Werner Von Fritsch - The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair

The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair

Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring—inspired by the resignation of Blomberg—accused the unmarried Fritsch of engaging in homosexual activity. Fritsch had never been a womaniser and had preferred to concentrate on his army career. He was forced to resign on 4 February 1938. His replacement—Walther von Brauchitsch—was recommended for the post by von Fritsch. Adolf Hitler took advantage of the situation through the replacement of several generals and ministers with Nazi loyalists, which strengthened his control of the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht). It soon became known that the charges were false, and an honour court of officers examined the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair, although it was presided over by Göring himself. The successful annexation of Austria into Greater Germany (Anschluss) of 12 March silenced all critics of Hitler, Göring and Himmler. Fritsch was acquitted on 18 March, but the damage to his name had been done.

Following his acquittal, Fritsch attempted to challenge SS leader Heinrich Himmler to a duel. Fritsch composed a formal challenge and reportedly practiced his pistol skills in his free time, of which he had plenty as an officer without a command. The letter was given to General Gerd von Rundstedt for delivery, but Rundstedt, seeking to bridge the distrust between the Wehrmacht and SS, ultimately convinced Fritsch to abandon the idea. (It is unlikely the encounter could have come about regardless, as Hitler had forbidden highly-placed party members, such as Himmler, from dueling.)

Despite the false charges, Fritsch remained loyal to the Nazi regime, and maintained his firmly held belief Germany was faced with an international Jewish conspiracy out to ruin the Reich After the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938, Fritsch wrote in a letter to a friend on 22 November 1938 that "Of course the battle with international Jewry has now officially began, and as a natural consequence that will lead to war with England and the United States, the political bastions of the Jews". In another letter to his friend, the Baroness von Schutzbar on 11 December 1938 Fritsch wrote:

"It is very strange that so many people should regard the future with growing apprehension, in spite of the Führer's indisputable successes in the past...Soon after the War, I came to the conclusion that we have to be victorious in three battles, if Germany were again to be powerful:.

(1) The battle against the working class. Hitler has won this;

(2) Against the Catholic Church, perhaps better expressed as Ultramontanism and

(3) Against the Jews.

We are in the midst of these battles, and the one against the Jews is the most difficult. I hope everyone realizes the intricacies of this campaign."

Fritsch told Ulrich von Hassell—when the latter tried to involve him in an anti-Nazi plot—that Hitler was Germany's destiny, and nothing could be done to change that fact.