BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH ON GENERAL REINHARD GEHLEN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00779371
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2024
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2024
• Case Number: F-2022-01254
• Publication Date: April 30, 1968

Approved for Release: 2023/06/28 C00779371
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BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH ON GENERAL R8INHARD.GEHLEN
General Reinhard Gehlen is a professional military and
intelligence officer. Until his retirement on 30.April 1968,
he was President of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BNB), the'
West German Federal Intelligence Service, as Well as chief
of its predecessor organizations formed at the end of World
War II,
General Gehlen was born 3 April 1902 in Erfurt. He
-curreatly lives in Berg on the Sternberg Lake near Munich.
He finished his formal schooling in 1920 and entered the mili-
tary.service directly.- He. received his commission as second
lieutenant in 1923 and served his initial tours of duty in
the horse artillery.- He married in 1931 alid.in 1935 he at-
tended the War Academy in Berlin. At that time he held the
rank of captain. By 1939 and. shortly before the outbreak of
World War II, he was promoted to major. He participated in
the Polish campaign, but by 1940 he Was transferred to a
headquarters post. At that time he betamenn aid to.
General Balder, who.Was Chief of the General Staff,. :He was
promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1941 and became thief of
Fremde Heere Ost in 1942. 'CFremde'Heere (6V/Pereign Armies
Easf7iwas that section of the German High Command charged
with responsibility for charting the enemy order of battle
olkithe eastern front. It was.essentially.an evaluation unit
and worked closely with�the Abwehr. It did engage in line
crossing -operations as the war progressed, hOweVer.). Gehlen
received his promotion to colonel soon after taking over
Premde Heere.Ost and by 1944 was promoted.to-brigadier gen-
eral. In the course of preparing estimates on enemy order
of battle, he reached the cOnclusiOn.as early as 1943 that
the German cause on.the-eastern front was lost,;addhis con-
tinued pessimistic evaluations led to a reprimand from Hitler,
and in the last days of the war he was relieved of command
by order of Hitler. Long before that day General Gehlen had
already consulted with senior members of his staft and made
plans to continue their efforts against the Russians after
the inevitable capitulation of the German Army, but in co-
operation with the American Army General Gehlen conse-
quently cached his files in the Bavarian :Alps and withdrew
to that area in the final days of the war. He subsequently
surrendered to the Americans, and after his initial POW de-
briefings, he presented his plan for the continued collection
of order of battle information of the Soviet Armies,
General Gehlen was motivated by his strong view that the po-
sition of the Soviet Army so deep in Europe constituted a
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EXEMPTIONS Section 3(b)
(2)(A) Privacy
(2)(B) Methods/Sources Br
(2)(G) Foreign Relations
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real threat to Western civilization. His views were so
strong that he was able to convince his captors of these
views. He was then flown back to Washington in 1946 for
further debriefings, and the decision was made at the G-2
level to allow General Gehlen to reform his unit and to per-
mit him to engage in a collection effort again' +ha nnviet
Army in Eastern Europe. Same r - 3
were appropriated for this effort. Gen4ral Gehlen succeeaed
in reforming his unit and retrieving most of his files. He
operated under G-2 sponsorship from 1946 until 1949 when CIA
assumed responsibility for the,Gehlen organization as it was
then known, From 1949 until 1956 General Gehlen devoted his
full energies to legalizing his organization as the West
German Federal Intelligence Service. He achieved this goal
in March 1956 and thereby became its first president. He
became directly responsible to the Chancellor's officer.
After legalization he strove to develop his organization
into a world-wide intelligence service having collection ca-
pabilities and liaison on a world-wide basis. He as gone a
lohg way toward accomplishing this goal.
As a personality General Gehlen still remains essentially
a professional military officer in habits and attitudes
though he never entered on active duty after World War II.
He is, howevel--, a lieutenant general in the reserve. At one
time he was an accomplished horseman though he no longer per-
mits himself this luxury, primarily because of time consid-
erations. He is a family man and has four children. It is
believed General Gehlen leads a quiet life outside of his
official duties, In all things he is essentially conserva-
tive, Ho rarely entertains, and he does not drink. His
English is fluent, and he is socially poised and very much
at ease among senior American officials, Since his retire-
ment he hta been engaged in writing his memoirs and compil-
ing a history of the BED.
General Gehlen was succeeded on 1 May 1968 by General
Gerhard Wessel, his adjutant in Freade Heere Oat, who was
instrumental in assisting in the formation of the Gehlen or-
ganization. Wessel has served with the BliD, the West German
Ministry of Defense, and the NATO Military Committee in
Washington and Brussels.
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