Veiel joined the army 1904, and was commissioned as an officer in 1905, serving in the
Württemberg cavalry during
World War I. After the war, Veiel was a member of the
Freikorps in Württemberg (1919). From October 1920, he served in the
Reichswehr. In 1938 he was given command of the
2nd Panzer Division. Veiel was promoted to
oberst in 1933, a
Generalmajor in January 1937, and a
Generalleutnant in 1938. In the early stages of
World War II, Veiel commanded the division during the
Invasion of Poland in 1939, the
Battle of France in 1940,
Operation Marita, invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece, and
Operation Barbarossa in 1941. On 3 June 1940, Veiel was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. From 1 April 1942 to 28 September 1942, after the German defeat in the
Battle of Moscow, Veiel was promoted to full general (
General der Panzertruppe). He later commanded the
XLVIII Panzer Corps. After 28 September, Veiel had a staff position with the
Army Group Center. From September 1943 to 20 July 1944, Veiel was Commanding General of Battle Sector V (
Wehrkreis V) in Stuttgart. He was relieved of command because of complicity in the
20 July Conspiracy to assassinate
Adolf Hitler. On 16 April 1945 he was put in the Officer Reserve (
Führerreserve) of the Army High Command (
Oberkommando des Heeres or
OKH). After World War II, Rudolf Veiel spent two years in American captivity. He was released in 1947 and died in 1956. == Awards ==