Werner von Blomberg

Werner von Blomberg
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 (1878-09-02)2 September 1878 Stargard, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	13 March 1946(1946-03-13) (aged 67) Nuremberg, Bavaria, Allied-occupied Germany
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	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Branch/service	German Army
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.