Max Bastian

Max Bastian
Bastian in 1943
President of the Reichskriegsgericht
In office
12 September 1939 – 30 November 1944
Preceded byWalter Heitz
Personal details
Born(1883-08-28)28 August 1883
Berlin, German Empire
Died11 March 1958(1958-03-11) (aged 74)
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Military service
Allegiance German Empire (1902-1918)
Weimar Republic (1918-1933)
Nazi Germany (1933-1944)
Branch/serviceImperial German Navy
Reichsmarine
Kriegsmarine
Years of service
1902–1944
RankAdmiral
CommandsReichskriegsgericht
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsIron Cross, 1st and 2nd class
Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross

Max Bastian (28 August 1883 – 11 March 1958) was a German Admiral in the Kriegsmarine during World War II who served as president of the Reich Military Court until his retirement in 1944.

Bastian was born in Berlin in 1883 and entered the Imperial German Navy in 1902. He participated in World War I and, at the end of the war, he was a Kapitänleutnant and a second admiralty staff officer with the Baltic Sea reconnaissance force. He remained in the post-war Reichsmarine, and was promoted to Konteradmiral in January 1933, Vizeadmiral in January 1935 and Admiral in January 1938. He was the commander of line ships from October 1932 to September 1934. He then served as Admiral II of the Baltic Sea at Kiel until September 1935, and then was posted as a staff officer and department head at the Oberkommando der Marine (OKM), the naval high command.

In 1939, Bastian was made president of the Reich Military Court. While serving in this position, he oversaw the death penalties of multiple conscientious objectors within the Wehrmacht. He was briefly represented by Paul von Hase while ill in 1943. Bastian retired in November 1944.

Awards and decorations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Webb 2024, p. 41.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reichswehrministerium (Ed.): Rangliste der Deutschen Reichsmarine. E.S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1930, p. 40.

Sources