Friedrich Fromm

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Friedrich Fromm
8 October 1888 – 12 March 1945
Generaloberst Friedrich Fromm
Place of birth	Berlin
Place of death	Brandenburg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	Chef der Heeresausrüstung und Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Friedrich Fromm (October 8, 1888 – March 12, 1945) was a German army officer remembered for his betrayal of conspirators involved in the July 20 Plot to assassinate German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Fromm was born in Charlottenburg. He served as a lieutenant during the First World War. In World War II Fromm was Commander in Chief of the Replacement Army (Ersatzheer), in charge of training and personnel replacement for the German Army, a position he occupied for most of the Second World War. Though he was aware that some of his subordinates - most notably, Claus von Stauffenberg, his Chief of Staff - were planning an assassination attempt, he remained quiet. When the assassination attempt failed, Fromm reacted by ordering the execution of those conspirators he knew. Unfortunately for Fromm, this reaction helped to expose his own lack of action and alleged failure to report the plot. He was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death by the German "People's Court" (Volksgerichtshof). Despite his involvement in the conspiracy, his formal sentence condemned him for poor performance of his duties. He was executed in Brandenburg an der Havel. Hitler personally commuted his death sentence from hanging to "more honorable" firing squad.

[edit] Awards

• Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Classes
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (6 July 1940)

[edit] References

• Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
• Bernhard R. Kroener, “Der starke Mann im Heimatkriegsgebiet”. Generaloberst Friedrich Fromm. Eine Biographie (Paderborn: Schoeningh, 2005)