Odilo Globocnik
Odilo Globocnik (April 21, [[1904] - May 31, 1945)Born to an Austrian family of Slovene descent in Trieste (then part of Austria), Odilo Globocnik became a builder by profession. From 1922 he was an activist in pre-Nazi Carinthian paramilitary organisations. He joined the NSDAP in 1931 and became a member of the SS in 1934. Between 1933 and 1935 he was arrested four times by Austrian authorities because of his activities for the illegal NSDAP and high treason. Altogether he spent 11 months in jail.
Being an extremely energetic and dynamic person, Globocnik quickly climbed the NSDAP career ladder. He became one of the leading Austrian National Socialists who helped to organise the overthrow of the Austrian government and make the Anschluss of Austria to the German Reich possible. As a reward for his previous activities Globocnik reached the top when Adolf Hitler made him Gauleiter of Vienna on May 22, 1938.
But soon his decline commenced. One reason was that Globocnik loved using an astonishing number of dirty tricks, in particular in financial matters. Another reason was that he was an absolutely uncompromising fellow who was extremely successful in finding new opponents and enemies in the party ranks, mainly in the Catholic wing of the NSDAP. More important, Hermann GÃÂöring, Germany's economic dictator, endeavoured to have Globocnik removed from his high party office. On January 30, 1939 Globocnik was suspended as a Gauleiter and Josef BÃÂürckel proclaimed as his successor by Hitler.
Globocnik soon volunteered for the Waffen-SS and served as a simple NCO with the SS-Standarte Germania from March until November 1939. He proved a brave soldier in the Polish campaign.
The ReichsfÃÂührer SS Heinrich Himmler had not forgotten one of his most obedient servants: surprisingly enough, on November 9, 1939, Globocnik was appointed SS and Police Leader in the district of Lublin (General Government). After a disappointing party career, Globocnik now had a second chance in the ranks of the SS and the police. The following years proved what he was capable of.
On October 13, 1941 Globocnik received a verbal order from Heinrich Himmler to start immediate construction work on Belzec, the first extermination camp in the General Government. The construction of two more extermination camps, Sobibor and Treblinka, followed in 1942. All in all Globocnik was responsible for killing more than 1.5 million Polish, Slovakian, Czech, Dutch, French, Russian, German, and Austrian Jews in the death camps of Operation Reinhard which he organised and supervised. He exploited Jews as slave labourers in his own forced labour camps, and seized the properties and valuables of murdered Jews.
After Mussolini's downfall, Globocnik was transferred from the General Government to Istria in now German occupied Italy in September 1943. His SS career increased and he was appointed Higher SS and Police Leader of Adriatic Coastal Region while stationed in his place of birth Trieste.
His main task there was combatting partisans but again he played a leading role in the regional persecution of Italian Jews. With the advance of Allied troops, Globocnik retreated into Austrian Carinthia and finally went into hiding high in the mountains in an alpine hut near Weissensee, still in company of his closest staff members.
With the advance of the Allied troops, Globocnik retreated into Austria Carinthia and finally went into hiding high in the mountains in an alpine hut near Weissensee, still in company of his closest staff members. Traced and captured by the British on May 31, 1945, he committed suicide the same day in Paternion, by by biting on his capsule of cyanide.