Werner von Fritsch

Fritsch was appointed Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres (Commander-in-Chief of the German Army). He oversaw the army's expansion and rearmament in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He was a traditionalist who sought to maintain the army's independence from the Nazi Party.

Fritsch was falsely accused of homosexuality by the Gestapo and SS in a campaign to remove conservative generals. He was forced to resign as Army Commander-in-Chief. A court of honor later cleared him, but his career was ruined. The affair allowed Hitler to take direct control of the armed forces.

Fritsch, serving as a colonel of artillery in the invasion of Poland, was killed by a Polish bullet during the siege of Warsaw. He was the first German general to die in World War II. His death was officially reported as a hero's death, but some accounts suggest he may have sought death.