Ludwig Beck

Ludwig Beck (1880-1944) rose to General in the German Army, becoming Army Chief of Staff in 1933 with the rise of the Nazis but removed in 1938 for plotting against the regime. He committed suicide after the failure of the 1944 assassination attempt against Hitler.

German Resistance

After his dismissal for sending Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin to Neville Chamberlain, suggesting he would block an invasion of Czechoslovakia, he toured Europe, speaking against the Nazis to national leaders. In 1940, he discussed assassinating Hitler with Carl Goerdeler, and plotted with Wilhelm Canaris, Hans Oster and Ulrich von Hassell.

20th of July Plot

When the bomb went off in Hitler's headquarters, he was part of the command team waiting at the Reserve Army headquarters in the Bendlerstrasse. The conspirators planned to install him as chief of state.

Reserve Army head Gen. Friedrich Fromm, who Beck had commanded, intended to send Beck to a summary firing squad with Claus von Stauffenberg and three other key figures with detailed knowledge. Beck, speaking of old times, asked to be permitted to commit suicide. He attempted to shoot himself twice, but not fatally; Fromm ordered a sergeant to kill him.