Ludwig Beck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ludwig Beck
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Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
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| Chief of the General Staff of the German Army High Command |
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| In office 1 July 1935 – 31 August 1938 |
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| 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 |
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| 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) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents | Ludwig Beck Bertha Draudt |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
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| Branch/service | Army |
| Years of service | 1898–1938 |
| Rank | _8.svg){kind=small} Generaloberst |
| Battles/wars | |
Ludwig August Theodor Beck (born June 29, 1880 – died July 20, 1944) was a German general. He served as the Chief of the German General Staff in the early years of Nazi Germany. This was before World War II began.
Beck was never a member of the Nazi Party. However, in the early 1930s, he agreed with Adolf Hitler's strong statements against the Treaty of Versailles. He also believed Germany needed to rebuild its army. In 1934, Beck worried about German officers having to swear loyalty to Hitler. But he thought Germany needed a strong government. He hoped Hitler would listen to the army's traditional leaders, not groups like the SA or SS.
From 1935 to 1938, Beck was Chief of Staff of the German Army. He became more and more unhappy with the Nazi government. He also disagreed with Hitler's aggressive plans for other countries. These disagreements led Beck to resign in August 1938. After that, Beck believed Hitler and the Nazi Party had to be removed from power. Beck became a main leader in the group that plotted against Hitler. If the 20 July Plot had worked, Beck would have become the head of Germany. However, the plot failed. Beck was arrested and shot.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Ludwig Beck was born in Biebrich, which is now part of Wiesbaden, Germany. He grew up learning the traditions of the Prussian Army. During World War I, he worked as a staff officer on the Western Front. After the war, he held various leadership roles.
In the early 1930s, Beck led a group of army writers. They created the German Army Operations Manual, called Truppenführung. This guide is still used today in a changed form by the German army. In 1932, he was promoted to Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General). Two years later, in 1934, he became chief of the Truppenamt. This was a secret name for the General Staff, which the Treaty of Versailles had forbidden Germany from having.
In 1930, Beck was a key witness in a trial in Leipzig. Three junior officers were accused of being members of the Nazi Party. This was against the rules for army members. Beck argued that the Nazi Party was good for Germany. He said army members should be allowed to join it. He believed the army should work with the Nazi Party for Germany's future.
Beck's Role in Nazi Germany
When Hitler took power in 1933, Beck was hopeful. He wrote that he had wanted a political change for years. He saw Hitler's rise as a "first ray of hope." In 1934, Beck worried about Germany getting into a war too soon. This was after a failed Nazi attempt to take over Austria. Beck warned that foreign adventures could lead to Germany's defeat.
Beck was respected for his military guide, Truppenführung. As Chief of the General Staff from 1935 to 1938, he supported the growth of armored forces. He believed Germany needed to rebuild its military power. He thought Germany should spend a lot on its army, even more than Hitler planned. Once Germany was strong enough, Beck believed it should fight wars. These wars would make Germany the most powerful country in Europe. They would also put Central and Eastern Europe under German influence.
Beck was known for his intelligence and hard work. He wanted the General Staff to make all the important military decisions. This led to disagreements with the War Minister, Werner von Blomberg. In 1936, Beck strongly supported Hitler's decision to send troops into the Rhineland. Blomberg had worried about France's reaction.
By late 1937, Beck wanted the General Staff to have more power in the military. He also started his own spy network. He used military attachés (officers working in embassies) and even civilians to gather and share information.
In 1937, Beck refused to plan for an invasion of Austria. He thought it might start a world war before Germany was ready. But in 1938, during the Anschluss (when Germany took over Austria), Beck quickly made the plans. He did this once he was sure no war would start because of it. Beck believed war was necessary for Germany to become a great power again. But he thought these wars should be limited. He also believed Germany needed to be strong and have strong allies.
Disagreements with Hitler Before the War
Beck disliked Hitler's attempts to reduce the army's power. As Chief of the General Staff, Beck tried to stop Hitler from using the problems in the Sudetenland (a part of Czechoslovakia with many German speakers) as a reason for war in 1938.
Beck did not have a problem with the idea of attacking Czechoslovakia to remove it as a state. In 1935, he even discussed plans to divide Czechoslovakia. In November 1937, Beck wrote that war against Czechoslovakia was needed soon. He thought Germany should prepare other countries to support or not oppose this.
However, Beck felt Germany needed more time to build up its army. He believed Germany could not risk a war until 1940. He thought a war started in 1938 would be a "premature war" that Germany would lose. Most generals agreed that war in 1938 was risky. But they did not openly refuse Hitler's orders.
From May 1938, Beck sent many memos to Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and Walther von Brauchitsch. He argued against Fall Grün, the plan to attack Czechoslovakia. In his first memo in May 1938, Beck said Japan could not help Germany. He also believed the French army was the best in Europe. He thought Britain would surely help France if Germany attacked Czechoslovakia.
Beck argued that Germany's military and economic situation was bad. He said Germany could not risk a long war. The May Crisis of 1938 made Beck even more sure of the dangers of war. He worked harder to stop a war he thought Germany could not win.
In May 1938, Hitler said he respected Beck. But he felt Beck's views were too old-fashioned. Hitler thought Beck was still stuck on the idea of a small army. Beck met with Hitler and other leaders on May 28, 1938. Hitler repeated his ideas about war. Beck then wrote another memo. He argued that the Czechoslovak Army was strong. He also said a small, regional war in Central Europe was not possible. Beck agreed that Germany needed more land in Eastern Europe. He called Czechoslovakia's existence "intolerable." He concluded that Czechoslovakia had to be removed as a threat, even by war if needed. But Beck still argued that Germany was not strong enough for a general war in 1938. He urged Hitler to avoid a "premature war."
At first, Beck thought Hitler's rush to war was due to bad military advice. He believed Hitler would change his mind if he got advice from the General Staff. But in June 1938, Beck realized Hitler himself wanted war. He urged all senior officers to threaten to resign together. He hoped this would force Hitler to give up his war plans. Beck believed that if all officers acted together, military action would be impossible.
Beck's plan for mass resignations was not to overthrow Hitler. It was to make Hitler stop his war plans for 1938. It also aimed to remove certain "radical" Nazis who Beck thought were influencing Hitler badly. Beck, along with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and Baron Ernst von Weizsäcker, led an "antiwar" group. They wanted to avoid a war in 1938 because they thought Germany would lose. This group was different from a more radical "anti-Nazi" group. The anti-Nazi group wanted to use the crisis to overthrow the Nazi government.
In July 1938, Hitler called Beck's arguments against war "childish calculations." Beck wrote another memo. He said a war against Czechoslovakia, France, and Britain would lead to Germany's defeat. He urged Hitler to wait until Germany was strong enough. Beck resigned on August 18, 1938. General Franz Halder replaced him. Hitler asked Beck to keep his resignation a secret. This made Beck's protest less effective. Hitler promised Beck a major command, but instead, Beck was retired.
Planning Against Hitler
After his retirement, Beck lived in Berlin. He no longer had much influence on military matters. His opposition to Hitler connected him with a few senior officers who wanted to remove the dictator. His home became a meeting place for this small group. He hoped Britain would use threats to stop Hitler. But this did not work.
Beck and his fellow plotters knew Germany would lose quickly if France and Britain helped Czechoslovakia in 1938. So, they contacted the British Foreign Office. They told Britain about their plot. They asked Britain to give Hitler a strong warning to stop him from attacking Czechoslovakia. But in September 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed. This agreement gave the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to Germany. This ended the crisis and Beck's plans for a takeover.
In late 1939, Beck was in touch with German army officers, politicians, and civil servants. These included General Halder, Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, Carl Goerdeler, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, and Colonel Hans Oster. They discussed the possibility of a putsch (a sudden overthrow of the government) to remove the Nazi regime. By then, Beck believed Hitler had to be removed from power entirely. If the putsch succeeded, Germany would be led by Beck, Goerdeler, and Schacht. They would make peace with Britain and France. Germany would keep most of its conquered lands, including Austria and parts of Poland.
Early in the war, before France was attacked, the German Resistance sought help from Pope Pius XII. They wanted the Pope to help them plan a coup to remove Hitler. The Vatican agreed to help connect the plotters with the Allies. The Pope secretly passed messages between the plotters and Britain. Britain was not fully committed, but the Resistance was encouraged. In 1940, Beck, Goerdeler, and others agreed that Beck would lead a temporary government after the Nazi regime was overthrown.
The 20 July Plot
In 1943, Beck planned two attempts to kill Hitler with a bomb. In May 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel said he would join the planned putsch only if Beck became the head of the new government. In 1944, Beck was a main leader of the 20 July Plot. Other key figures were Carl Goerdeler and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. The plan was for Beck to become the Reichsverweser (regent) and lead the temporary government. This government would take power after Hitler was killed.
However, the plot failed. By that evening, Beck was captured by General Friedrich Fromm. Beck, along with other plotters, was shot and secretly buried that night.
Portrayals in Media
Ludwig Beck has been shown in many films, books, and TV shows about the July 1944 plot.
- He was played by Werner Hinz in The Plot to Assassinate Hitler (1955).
- Karl Ludwig Diehl played him in Jackboot Mutiny (1955).
- Ian Richardson played him in The Plot to Kill Hitler (1990).
- Remo Girone played him in Stauffenberg (2004).
- Terence Stamp played him in Valkyrie (2008).
Images for kids
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Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
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Beck (right) with Werner von Fritsch in 1937.
See also
In Spanish: Ludwig Beck para niños
