Blomberg-Fritsch Affair: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair where two rather unfortunate scandals that resulted in the subjugation of the German Wehrmacht to Adolf Hitler. The revealation that War Minister von Blomberg's new bride was a former prostitute was initially a shock to even Hitler himself, who was a witness at the wedding. This disgrace in an army concerned with tradition and honor lead to von Blomberg's resignation. At around the same time, Commander-in-Chief von Fritsch was accused of being a homosexual by a paid informant of Himmler and the SS. Although the evidence was later dismissed and von Fritsch was acquitted, he was never reinstated as the Commander-in-Chief. Hitler decided to filled the two vacant positions himself. At the suggestion of von Blomberg, Keitel became the new Chief-of-Staff of the Wehrmacht. This change was protested by some senior members in the Wehrmacht, most notably General Ludwig Beck. However, bound to the personal oath taken by the members of the Wehrmacht, little action came of the resentment felt by many in the service. Thus the stage was set for the Wehrmacht to be merely an instrument of Hitler's will and its ultimate destruction.