Fritz Todt | |
|---|---|
 Todt in 1940 | |
| Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions | |
| In office 17 March 1940 – 8 February 1942 | |
| Leader | Adolf Hitler (Führer) |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Speer |
| Inspector General for Water and Energy | |
| In office 29 July 1941 – 8 February 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Speer |
| General Plenipotentiary for Regulation of the Construction Industry | |
| In office 9 December 1938 – 8 February 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Speer |
| Head of the Organisation Todt | |
| In office May 1938 – 8 February 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Speer |
| Inspector General for German Roadways | |
| In office 5 July 1933 – 8 February 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Speer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1891 Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire (in modern Baden-Württemberg, Germany) |
| Died | 8 February 1942 (aged 50) near Rastenburg, East Prussia, Nazi Germany (modern Kętrzyn, Poland) |
| Resting place | Invalids' Cemetery, Berlin |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Parent(s) | Emil Todt (father) Elise Unterecker (mother) |
| Education | Technical University of Munich Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |
| Profession | Civil engineer |
| Known for | Chief of Organisation Todt |
| Cabinet | Hitler Cabinet |
| Civilian awards | German Order |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Nazi Germany |
| Branch/service | Luftstreitkräfte Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1914–1918 1939–1942 |
| Rank | Leutnant of the reserves Generalmajor der Luftwaffe (Honorary) SA-Obergruppenführer |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Military awards | Iron Cross |
Fritz Todt ([fʁɪt͡s toːt]; 4 September 1891 – 8 February 1942) was a German construction engineer and senior figure of the Nazi Party. He was the founder of Organisation Todt (OT), a military-engineering organisation that supplied German industry with forced labour, and served as Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition in Nazi Germany early in World War II, directing the entire German wartime military economy from that position.
An engineer by training, Todt served in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and was a recipient of the Iron Cross. He joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and the Sturmabteilung (SA) in 1931. Steadily rising through the ranks, Todt became Inspector General for German Roadways after Adolf Hitler came to power. In that capacity, he was responsible for the construction of the German autobahns. In 1938, he founded Organisation Todt and directed large-scale engineering projects such as the Westwall (Siegfried Line) and the Atlantic Wall. In 1940, he was appointed Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production. During World War II Todt made extensive use of forced labour, with as many as 800,000 labourers from German-occupied territories in the service of his organisation.
Todt was killed in February 1942 near Rastenburg when his aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. He was succeeded as Reichsminister and head of the OT by Albert Speer.