The Wehrmacht: Inside Hitler's Military Elite
Luftwaffe General Behind the Belgrade Bombing (1941): Alexander Löhr
12m
In March 1941, a coup in Belgrade overthrew a pro-Nazi government, provoking the anger of Adolf Hitler, who ordered the destruction of Yugoslavia.
On 6 April 1941, under Operation Retribution, the Luftwaffe — Nazi Germany’s air force — launched a massive air assault on Belgrade. Planned by Alexander Löhr, the bombing used repeated waves and incendiary tactics that left large parts of the city in ruins.
Following Yugoslavia’s rapid defeat, Löhr commanded German forces across the Balkans, where anti-partisan operations brought harsh reprisals against civilians and the destruction of villages. He was also involved in the deportation of Jewish communities.
After the war, Löhr was captured, tried for war crimes, and in 1947 faced his final reckoning.
Up Next in Season 1
-
German General Behind the Plot to Kil...
On 15 March 1939, Nazi Germany occupied Prague while most of Europe stood aside. Among the few senior German officers who opposed Hitler’s reckless path was Ludwig Beck, former Chief of the German General Staff.
This documentary follows Beck’s rise in the German army, his growing opposition to H...
-
German General Behind the Devil’s Div...
As partisan resistance spreads across Yugoslavia in 1943, German occupation forces launch brutal anti-partisan operations across the Balkans. Villages are burned, civilians executed, and entire communities destroyed in reprisals meant to crush support for Tito’s resistance movement.
One of the u...
