The biography of Franz Halder contains a lot of valuable information about what exactly happened in Nazi Germany. The study of his life and death allows you to delve deeper into the interweaving of the internal structure of the Wehrmacht.
Birth
Franz Halder was born on June 30, 1884 in the largest of the Bavarian cities - Würzburg. His father was Maximilian Halder, a major general in the Royal Bavarian Army, and his mother was half-French Matilda Halder, nee Steinheil. Several generations of his family devoted themselves to military service: Franz Halder's grandfather, for example, was a captain.
Franz's youth
In terms of religion, young Franz's parents disagreed. His father, Maximilian Halder, was brought up as 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 quite a lot of influence, since the young Franz was baptized as a Lutheran, and after that he was immediately sent to his grandmother in France. There he spent the first years of his life. But when Franz was 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 was six, he was immediately enrolled in an advanced course at the Lutheran school in Munich. A few years later, he moved to an even more reputable school. Three years later, Franz began attending classes at the Teresian Gymnasium, one of the most famous and popular in Munich. Everywhere he was the most promising of the students. Also, Franz Halder was distinguished by diligence and diligence. At the age of eighteen, he received a high school diploma.
Halder's military career
Nobody could be surprised by Franz's choice. The military field was assigned to him even before birth. Immediately after graduating from high school, 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 Bavaria 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 the 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 military academy of Bavaria. Soon he was promoted to lieutenant. 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 active army.
During World War I
Franz Halder, commander of the third Bavarian army corps, fought with his soldiers at Nancy and Epinal. He personally carried out extremely risky intelligence operations, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class. In general, the awards of Franz Halder can be listed for a very long time. In accordance with the traditions of the 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, delivering and distributing food, money and medicine among the soldiers. 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 a certain fame due to his merits, Franz Halder is 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 the First World War.
The "lost generation" period
After the conclusion of the hated peace treaty, which marked the end of the war, the German army began massive reductions. Franz Halder, realizing the precariousness of his position, seized on the post of adjutant of the General Staff in Bavaria. Betweenbusiness, 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 did not have to worry. All of them received membership in the new reformed army.
Halder's views on the Nazis
Halder had no fantasies about the coming to power of the Nazis 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 her position. But he continued to treat with obvious rejection the fact that the party then received the full right to interfere in military affairs. She controlled everything with her usual cruelty and uncompromising nature.
Halder also considered the Nazis inept and mediocre politicians. He loved everything cautious, and now adventurers have taken over his country. Given that Halder had reached a very influential position in the army, his views began to attract members of the opposition to him.
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 senior officers. At the same time, he entered into a close relationship with Ludwig Beck, the leader of the anti-Hitler movement. 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 him with. He was promoted again. All this happened in 1938, when the organization of the German armyundergone significant internal changes. A new army was being created, and Halder became the closest assistant and deputy head of the General Staff of the ground forces.
Thus, Ludwig Beck, his short-lived colleague 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 this turn of events. Halder already concentrated in his hands the main functions of the General Staff. In addition, which was very important, Adolf Hitler supported his candidacy, considering Halder "ready to support his ideas and go towards the future." The origin and numerous connections of Halder also played a role. The absence 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 disparate proposals. He was called the "little man", compared to a nondescript school teacher.
Attempt
Only after taking the place of Ludwig Beck, OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder immediately went to several influential individuals who could be connected with the opposition, and declared with incredible frankness that he despises the Nazis with all his heart and is ready to stage a coup d'état right now. He asked if these individuals would like to take the place of Adolf Hitler when everything is done? Are they preparing for rebellion? But Halder did not act too actively. In his own words, it was planned that Germany would be defeated by European countries, and onlythen it will be possible to stage a coup. No one will object or resist too fiercely.
At the same time, 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 Adolf Hitler's death was caused by an accident. Halder counted on the bombing and on the fact that when Europe came out, everything would happen by itself. But Europe did not come forward. Halder later blamed Britain for failing to do away with the Nazis back in 1938.
Halder was waiting for Hitler to finally be defeated, while at the same time planning future military campaigns. He didn't think he was betraying anyone. But it was precisely because of his efforts that the dreams of the opposition did not come true until 1945. He had enormous influence in the General Staff.
As a warlord
In 1939, Halder planned a campaign to conquer Poland. Then he did not justify his duty to the Motherland. No, he really wanted to expand the borders of what was then Germany, like many of the Germans. They might not like the Nazis, but they were disgusted by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
It was in Poland that Halder, along with other generals, realized that no one would allow them to wage war alone. Hitler participated in the discussions more often than many members of the General Staff wanted. The samecontinued in France, and in Belgium, and in other countries of Eastern Europe. Including in the Soviet Union. The plan to attack the USSR "Barbarossa" was also developed by Halder. But he greatly underestimated the strength of the Soviet army. It was Halder who suggested a lightning victory in just two weeks.
Twentieth of July
The world-famous Conspiracy of the Generals, or the July Plot, which took place on July 20, 1944, also could not do without Halder. Or so, anyway, it is considered now. Members of the so-called Resistance, namely Halder, Ludwig Beck, Erwin von Witzlebahn, Erich Gepne, Jochhanes Politz, Hjalma Schacht and many others, all held fairly high positions in Germany. They tried to commit dozens of assassination attempts on Hitler, but something always got in their way. Sometimes the bomb didn't go off, sometimes something else happened.
On the 20th of July, too, things did not quite go according to plan. It was planned to blow up the meeting room when Hitler was there. Stauffenberg, one of the members of the Resistance who was supposed to be there, brought an explosive device with him in his briefcase. He asked to be allowed to sit next to Hitler. Stauffenberg referred to a wound in the ear area, due to which he could not hear well. He approached Adolf Hitler, put his briefcase on the table, and left to ostensibly answer a phone call. But at this time, another person from those present at the meeting moved and pushed the briefcase away from the Fuhrer. As a result, Hitler received many woundsgravity, but survived. Four officers died from the bombing. When it turned out what happened in the end, the Resistance members sent messages to each other, the essence of which was the same: "A terrible thing happened. The Fuhrer is alive."
Consequences
After the assassination attempt on Hitler, the era of severe repression began. The main participants were found and executed. But some were sent to concentration camps. The arrest of Franz Halder took place 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, 1945, he was liberated by the American army.
The end of World War II. Franz Halder
Among the participants in the sensational Nuremberg trials were many from the former command. Among them was Halder. He testified against Adolf Hitler, whom he blamed with particular passion for the defeat of 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 administration of the American army, where he scrupulously studied the history of those years. Franz Halder's book "War Diary" is one of the main sources by which the events of World War II can be reproduced.
