Rudel Scandal

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The Rudel Scandal of 1976 (German: Rudel-Affäre) was a political scandal in Germany in the era following World War II which led to the retirement of two high ranking Bundeswehr generals.

Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who had returned from Paraguay and joined the Neo Nazi German Reich Party, was invited by high ranking Bundeswehr generals to a tradition meeting of the Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann". Rudel had been invited and attended as the last commander of Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann". In this context the Federal Minister of Defence Georg Leber ordered the Luftwaffe generals Karl Heinz Franke and Walter Krupinski into early retirement as of 1 November 1976. They had given the invitation to Rudel in clear violation of the direct order from the Minister. The generals had publicly compared Rudels NS-history to German Communist Party (KPD) history of the Social Democrat Herbert Wehner.

[edit] References

• Die Rudel-Affäre @ Geschichte der Luftwaffe