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On the 19th of July 1940 during a ceremony at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Adolf Hitler promoted 12 Generals to the rank of Field Marshal, for their role in the swift victory over France and the Low Countries. The 12 Generals consisted of Fedor von Bock, Walther von Brauchitsch, Albert Kesselring, Wilhelm Keitel, Günther von Kluge, Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, Wilhelm List, Erhard Milch, Walther von Reichenau, Gerd von Rundstedt, Hugo Sperrle and Erwin von Witzleben. The number of promotions was unexpected, Throughout the whole of the First World War, Kaiser Wilhelm II had promoted only five generals to Field Marshal. Prelude To Battle Most of Hitlers Generals was appalled of the possibility of another major war in Europe and thought seriously about overthrowing Hitler and his military ambitions, in particular Ludwig Beck, Franz Halder, and Walther von Brauchitsch. On 5 November 1939, Brauchitsch reluctantly agreed to read a document to Hitler, saying that morale in the German Army was worse than what it was in 1918, a statement that enraged Hitler who harshly berated Brauchitsch for incompetence. Brauchitsch went on to complain that "the aggressive spirit of the German infantry was sadly below the standard of the First World War... certain symptoms of insubordination similar to those of 1917–18". Hitler responded by flying into a tremendous rage, accusing both the General Staff and Brauchitsch personally of disloyalty, cowardice, sabotage and defeatism. Even though many Generals still felt that a successful Western offensive was impossible, there was made no further attempts to overthrowing Hitler, or to protect the professional independence of the German Army in 1940. Fall of France After the complete destruction of France and the Low Countries in June 1940, many Generals was looking forward and expected their Field Marshals batons and wealthy estates. On the 19th of July 1940, Hitler summoned his High Command to a ceremony in the Kroll Opera House in Berlin. After a speech directed at Britain, Hitler personally rewarded his Generals with their richly decorated Field Marshal batons. Even though it was Eric Von Mainstein who had developed the “sickle cut” strategy, he was not promoted to Field Marshal. Hitler would instead promote Mainstein to Field Marshal after victories on the Eastern front in 1942. 20 July Plot Erwin von Witzleben and Günther von Kluge are the only two of these Field Marshals who was known to have been involved in the 20 July Plot. After it became clear that the assassination attempt had failed, Kluge committed suicide by taking cyanide that same day. Witzleben was sentenced to death by the Peoples Court, he was strangled with piano wire that had been wound around a meat hook. Deaths Fedor von Bock became the only one of Adolf Hitlers Field Marshals to die from enemy fire. in 1945, Bock was informed by Erich von Manstein that Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz was forming a new government in Hamburg. Bock started off for the city immediately, perhaps hoping for a new command. On 4 May 1945, only a week before the wars end in Europe, Bocks car was strafed on the road to Kiel by a British fighter plane. He was killed along with his wife and daughter.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/Fedor_von_Bock
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/List_of_German_field_marshals
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/G%C3%BCnther_von_Kluge
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/Erwin_von_Witzleben
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/Erich_von_Manstein
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/Walther_von_Brauchitsch
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/Battle_of_France
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/20_July_plot
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/Ludwig_Beck