Werner von Blomberg
Werner von Blomberg | |
|---|---|
Blomberg in 1934 | |
| Reichsminister of War | |
| In office 21 May 1935 – 27 January 1938 | |
| Preceded by | Himself as Minister of Defense |
| Succeeded by | Wilhelm Keitel as Chief of the High Command |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 29 January 1933 – 21 May 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Kurt von Schleicher |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Reichsminister of War |
| Chief of the Troop Office | |
| In office 27 January 1927 – 30 September 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Georg Wetzell |
| Succeeded by | Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg 2 September 1878 Stargard, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 13 March 1946 (aged 67) Nuremberg, Bavaria, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Cause of death | Colorectal cancer |
| Resting place | Bad Wiessee |
| Spouses | Charlotte Hellmich
(m. 1904; died 1932)Erna Gruhn (m. 1938) |
| Relations | Axel von Blomberg (son) |
| Children | 5 |
| Signature | |
| Nickname | Rubber Lion |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch/service | German Army |
| Years of service | 1897–1938 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Commands | 1st Infantry Division, Reichskriegsministerium |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 – 13 March 1946) was a German general and politician who served as the first Minister of War in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1938. Blomberg had served as Chief of the Truppenamt, equivalent to the German General Staff, during the Weimar Republic from 1927 to 1929.
Blomberg served on the Western Front during World War I and rose through the ranks of the Reichswehr until he was appointed chief of the Truppenamt. Despite being dismissed from the Truppenamt, he was later appointed Defence Minister by President Paul von Hindenburg in January 1933.
Following the Nazis' rise to power in Germany, Blomberg was named Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces. In this capacity, he played a central role in Germany's rearmament as well as purging the military of dissidents to the new regime. However, as Blomberg grew increasingly critical of the Nazis' foreign policy, he was ultimately forced to resign in the Blomberg-Fritsch affair in 1938 orchestrated by his political rivals, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler. Thereafter, Blomberg spent World War II in obscurity until he served as a witness in the Nuremburg Trials shortly before his death.