Ludwig Beck
Ludwig Beck | |
|---|---|
Beck in 1936 | |
| Chief of the General Staff of the German Army High Command | |
| In office 1 July 1935 – 31 August 1938 | |
| Chancellor | Adolf Hitler |
| Leader | Werner von Fritsch as Supreme Commander of the Army |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Franz Halder |
| Chief of the Troop Office | |
| In office 1 October 1933 – 1 July 1935 | |
| President | Paul von Hindenburg |
| Chancellor | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Wilhelm Adam |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Chief of the OKH General Staff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ludwig August Theodor Beck 29 June 1880 Biebrich, Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 20 July 1944 (aged 64) Berlin, Free State of Prussia, Nazi Germany |
| Spouse |
Amelie Pagenstecher
(m. 1916; died 1917) |
| Domestic partner | Amalie Christine Auguste Luise Pagenstecher |
| Children | Gertrud Beck |
| Parent(s) | Ludwig Beck Bertha Draudt |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch/service | German Army |
| Years of service | 1898–1938 |
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Battles/wars | |
Ludwig August Theodor Beck (German: [ˈluːt.vɪç bɛk] ⓘ; 29 June 1880 – 20 July 1944) was a German general who served as Chief of the German General Staff from 1933 to 1938. Beck was one of the main conspirators of the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Beck was a staff officer in the Truppenamt of the Reichswehr and became a fellow traveller of the Nazis during the Weimar Republic. Beck was appointed Chief of Staff of the German Army shortly after the Nazi rise to power, supporting Hitler's rearmament of Germany and forceful denunciation of the Treaty of Versailles, although he believed Germany needed more time to prepare for another war.
Beck was increasingly disillusioned with Hitler's aggressive foreign policy, the rising totalitarianism of the Nazi regime, and the influence of the SS over the army in military affairs. Beck became a leader of resistance to Nazism in military circles after retiring in 1938 due to public disagreements with Hitler on foreign policy, and later planned the 20 July plot with Claus von Stauffenberg. Beck was arrested by Friedrich Fromm when the plot failed and executed by one of Fromm's men after a botched suicide attempt.