General Friedrich Fromm and the conspiracy against Hitler

In 1944, there was an attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler, organized by a group of German officers and generals. The conspirators were sure that the Führer was leading Germany to a catastrophe. General Fromm knew about the intentions of the rebels, but did not dare join them. However, caution did not save him.

Biography

Friedrich Fromm was born in 1888 in the family of a general. He enrolled at the Humboldt University of Berlin, but later retired his studies for a military career. Fromm began serving in artillery units. He took part in the First World War as an Ober-lieutenant. Fromm was wounded twice in battle. He received several awards for his services, including the Iron Cross. In the period between the defeat of Germany in the First World War and the coming to power of the Nazis, Fromm held a number of staff posts in the German army. In 1933 he was awarded the rank of colonel.

Third Reich

While in the service of the fascist regime, Friedrich Fromm became a member of the top leadership of the Wehrmacht. He received the rank of general and became commander of the Reserve Army. The main task of this part of the armed forces was to protect the rear territories of the Third Reich. Thanks to his position, General Friedrich Fromm actually controlled the entire German state. Depend on the organization of the supply of the army. Fromm was in direct subordination to Adolf Hitler.

Attempted coup

Among the group of German high-ranking military officials, a conspiracy to overthrow the Nazi regime arose. The plan of the coup d'état included the assassination of Hitler and the seizure of key communications. A special role in the planned events conspirators assigned to the Reserve Army. It was supposed to be used to neutralize resistance from the troops loyal to the fascist government. There was an official plan for mobilizing the Reserve Army in the event of riots or other emergency situations within the country. The conspirators intended to put it into effect after the assassination of Hitler. The Commander of the Reserve Army, Friedrich Fromm, was to play an important role in seizing power by a group of officers and generals who were dissatisfied with Nazi policies.

Failure

Attempted attempt on the life of Hitler occurred on July 20, 1944. One of the participants in the conspiracy, Colonel Stauffenberg, brought a bomb in the briefcase to the room in which the Führer was holding a meeting. As a result of the explosion, Hitler was injured, but remained alive. The conspirators did not immediately learn about their failure. Within hours of the explosion, they were sure that Hitler had been killed. However, the rebels' attempt to take control of key facilities and communications has not been successful. Not having confirmed information about the death of the Führer, most commanders of the Reserve Army refused to obey the conspirators.

Elimination of witnesses

Friedrich Fromm knew about the impending assassination attempt, but took a wait-and-see attitude. He was going to join the organizers of the coup d'etat only if the plan was successfully implemented. Having received a refutation of information about Hitler's death, the general opposed the conspirators. To save his own life Fromm had to eliminate witnesses of his passive participation in the attempt. Committed to the Fuhrer, the officers arrested the main conspirators, including Stauffenberg. Fromm had ten minutes to conduct a meeting of the military court and sentence all the accused to death. They were immediately shot.

Arrest, court and execution

Hasty reprisal with the conspirators did not save the general from suspicion of having connections with them. The next day he was dismissed from his post and arrested. The investigation could not prove the direct participation of Fromm in the conspiracy. The court accused him of showing cowardice towards the enemy and sentenced him to death. On March 12, 1945, the general was shot. According to eyewitnesses, In the last moments of his life, Fromm said that he always wanted the best for Germany.