Werner von Blomberg

Werner von Blomberg
Blomberg in 1934
Reichsminister of War
In office 21 May 1935 – 27 January 1938
Preceded by	Himself as Minister of Defense
Succeeded by	Wilhelm Keitel as Chief of the High Command
Minister of Defence
In office 29 January 1933 – 21 May 1935
Preceded by	Kurt von Schleicher
Succeeded by	Himself as Reichsminister of War
Chief of the Troop Office
In office 27 January 1927 – 30 September 1929
Preceded by	Georg Wetzell
Succeeded by	Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord
Personal details
Born	Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (1878-09-02)2 September 1878 Stargard, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	13 March 1946(1946-03-13) (aged 67) Nuremberg, Bavaria, Allied-occupied Germany
Cause of death	Colorectal cancer
Resting place	Bad Wiessee
Spouses	Charlotte Hellmich ​ ​ (m. 1904; died 1932)​ Erna Gruhn ​ (m. 1938)​
Relations	Axel von Blomberg (son)
Children	5
Signature
Nickname	Rubber Lion[1]
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Branch/service	German Army
Years of service	1897–1938
Rank	Generalfeldmarschall
Commands	1st Infantry Division, Reichskriegsministerium
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Pour le Mérite

Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 – 13 March 1946) was a German general and politician who served as the first Minister of War in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1938. Blomberg had served as Chief of the Truppenamt, equivalent to the German General Staff, during the Weimar Republic from 1927 to 1929.

Blomberg served on the Western Front during World War I and rose through the ranks of the Reichswehr until he was appointed chief of the Truppenamt. Despite being dismissed from the Truppenamt, he was later appointed Defence Minister by President Paul von Hindenburg in January 1933.

Following the Nazis' rise to power in Germany, Blomberg was named Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces. In this capacity, he played a central role in Germany's rearmament as well as purging the military of dissidents to the new regime. However, as Blomberg grew increasingly critical of the Nazis' foreign policy, he was ultimately forced to resign in the Blomberg-Fritsch affair in 1938 orchestrated by his political rivals, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler. Thereafter, Blomberg spent World War II in obscurity until he served as a witness in the Nuremburg Trials shortly before his death.