The biography of Franz Halder carries a lot of valuable information about what exactly happened in Nazi Germany. The study of his life and death allows you to dive deeper into the interweaving of the internal structure of the Wehrmacht.
Birth
Franz Halder was born on June 30, 1884 in Wurzburg, the largest of the Bavarian cities . His father was Maximilian Halder, Major General of the Royal Bavarian Army, his mother was half French Matilda Halder, nee Steinheil. For several generations, his family devoted himself to military service: Franz Halder's grandfather, for example, was a captain.
Youth Franz
From the point of view of religion, the parents of young Franz disagreed. Father, Maximilian Halder, was raised by a Catholic in accordance with the traditions of subjects of the Bavarian court. And Matilda, on the contrary, preferred the Protestant faith. Obviously, the mother in the family had a rather big influence, since the young Franz was baptized as a Lutheran, and then immediately sent to his grandmother in France. There he spent the first years of his life. But when Franz turned four, he was ordered to return to Germany.
The fact is that Maximilian Halder reached impressive heights in the military field, he was transferred many times to Munich and other cities. He could afford a lot. When Franz turned six, he was immediately enrolled in the advanced course of the Lutheran School in Munich. A few years later he moved to an even more authoritative school. Three years later, Franz began attending classes at the Theresian Gymnasium, one of the most famous and popular in Munich. Everywhere he was the most promising of the students. Franz Halder was also distinguished by diligence and zeal. At the age of eighteen, he received a certificate of secondary education.
Halder's military career
No one could be surprised at the choice of Franz. The military field was prescribed to him before birth. Immediately after graduating from the gymnasium, his father enrolled Franz in the Royal Field Artillery Regiment, which he himself commanded. At the same time, the nephew of Maximilian Halder served there. Throughout his service, Franz Halder constantly sought to expand his knowledge. He took a course at the Bavarian military school in Munich, just a couple of years after that he attended classes at the Bavarian school, which specialized in artillery and engineering.
Franz Halder's career developed rapidly. Already in his second year of service, he was promoted to lieutenant, and when the bosses noticed his craving for tactics and strategy, they immediately recommended him to the Bavarian military academy. Soon he was fired with lieutenants. It is not known how much more he would have been trained if the First World War had not begun. All students were urgently released and sent to the army.
During the first world war
Franz Halder, commander of the Third Bavarian Army Corps, fought with his soldiers at Nancy and Epinal. Personally, he conducted extremely risky reconnaissance operations, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross of the first class. In general, Franz Halder awards can be listed for a very long time. In accordance with the traditions of German military service, Halder spent almost the entire war in the Bavarian units on the Western Front. Soon he was already completely immersed in his work, namely, he delivered and distributed among the soldiers food, cash and medicine. In 1915, Franz Halder fulfilled his old dream and moved to the General Staff. However, he still visited as a fighter in a series of major battles that took place on the territory of the Eastern Front.
Having gained some fame thanks to his merits, Franz Halder represents one of the commanders in the Battle of the Somme, the battles in Flanders, several battles on the Eastern Front. He was often transferred, and nowhere did Halder stay longer than necessary until the very end of World War I.
The Lost Generation Period
After the conclusion of the hated peace treaty, which marked the end of the war, massive reductions began in the German army. Franz Halder, realizing the precariousness of his position, seized on the post of adjutant of the General Staff in Bavaria. In between, he attended courses and lectures on politics, history, statistics and economics. The prospect of becoming a civil servant or manager did not bother him. But, as it turned out, the officers of the General Staff could not worry. All of them received membership in the new reformed army.
Halder's views on the Nazis
Halder had no fantasies about the Nazis coming to power, led by Hitler. He feared and despised the new authorities, although he could not help but share their goals: the abolition of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the return of Germany to its position. But he continued to react with obvious rejection to the fact that the party then received the full right to intervene in military affairs. She controlled everything with her characteristic cruelty and uncompromising attitude.
Halder also considered the Nazis inept and untalented politicians. He loved everything cautious, and now his country was captured by adventurers. Given the fact that Halder has reached a very influential position in the army, his views began to attract members of the opposition.
Professional growth
However, despite all this, very soon after the adoption of the new regime, Franz Halder became a major general. He became one of the top officers. At the same time, he entered into close relations with Ludwig Beck, the leader of the movement against Hitler. They agreed on a dislike for the new state of affairs. But contempt for the system did not prevent Franz Halder from enjoying the privileges that this system showered on him. He was again promoted. All this happened in 1938, when the device of the German army underwent strong internal changes. A new army was created, and Halder became the closest assistant and deputy head of the General Staff of the Ground Forces.
Thus, Ludwig Beck, his short-time ally among the opposition, became his immediate superior. But this did not last long. Beck was removed, and Franz Halder took his place. No one was surprised by such a turn of affairs. Halder already concentrated in his hands the basic functions of the General Staff. Moreover, which was very important, Adolf Hitler supported his candidacy, considering Halder "ready to support his ideas and go towards the future." Halder's origin and numerous connections also played a role. The lack of any charisma and leadership qualities in him also came in handy. He could easily transfer the ideas of his superiors to paper and create a plan of battles and the entire war from scattered proposals. He was called the "little man", compared with a nondescript school teacher.
Attempt
Just taking the place of Ludwig Beck, the chief of staff of the OKH General Staff Franz Halder immediately went to several influential figures who could be associated with the opposition, and declared with incredible frankness that he despised the Nazis with all his heart and was ready to stage a coup right now. He asked if these individuals wanted to take the place of Adolf Hitler when everything was done? Are they preparing for a rebellion? But Halder did not act too actively. In his own words, it was planned that Germany would be defeated by European countries, and only then could a coup be organized. No one will object or show too fierce resistance.
However, Halder was not going to openly betray Hitler. Among the political elite of those years, there was an opinion that he was afraid of public censure. It was for this reason that German General Franz Halder planned for people to believe that the death of Adolf Hitler was caused by an accident. Halder counted on the bombing and on the fact that when Europe emerges, everything will happen by itself. But Europe did not speak. Halder later accused the UK of failing to end the Nazis back in the thirty-eighth year.
Halder waited for Hitler to finally be defeated, and at the same time planned future military campaigns. He did not think that at the same time he was betraying at least someone. But precisely because of his efforts, the opposition’s dreams did not come true until 1945. He had tremendous influence in the General Staff.
As a commander
In 1939, Halder planned a campaign to conquer Poland. Then he did not make excuses for his duty to his homeland. No, he really wanted to expand the borders of the then Germany, as well as many of the Germans. They might not like the Nazis, but they were hated by the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty.
It was in Poland that Halder, along with other generals, realized that no one would allow them to wage war alone. Hitler participated in discussions more often than many members of the General Staff wanted. The same thing continued in France, and in Belgium, and in other countries of eastern Europe. Including in the Soviet Union. The plan of attack on the USSR “Barbarossa” was also developed by Halder. But he greatly underestimated the strength of the Soviet army. It was Halder who suggested the lightning victory in literally two weeks.
July 20th
The world-famous Conspiracy of Generals, or the July conspiracy that occurred on July 20, 1944, also could not do without Halder. Or so, in any case, it is now considered. Members of the so-called Resistance, namely Halder, Ludwig Beck, Erwin von Witzleban, Erich Gepne, Johannes Politz, Yalma Schacht and many others - all of them held rather high posts in Germany. They tried to make dozens of assassination attempts on Hitler, but always something bothered them. Sometimes the bomb did not fire, sometimes something else happened.
On July 20th, too, everything did not go according to plan. It was planned to arrange an explosion in the conference room when Hitler was there. Stauffenberg, one of the Resistance participants who was supposed to be there, brought an explosive device in his briefcase. He asked permission to sit next to Hitler. Stauffenberg referred to a wound in the ear, due to which he was hard of hearing. He went to Adolf Hitler, put the briefcase on the table and went out to allegedly answer the phone. But at this time, another person from those present at the meeting sat down and pushed the briefcase away from the Fuhrer. As a result, Hitler received many moderate injuries, but survived. Four officers died from a bomb explosion. When it turned out what had happened, the Resistance participants sent messages to each other, the essence of which was the same: “A terrible thing happened. The Führer is alive.”
Effects
After the assassination attempt on Hitler, an era of severe repression began. The main participants were found and executed. But some were sent to concentration camps. The arrest of Franz Halder occurred on July 23, 1944. He spent the rest of World War II away from the front and command. The conditions were terrible, the attitude towards the “traitor” was even worse. For Franz Halder, the Dachau concentration camp became a temporary residence. On April 28, nineteen forty-five, he was liberated by the American army.
The end of World War II. Franz Halder
Among the participants of the sensational Nuremberg trials were many of the former command. Among them was Halder. He testified against Adolf Hitler, whom he especially passionately accused of defeating Germany, and other ardent Nazis. A few years later he was found not guilty.
Halder soon decided to devote himself to writing articles and books. He also worked in the management of the American army, where he scrupulously studied the history of those years. Franz Halder's book The War Diary is one of the main sources by which the events of World War II can be reproduced.