Werner von Blomberg | |
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![]() 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 2 September 1878 Stargard, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
Died | 13 March 1946 Nuremberg, Bavaria, Allied-occupied Germany | (aged 67)
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 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
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 Staff officer and the first Minister of War in Adolf Hitler's government. After serving on the Western Front in World War I, Blomberg was appointed chief of the Truppenamt ("Troop Office") during the Weimar Republic. Following the Nazis' rise to power, he was named Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces. In this capacity, Blomberg played a central role in Germany's military build-up during the years leading to World War II. However, by 20 January 1938, he was forced to resign after his rivals, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, presented Hitler with evidence that his wife had posed in the past for pornographic photos.