German Commander-in-Chief during World War II (1881–1948)
Walther von Brauchitsch
Brauchitsch in 1939
Commander-in-Chief of the German Army
In office 4 February 1938 – 19 December 1941
Chancellor
Adolf Hitler
Preceded by
Werner von Fritsch
Succeeded by
Adolf Hitler
Personal details
Born
Walther Heinrich Alfred Hermann von Brauchitsch
(1881-10-04)4 October 1881 Berlin, Prussia, German Empire
Died
18 October 1948(1948-10-18) (aged 67) Hamburg, British-occupied Germany
Resting place
Salzgitter
Spouses
Elizabeth von Karstedt
(m. 1910; div. 1938)
Charlotte Rueffer
(m. 1938)
Children
3
Relatives
Adolf von Brauchitsch (brother)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
German Empire (1900–1918) Weimar Republic (1918–1933) Nazi Germany (1933–1941)
Branch/service
German Army
Years of service
1900–41
Rank
Field Marshal
Battles/wars
World War I
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Battle of Verdun
World War II
Operation Barbarossa
Battle of France
Invasion of Poland
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Walther Heinrich Alfred Hermann von Brauchitsch (4 October 1881 – 18 October 1948) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) and Commander-in-Chief (Oberbefehlshaber) of the German Army during the first two years of World War II. Born into an aristocratic military family, he entered army service in 1901. During World War I, he served with distinction on the corps-level and division-level staff on the Western Front.
After the 1933 Nazi seizure of power, Brauchitsch was put in charge of Wehrkreis I, the East Prussian military district. He borrowed immense sums of money from Adolf Hitler and became dependent on his financial help. Brauchitsch served as Commander-in-Chief of the German Army from February 1938 to December 1941. He played a key role in the Battle of France and oversaw the German invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece. For his part in the Battle of France, he became one of twelve generals promoted to field marshal.
After suffering a heart attack in November 1941 and being blamed by Hitler for the failure of Operation Typhoon, the Wehrmacht's attack on Moscow, Brauchitsch was dismissed as Commander-in-Chief. He spent the rest of the war in enforced retirement.
After the war, Brauchitsch was arrested on charges of war crimes, but he died of pneumonia in 1948 before he could be prosecuted.
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Global Information
German Empire (1900–1918)
Weimar Republic (1918–1933)
Nazi Germany (1933–1941)
German Army