Germany, Heer. A General's Belt & Buckle Attributed to General der Infanterie Rudolf Toussaint

Buckle in gilt aluminum on the right end, unmarked, the buckle measuring 50.5 mm. Belt is fabricated from a thick leather with a smooth finished black upper, smooth finished brown underside, dark brown tab stitched in place on the underside, with seven rows of two holes each for length adjustment and gilt aluminum receiving clip on the left end, the belt without sliders and measuring 43 mm x 1,050 mm. Scattered gilt wear and contact on the buckle and receiving clip, crazing evident on the belt's upper, light soiling present on the underside. Better than very fine.

Footnote: This belt with buckle came from the personal collection of John R. Angolia, the author of "Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich, Revised Edition". He was personally given the belt by General der Infanterie (Infantry General) Rudolf Toussaint (May 2, 1891 – July 1, 1968) Toussaint saw action in both World Wars. He was born on May 2, 1891 in Egglkofen. He joined the Royal Bavarian Army on September 21, 1911 in the rank of Fahnenjunker (Cadet). After finishing basic training, he was commissioned a Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) on October 25, 1913 and assigned to the 18th Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment. He fought in the First World War, where he was wounded, and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class 1914 and the Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914. After the war, he remained in the Army and, on December 1, 1935, was promoted to Oberstleutnant; on April 1, 1938, he was promoted further to the rank of Oberst (Colonel). From April 1, 1939 till 1941, he served as a military attaché in the German embassy in Rome. After that, he was promoted to Generalmajor (Major General) on October 1, 1941, followed a year later to Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) on October 1, 1942. In September 1943, as General der Infanterie (promoted on September 1, 1943), he became commissioner of the German Army in Italy (Bevollmächtigter General der deutschen Wehrmacht in Italien). On July 26, 1944, he was replaced in this position by SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff and Toussaint became commissioner of the German Army in the office of the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, replacing Ferdinand Schaal, and simultaneously held the position of Commander of the Military District of Bohemia and Moravia. As such, he was the final Nazi commander of Prague. After the Second World War, he was captured by American troops in Pilsen, the transferred into Czechoslovakia on April 19, 1947, where on October 26, 1948, he was condemned to life imprisonment for the murder of civilians in the Prague uprising. In 1955, he agreed to collaborate with Czechoslovak State Security, but the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia refused to consent to his release from prison. While still in prison, he provided them information relating to the West German military leaders and political figures, In 1961, as part of an exchange for two communist agents, he was released to West Germany, where he died in 1968. His awards included the Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914, the Iron Cross 1st Class 1914, the Prince Regent Luitpold Jubilee Medal, the Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords, the Wound Badge in Black, the Honour Cross of the World War 1914-1918, the Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st Class, the Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939, the Clasp to the Iron Cross 1st Class 1939, the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords, the War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords, the Officer Cross of the Order of St Alexander (Bulgaria) and the Commander's Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania).