Character Relationship Map: The Devil's General

Characters

• Gen. Harry Harras (played by Curd Jürgens) — protagonist

  Highly decorated WWI veteran and Luftwaffe general who despises the Nazi regime. His growing disillusionment drives him to orchestrate covert sabotage and ultimately crash his aircraft into his airbas...

• Dorothea 'Diddo' Geiss (played by Marianne Koch) — supporting

  A young woman from the aristocratic cultural circle who becomes romantically involved with General Harras. Her character highlights the personal and social dimensions of life under the Third Reich.

• Generalleutnant von Stetten (played by Robert Meyn) — minor
• Anne Eilers (played by Erica Balqué) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Gen. Harry Harras → Generalleutnant von Stetten (Professional Adversaries) — Von Stetten challenges Harras during the inquiry into aircraft failures, placing professional pressure on him to address responsibility.

  At a heated meeting about aircraft failures, von Stetten and Mohrungen press Harras on whether the failures resulted from sabotage or negligence.

• Gen. Harry Harras → Dorothea 'Diddo' Geiss (Romantic Involvement) — Their intimacy offers a personal counterpoint to the war and Harras's growing unease.

  The reference says Harras and Diddo share an intimate exchange and describes their hopes as uncertain because of the approaching war.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Gen. Harry Harras → Anne Eilers (Conflict Challenged By) — Anne rejects Harras's attempted consolation and confronts him with a demand for action against the truth they understand.

  After Eilers's death, Harras tries to comfort Anne, but she rejects his consoling slogans and challenges him and the other men not to remain silent or...

Story Analysis

Harras's doubts about the regime and its war deepen through surveillance, aircraft failures, and Anne Eilers's demand that those who know the truth refuse silence and cooperation.

Plot Progression

1. Unease Beneath the Gathering — Harras questions the prospects of victory and the Luftwaffe's priorities. At a gathering, he masks his unease with humor while guests warn that the authorities may be monitoring them.
2. Orders and Intimacy — Harras helps the distressed Hartmann, while Eilers's squadron is ordered to ship out to Russia. Harras and Diddo share an intimate moment under the shadow of the approaching war.
3. Aircraft Failures and Blame — Crashes trigger an investigation into aircraft production failures. Harras refuses to evade responsibility, while von Stetten presses whether the cause was sabotage or negligence.
4. Surveillance and Betrayed Ideals — Mohrungen reveals that their conversation was bugged and Harras's house searched. Harras rejects Mohrungen's appeal to pressure and accuses him of protecting his position rather than his ideals.
5. A Widow's Challenge — A further test aircraft crashes, and Harras learns of Eilers's death. Anne rejects easy consolation and challenges Harras and the other men not to remain silent or cooperate.