alfred von october october german field marshal commander chief german_army early years world war born aristocratic military family joined 3rd guards regiment served staff formations fought dozen major battles world war serving staff officer taking fewer notable clashes western including battle battle service western awarded hitler rise power charge popular officer kindness civilian prussian population times local fires personally disliked borrowed immense sums money hitler eventually dependent financial help primarily served commander chief german_army world war years war played key role oversaw german military campaigns yugoslavia greece battle france generals promoted field marshal july heart attack november failed moscow offensive december hitler dismissed commander chief army spent rest war enforced retirement saw hitler world war arrested charges war crimes died heart attack prosecuted married children divorced shortly married early life born berlin october sixth child cavalry general wife housewife family originally came long tradition military service like raised tradition prussian officer corps family moved leading social circles berlin high society family father military rank equal officer official teens interested liberal conservative politics fascinated fine art pieces sculpted berlin late 1880s help pursue interests father enrolled gymnasium berlin military academy joined military academy later transferred final year belonged class gifted students chosen brother adolf years page time serving empress court learned manners bearing noted rest life graduation received commission joined garde regiment second lieutenant march medical condition unfit service infantry request recently formed 3rd guards field granted december months commander regiment approved permanent transfer regiment keen charge training recruits riding driving serving adjutant later staff officer regiment noticed fellow officers superiors showed particular interest artillery tactics considered artillery specialty instead joined office berlin promoted lieutenant world war outbreak world war august reached rank captain promoted appointed staff officer stationed near thick great war start finish serving 34th infantry division guards reserve corps based near took battle forest remaining years conflict saw action taking notable engagements battle battle second battle contributions war effort unnoticed awarded 1st class ended war rank major german military underwent forced reduction comply treaty versailles managed stay military remained opportunity use knowledge artillery eventually permitted transfer staff 2nd artillery regiment following year worked assignment artillery formations implement lessons learned closing months war added ideas including modifying classification system light medium heavy artillery heavy artillery known corps artillery reinforcement artillery added emphasis combination operation artillery infantry years promoted lieutenant colonel november appointed chief staff strongest garrisons west germany years took colonel promoted nazi germany adolf hitler came power began expand military order realize hitler military ambitions years received major general promotion february named commander chief 1st division consequence german armament command position commander 1st military district expanded staff 1st division formed staff 1st appointed commanding general june felt home prussia clash local party head facto head civil administration province known somewhat greatly enjoyed power possessed bring violence enemies wanted lose jobs region attempted feud unofficial result berlin hardly learned dispute dispute emerged years later learned planned replace army guards men purpose jews protestant catholic churches district managed prevent replacement army troops region categorized informed hitler disagreement claimed duty saying civilians allowed enter area obtained rank general artillery commander chief army accused homosexuality hitler appointed colonel general new army chief recommendation army high command february homosexual allegations reality trap set hitler excuse dismiss aristocratic senior officers removal severe test stability german internal administration time welcomed nazi policy relationship hitler improved confusion leave wife mistress middle munich crisis hitler set aside usual anti divorce sentiments encouraged divorce hitler lent afford divorce time largely reliant hitler financial help like colonel general opposed hitler annexation austria intervention czechoslovakia resist hitler plans war preferring refrain politics final months world war focused italy potential aid nazi military cause turned easy task italian leader expected economic support return military collaboration told italian military extremely poor fighting shape germany foreign minister main architect axis alliance constantly interfered efforts wanted work consolidated costs world war charge operational affairs polish french campaigns little influence war progress invasion poland oversaw plans campaign cited example theory official doctrine resemble popular perception known divisions spread infantry granted operational independence grouped western_europe operative method poland followed traditional commonly referred develop campaign west june cause consequence victory convinced armour act independently operational level campaign early november chief general staff started consider hitler fixed day invasion france november officers believed invasion doomed fail november army general staff prepared special memorandum recommend launching attack western powers year reluctantly agreed read document hitler meeting november attempted talk hitler putting day saying morale german_army worse statement enraged hitler harshly incompetence went complain aggressive spirit german infantry sadly standard world war certain symptoms similar hitler flew rage accusing general staff personally sabotage returned army headquarters arrived poor shape somewhat account proceedings meeting told key leader anti nazi movement hitler simply find officers plot hitler called meeting declared smash west year vowed destroy spirit threat panicked extent forced conspirators second planned coup attempt november following heavy hitler day notice removed primary motivation plot preparations underway german named serving chief staff presented famous cut plan approve plan insisted plan accepted suggested transferring far away east reduce influence planning process agreed transferred hitler invited group officers lunch managed present plan directly hitler following day hitler ordered accept plan presented despite original eventually saw plan potential felt army real chance success france surprisingly swift fall france promoted field marshal july field marshal ceremony france occupied divided rest high command looking forward similarly easy swift campaign great_britain seriously weakened french campaign confident britain easily defeated consider victory won england remains secure long choose operation plan invasion britain succeeded hitler intended place charge new conquest luftwaffe gain air superiority lost plan shelved eventually cancelled swift invasion occupation yugoslavia greece early april germans committed men mortars artillery pieces anti tank guns tanks armoured fighting vehicles overall command end month yugoslavia greece german hands supported harsh measures polish population claimed needed securing german living space central role death sentences polish prisoners taken defense danzig rejecting appeal ordered army commanders cease criticism racist nazi policies harsh measures needed forthcoming battle destiny german people germany turned east invaded soviet_union june played key making modifications original plan like friend colleague protest hitler gave german army instructions kill occupied territory later issued series ordered shot anti german sentiments especially recognizable battle moscow got underway health starting fail continued work determined moscow start severe russian winter army failure moscow earned hitler things worsened endured heart attack november informed cardiac disease likely like generals aftermath failure moscow dismissed commander chief german_army december transferred officers reserve remained assignment end war saw hitler spent years war hunting lodge mountains southwest prague public comments retirement statement condemning july plot hitler denounced colleagues later claiming forced save relative life trial death war august arrested estate imprisoned camp war crime charges included conspiracy crimes humanity died october pneumonia british controlled military hospital hamburg aged prosecuted buried cemetery germany personal life married wife wealthy acres km2 couple sons daughter including later served luftwaffe world war adjutant divorced years marriage developed romantic interest met daughter judge wanted divorce wife refused later married bank director named drowned bath visit berlin returned pair resumed affair married immediately divorced uncle 1930s silver arrow grand prix driver members german resistance hitler assessment historian characterizes outstanding professional lived traditions profession especially lacked strength personality deal hitler hand regards individual frightened hitler person lead type revolt awards 2nd class september 1st class october friedrich order swords honour cross war merit january service award service years april world war december long service award 1st class october merit 1st class august star september november january order white rose finland march order yugoslav crown 1st class june june 2nd class september 1st class september september colonel general commander chief army medal november spanish military 1st class alexander swords merit swords romanian order michael brave october war victory cross 1st class october july rising sun 1st class september dates rank second lieutenant march lieutenant october captain december july lieutenant colonel june colonel april major general october lieutenant general october general der general artillery october colonel general february field marshal july
Walther von Brauchitsch