front. This appointment took place, despite the fact that by this time the Fuhrer no longer had much sympathy for List (he had information about the field marshal's critical attitude towards the adventurist policy of the Nazi leadership of Germany and Hitler personally).

Soon after List took office as commander of an army group, the troops he led inflicted a major defeat on the Red Army near Rostov-on-Don, occupied almost the entire North Caucasus and reached the Main Caucasian Range (August 1942). However, here the views of List and Hitler on the issues of operational-strategic planning of further operations in the Caucasus diverged sharply. Hitler demanded that List continue the offensive at all costs, but he refused to do this, citing the lack of forces and means at his disposal, the incredibly stretched communications of his troops, and the sharply increased resistance of the Red Army. Did not help to break the stubbornness of the obstinate field marshal and his urgent call to Hitler's headquarters in Vinnitsa (August 31, 1942). The Führer received Liszt with marked courtesy and listened attentively to all his arguments. But after the departure of the field marshal, who remained unconvinced, he became furious, attacking his closest advisers with angry reproaches, who recommended that he appoint List to the post of commander of Army Group A. He sends General A. Jodl (head of the operational department of the OKW) to the Caucasus, ordering him to deal with the situation on the spot. Returning to headquarters (September 7, 1942), Jodl spoke out in support of List's actions, which caused a new fit of Hitler's rage. The Fuhrer was so furious that he wanted to immediately dismiss all his military advisers, but still, on reflection, he did not dare to take such a step. Only one Halder was injured, removed from his post and dismissed. Hitler expressed his indignation at the behavior of Keitel and Jodl by not shaking hands with them and not inviting them to his dinner for several months.

On September 10, 1942, List was removed from his post as commander of Army Group A and retired. Hitler assumed command of the troops of this army group. List did not take any part in the further events of the Second World War. Forgotten by everyone, he retired to private life, secluded in his estate in southern Germany.

In 1945 he was arrested by American troops. In 1948, an American military court sentenced him as a war criminal to life imprisonment. At the end of 1952 he was pardoned. He took part in the creation of the Bundeswehr in Germany.

* * *

List belonged to the older generation of field marshals of Hitler. Possessing outstanding military talents, he distinguished himself as an army commander in Poland (1939), France (1940) and the Balkans (1941). In the summer of 1942, leading Army Group A on the Eastern Front for 2.5 months, he won a major victory near Rostov, which led to the loss of the North Caucasus by the Red Army. Unlike many other field marshals, List had the courage in August 1942 to disagree with Hitler's absurd, in his opinion, plans for the Caucasus, boldly defend his views and not give up his own principles to the dictator, despite the fact that it cost him his career. As a person, List was distinguished by an enviable calmness and composure. He was a sober-minded and intelligent military leader, in whose manner of action the features of a pedantic General Staff officer of the old school were clearly visible. Clear planning and punctual execution of the decisions made was an unshakable law for him. He did not tolerate lightweight approaches to the development of operational plans, he was an opponent of all kinds of adventurous actions. It should be noted that Liszt was, perhaps, the only one of the major Wehrmacht commanders who did not suffer a single defeat during his combat activities during the Second World War. True, it is difficult to say whether List would have been able to lead defensive operations so successfully, since he never had a chance to lead a retreat. All operations in which he participated in 1939-1942 were offensive.

Like no one else, List knew how to get high rates of advance from his troops. This is confirmed by all the campaigns in which he took part. Some Western historians believe that in post-war historiography, List as a military leader was completely undeservedly forgotten, and his military talent was not properly appreciated.

List also possessed undoubted diplomatic skills. They often manifested themselves in his relations with subordinate generals. Even the most quarrelsome of them, like Rommel or Guderian, not only spoke highly of their boss, but also admired him.

But, despite his talents and virtues, List was among the war criminals and had to answer to the victors for his actions during the war years. For the time being, List diligently served the criminal Nazi regime and had to, whether he wanted it or not, pursue the appropriate policy, which went down in history under the name "fascism" with all the ensuing consequences. As a war criminal, List was mainly charged for the actions committed by the troops he led in Greece and Yugoslavia in 1941.

Wilhelm Sigmund List (List) was born on May 14, 1880 in Oberkirchberg in Württemberg to a doctor's family. Graduated from school in Munich.

June 15, 1898 he entered the service as a cadet in the 1st Bavarian engineer battalion. In 1900, V. List was promoted to lieutenant. In 1912 he graduated from the Military Academy, after which, with the rank of captain in 1913, he was appointed to serve at the General Staff. During the First World War, he continued to serve as a staff officer, mainly on the Western Front, was wounded and awarded a large number of awards. In the summer of 1916 he was in the Balkans.

After the end of the First World War in 1919, Wilhelm List joined the Volunteer Corps, and then remained in the Reichswehr. In 1922-23, having served as a commander of a mountain infantry battalion, from 1924 he began to gradually move up the ranks in staff positions. In 1926, he was already the head of the Organizational Directorate of the Military Ministry, in 1927 he received the rank of colonel, in 1930 - major general. From November 1, 1930, V. List was the head of the infantry school in Dresden. In 1931, while in this position, he took severe disciplinary measures against cadets who were members of the Nazi movement. In 1932, Wilhelm List was already a lieutenant general. In the same year, he became head of the Troop Training Department of the War Ministry.

After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Wilhelm List on October 1 of the same year received command of the 4th division in Saxony, as well as the IV military district with a center in Dresden. On October 1, 1935, the division deployed to the 4th Army Corps. V. List, already a general from infantry, is appointed his commander. In the same year, he became commander of the VI military district. During the period of reshuffling in the highest military circles in 1938, V. List, who did not particularly interfere in politics, took the side of Adolf Hitler and remained in the service.

On February 4, 1938, V. List became commander of the 2nd Army Group in Kassel. After the Anschluss of Austria, he participated in the integration of the Austrian army into the Wehrmacht, while in the position of commander of the 5th Army Group in Vienna. On his initiative, the 17th and 18th army corps were formed.

During the occupation in 1938 of the Sudetenland and South Moravia by German troops, V. List commanded an army group (14th army). During the attack on Poland, under his command was the same 14th Army, which at that time was part of the Army Group South of G. von Rundstedt. For the successful conduct of operations on September 30, 1939, General of the Infantry V. List was awarded the Knight's Cross.

During the offensive in France, he led the 12th Army, which participated in the breakthrough near Sedan, and then made a long march to the Swiss border. July 19, 1940, among the twelve senior officers of the Wehrmacht, he was awarded the rank of Field Marshal.

In 1941, the 12th Army was transferred to the Balkans, where it participated in the capture of Yugoslavia and Greece. The landing and mountain infantry units were especially distinguished. After the expulsion of the British troops from Thessaloniki and the capture of Crete, Wilhelm List, who considered him a great connoisseur and specialist in this region, was appointed commander-in-chief of the occupying forces in the Balkans on June 9, 1941 (command in the South-East).

On July 15, 1942, he took command of Army Group A. At the head of it, he launched an offensive with the aim of capturing the Caucasus. Contrary to the German concept of blitzkrieg, W. List preferred thoughtful and well-planned operations. On September 9, 1942, he was removed from his post for disagreements with Adolf Hitler on strategic planning and refusal to throw troops into a hopeless offensive, as it seemed to V. List. Hitler personally took command of the army group, and the direct execution of duties was entrusted to the chief of staff G. von Greifenberg. After the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler, V. List, whose participation in the conspiracy was not proven, although he had some contacts with the conspirators, was finally dismissed.

Already after the end of the Great Patriotic War on October 19, 1948, Wilhelm List was sentenced by the Nuremberg Tribunal to life imprisonment for war crimes in Yugoslavia and Greece, punitive operations against partisans. In December 1952 he was released and later lived in Germany, participating in the creation of the Bundeswehr.

Carier start

In July 1898 he began his military service as a fanen-junker (candidate officer) in the 1st Bavarian sapper battalion. In March 1900 he was promoted to lieutenant.

In 1911 he graduated from the Bavarian Military Academy. Before the outbreak of World War I, he served in the Bavarian General Staff (from March 1913 with the rank of captain).

World War I

Since the beginning of the war, he served in the headquarters of the 2nd Bavarian Army Corps. In the summer of 1916 - in the military ministry of Bavaria. From August 1916 to February 1917 - head of the quartermaster department of the headquarters of the army group "Shtrans". From February 1917 to March 1918 - Chief of the Operations Department of the headquarters of the 8th Bavarian Reserve Division. Then again in the military ministry of Bavaria.

He was awarded the Iron Crosses of both degrees, and six more orders of Germany, Austria and Bulgaria. He received a badge for being wounded (a serious illness during service, in the winter of 1915).

Between World Wars

In 1919-1923 - in staff positions, from September 1919 - major. Then the commander of the Jaeger battalion (lieutenant colonel), from October 1924 - head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 8th Infantry Division.

From September 1926 - in the Ministry of War (department of training troops), from March 1927 - colonel, head of department.

In 1930-1933 he was the head of the military school in Dresden. Major General, from October 1932 - Lieutenant General.

In 1933-1935 commander of the 4th infantry division and commander of the 4th military district (Dresden).

From October 1935 - General of the Infantry, commander of the 4th Army Corps and the 4th Military District (Dresden).

In 1938 he took part in the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

From April 1939 - Colonel General.

The Second World War

In 1939 he participated in the invasion of Poland at the head of the 14th Army. He was awarded the iron cross bars (re-awarding) and the Knight's Cross.

In 1940 he participated in the invasion of France at the head of the 12th Army, for which he received the rank of Field Marshal.

In July-October 1941 - commander of the German troops in the Balkans.

In the summer of 1942, he led the successful offensive of Army Group A in the North Caucasus. On August 5, Stavropol was taken. August 9 - Krasnodar. On August 21, the German flag was raised over Mount Elbrus.

However, on September 10, 1942, Hitler removed Field Marshal List from command of the army group (for failure to complete the task of accessing the Caspian Sea) and sent him to the reserve of the Supreme High Command of the Ground Forces.

List had some contact with the paramilitary wing of the conspirators who subsequently organized the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944. However, sympathizing with Beck, he refused to participate in the conspiracy.

After World War II

April 30, 1945 List was taken prisoner by American troops, tried for the occupation of the Balkans, in 1948 sentenced to life imprisonment. In December 1952 he was released for health reasons.

Awards

• Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class (1914)
  • Buckles for iron crosses 1st and 2nd class
• Friedrich Order (Württemberg)
• Knight's Cross of the Royal Order of the House of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Wound badge black (1918)
• Bavarian Order of Military Merit, 4th class with swords and crown
• Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)
• Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary), 3rd class, military
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (30 September 1939)

Sheet(List) Wilhelm (born May 14, 1880, Oberkirchberg, Württemberg), Field Marshal of Nazi Germany (1940). In the army since 1898. He graduated from the Military Academy (1912). Member of the 1st World War 1914-18, then served in the Reichswehr. In 1938 he commanded an army group during the occupation of the Sudetenland. During the attack on Poland in 1939 - the commander of the 14th Army, during the defeat of France in 1940 and the aggression against Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941 - the commander of the 12th Army; then commanded the occupying forces in the Balkans. From June to September 1942 the commander of Army Group "A", advancing to the Caucasus. For disagreements with Hitler on strategic planning, he was dismissed. In 1948 he was sentenced by a military tribunal in Nuremberg to life imprisonment for war crimes in Yugoslavia and Greece. Released by the American authorities in 1952, lives in Germany.

Liszt Wilhelm in books

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Liszt Wilhelm

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Liszt Wilhelm Sigmund

(05/14/1880-06/18/1971) - Field Marshal of the German Army (1940)

Wilhelm Sigmund List was born on May 14, 1880 in Oberkirchberg in Württemberg to the family of a military engineer. At the age of eighteen, he joined the army and began service in the 1st Bavarian engineer battalion. Two years later he was awarded the rank of second lieutenant. Deciding to become a professional military man, he entered first an artillery and then an engineering military school, and after graduation he became an adjutant in his battalion.

In 1908, with the rank of Lieutenant Wilhelm List, he was sent to study at the General Staff Academy, where officers were trained for staff work. After Wilhelm List served in the fortification troops and by the beginning of the First World War he received the rank of major.

He met the beginning of the war as an officer of the Bavarian General Staff in Munich. List was sent to the Western Front as part of the 2nd Bavarian Corps. He fought on the Somme, on Ypres, in Flanders, at La Basset, at Amiens, on the Meuse and in the battle of the Moselle. Then he was transferred to the Eastern Front in the Balkans. Here he fought for several months as part of the Turkish army, where he gained vast experience in military operations, which was useful to him during the Second World War.

List returned to the Western Front in 1917 as a staff officer with the 8th Reserve Bavarian Infantry Division. He ended the war as an instructor at the War Office in Munich, where he was transferred in January 1918.

Like many officers, after the war he joined the volunteer corps, but after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, he was enrolled in the Reichswehr in the ground forces. Until the early 1930s, List held various positions in the headquarters and commanded military units. From 1920 to 1922 he served at the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division in Munich, from 1922 to 1923 he commanded a battalion of mountain riflemen, then in 1924 List was again transferred to staff work at the headquarters of the 7th military district. A year later, he returns to the troops in the 19th Infantry Battalion. In 1924 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1926, he received a new appointment and headed the organizational department in the War Department. Following this appointment, he is promoted to colonel.

In November 1930, Wilhelm List became a major general and was transferred to the post of head of the infantry school in Dresden.

In 1932, Wilhelm List was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and became commander of the 4th Infantry Division. He earned himself a reputation as a calm, cool-headed, sober and pedantic staff officer.

In 1935 Liszt was again assigned to Dresden. He headed the 4th military district. Under his command were the 4th, 14th and 24th infantry divisions and the command of the 5th border zone. In the same year, he was promoted to the rank of general of infantry, becoming the eighth in the list of the most important army commanders.

General List strengthened his chances for another promotion by firmly taking Hitler's side during the fabricated scandal involving the names of Blomberg and Fritsch. He avoided resignation during Brauchitsch's 1938 purge, and even got a promotion thanks to it. He was appointed commander of the 2nd Army Group, replacing von Leeb, who had been retired, in this post.

After the Anschluss of Austria, the occupying forces on its territory were commanded by General von Bock, who did not have relations with the Austrians, and soon the question arose of replacing him. Wilhelm List was the most suitable candidate. He already had extensive experience in commanding large units. Therefore, it was he who was assigned to lead the newly formed 5th Army Group, headquartered in Vienna. Arriving in Vienna, List divided Austria into two military districts (the 17th with its center in Vienna and the 18th with its center in Salzburg). The 17th military district included two Austrian infantry divisions (44th and 45th), and the 18th coordinated the actions of the 2nd and 3rd mountain divisions. The 4th Light Division was created from the Austrian cavalry units, and the 2nd German Panzer Division, which von Bock brought with him to Austria, still remained in Vienna. Like the 4th Light Division, it was under the direct command of the head of the army group.

List's troops were entrusted with the operation to invade Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1938, but after the Munich Agreement he was ordered to occupy South Moravia. In April 1939 List was promoted to the rank of Colonel General.

Then List took part in the Polish campaign. His headquarters was at the headquarters of the 14th Army, which was advancing on the southern flank of the German troops. List's army consisted of 4 corps (8th, 17th, 18th and 22nd), which included 11 divisions - 5 infantry, 2 tank, 3 mountain and 1 light. Having easily overcome the Polish line of defense, his troops captured Krakow and Lvov, and also covered the right flank of the main strike force under the command of Reichenau.

After the invasion, List's headquarters was renamed Border Command South, and at the same time List was appointed commander of the military administration in Krakow. But he did not remain in this position for long, as a new operation was already being developed at the headquarters of the High Command. Wilhelm List was assigned to lead the newly formed 12th Army, destined for the upcoming invasion of France.

For the invasion of France, List had under his command 6 infantry divisions and 1 mountain division, as well as the Kleist tank group, which included five tank divisions as part of Guderian's 19th corps and Reinhardt's 41st corps. List entrusted the tank group to deliver the main blow, while he himself concentrated on the transfer of infantry formations to the English Channel. He transferred the forces entrusted to him with such speed that he once again strengthened his reputation in the eyes of the army authorities.

During the battle of Dunkirk, List held back the offensive of the French army in the south, protecting the tank corridor from a possible counteroffensive. The French counteroffensive never began, and in the second phase of the operation, List managed to gain a foothold in two strategically important bridgeheads. Now under his command were the 3rd, 12th, 23rd and 18th corps plus Guderian's tank group (39th and 41st motorized corps), that is, a total of 12 infantry, 4 tank and 3 motorized divisions. For a further offensive, he ordered infantry formations to seize bridgeheads, deciding to use armored vehicles later. This order led to the fact that a lot of equipment and manpower accumulated on the roads, and if the French were not on the verge of surrender, they would be able to take advantage of the favorable moment and strike at the German units. (Later Liszt was criticized for these actions.) But, despite these mistakes, the units entrusted to List broke through the "Weygand Line", bypassed the "Maginot Line" and headed straight for the Swiss border.

After the victory in France, List was transferred to the Balkans to assist the Italian troops fighting with Greece. In February 1941, List concluded an agreement with the Bulgarian government, which allowed the German units to attack the Greeks from the territory of Bulgaria. The German offensive was halted by events in Yugoslavia, where a pro-German Prince Regent Pavel was overthrown in a coup and replaced by General Simović, who had previously commanded the Yugoslav air force. List urgently had to change plans and, instead of invading Greece, come to the aid of General Baron von Weichs, whose 2nd Army was invading Yugoslavia.

During the invasion of Greece (Operation Marita), List was opposed by the 70,000th Greek 2nd Army, concentrated along the well-fortified Metaxas Line. On the flanks, it was covered by other Greek and Yugoslav units. From North Africa, the Allies transferred British, Australian and New Zealand units.

List could oppose all this with three corps (40th, 30th and 18th), which included 2 tank, 4 infantry and 3 mountain divisions, the 125th infantry regiment, and the SS motorized regiment Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. The 50th Corps of General Georg Lindemann (46th, 76th and 198th Infantry Divisions), which is still on the way, was transferred to it, and the 16th Panzer Division stood in Bulgaria in case the Turks entered the war on side of the allies.

List did not wait for the arrival of the 50th Corps. Since Yugoslavia did not have time to fully mobilize, its 5th Army was not fully prepared for military operations against the Germans. Liszt dealt the first blow precisely to the Yugoslavs. His 2nd Panzer Division, having met only weak resistance on its way, crossed the river by nightfall, after which it moved on, bypassing the Metaxas Line. Then the 30th Corps invaded Western Thrace, and the 18th, with heavy fighting, broke through the Metaxas Line. On April 9, Thessaloniki fell, and the Greek 2nd Army was surrounded. The Greeks laid down their arms the next day.

The 40th Panzer Corps broke through the positions of the 5th Yugoslav Army and, bypassing the Australian Allied Corps, began encircling the Greek 1st Army in southern Albania. Realizing the danger looming over it, the Greek army already on April 13 and urgently began to leave southern Albania. On April 15, the 73rd Infantry Division cut off the Greeks' retreat and completed the encirclement by April 20. The next day, the Greek 1st Army surrendered to the mercy of the victor. In recognition of the valor shown by the Greeks, List ordered that they not be considered prisoners of war. The officers were allowed to keep edged weapons with them, and the soldiers, as soon as the disarmament was over, and their units were disbanded, were released home.

Most of the 1st Australian Corps managed to get over to Crete, and the German landing was able to cut off only a few rearguard units. The British Expeditionary Force was forced to abandon or destroy much of its heavy equipment, tanks and 8,000 vehicles.

On April 30, hostilities ceased. During the invasion, List managed to capture more than 350,000 people, and the German losses amounted to 1,100 people killed and about 4,000 wounded. To maintain the occupation regime in Greece, the 12th German army remained.

In early June 1941, Wilhelm List was appointed to the post of commander in chief of the Southeast direction. He remained in this post until October 15, and then for nine months he did not hold any command posts, apparently due to illness.

In June 1942 List was sent to the Eastern Front. This campaign was his last. During the summer offensive, Army Group "South" was divided into two - "A" and "B", which advanced in different directions. The task of army "A" was to attack the Caucasus, and army "B" was to advance to the Volga and Stalingrad. Wilhelm List took command of the newly created headquarters of Army Group A. Under his command were Colonel General Manstein's 11th Army, Colonel General Hoth's 4th Panzer Army, Colonel General von Kleist's 1st Panzer Army, and Colonel General Richard Ruoff's 17th Army. His task included the capture of Rostov, the occupation of the Black Sea coast and the destruction of the Black Sea Fleet. Then he was to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus, the cities of Maikop and Grozny, and then move on to Baku, the oil capital of the western coast of the Caspian Sea. Manstein's army was given the task of taking Sevastopol, which by this time was under blockade. Manstein coped with the task and took the city on July 2. Immediately after that, his 11th Army was transferred near Leningrad to Army Group North. The forces of List's army, already not so impressive, were reduced, but the tasks of Army Group A remained the same.

On July 23, Liszt's units took Rostov in battle, capturing 240,000 Soviet soldiers. A week later, he was ordered to transfer the 4th Panzer Army to Group B for a throw to Stalingrad, leaving only the 40th Panzer Corps from it. The field marshal's constantly dwindling units were opposed by two full fronts of the Red Army, and List had no illusions about the further development of events.

On July 25, 1942, Group A launched an attack on the Caucasus. On the right flank was von Kleist's Panzer Army, and on the left was Ruoff's 17th Army. They managed to cross the lower reaches of the Don and approach the northern mountain spurs. Soon the infantry occupied a bridgehead on the left bank of the Kuban River.

On August 10, parts of List occupied the administrative center of the Kuban, Krasnodar, and entered Maikop. In Maykop, the Soviet troops destroyed everything that was possible during the retreat, and, entering the city, the Germans found only burning oil wells.

On August 22, mountain divisions hoisted the banner of the Reich over Elbrus, and on September 6, Novorossiysk and the Taman Peninsula were taken. Then Kleist's tank army crossed the Terek and moved towards Grozny. The advance of List's army group slowed down significantly, as it had to fight incessantly with units of the Red Army, and the supply only worsened day by day. Even camel caravans were used to deliver fuel.

At the end of August, List was summoned to Headquarters to report on the situation on his sector of the front. Despite the fact that the Fuhrer spoke with understanding and even approvingly of the commander’s plans to continue the offensive through the Terek to the oil fields of Grozny, on the whole, Hitler was still dissatisfied with the conduct of the campaign.

Arriving at the headquarters of Army Group A, Keitel accepted List's resignation, which was dated September 9, 1942. Hitler assumed the duties of List, then this vacant place was given to Kleist.

More Wilhelm List did not take part in any military operations. After the defeat of Germany in World War II, he was arrested and brought before the International Tribunal. The court found him guilty of war crimes committed by him in the Balkans and Greece. He was prosecuted as a minor war criminal and in February 1948 was sentenced to life imprisonment.

At the end of 1952, he was pardoned and released.