Fritz Todt (; 4 September 1891 – 8 February 1942) was a German
construction engineer and senior
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
who rose from the position of Inspector General for German Roadways, in which he directed the construction of the
German autobahns
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
(''Reichsautobahnen''), to become the
Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition. From that position, he directed the entire German wartime military economy.
Before the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he initiated what Hitler called ''
Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi. The organisation was responsible for a huge range of engineering pr ...
'', a
military-engineering company that supplied industry with
forced labour, built fortifications such as the ''
Westwall
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the wes ...
'' and
Atlantic Wall with that labour, and administered construction of the
Nazi concentration camps
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as con ...
in the late phase of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
.
Todt died in an aircraft crash in 1942.
Early life and education
Todt was born in
Pforzheim
Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany.
It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...
in the
Grand Duchy of Baden (now in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
) to Emil Todt (1861–1909) and his wife, Elise, née Unterecker (1869–1935). His father owned a small ring factory.
In 1910, he volunteered for one-year military service. From 1911 to 1914, Todt studied engineering at
Technical Hochschule of Munich and
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, graduating with a
Diplom degree in construction engineering from the latter.
[Stefan Kuh]
Fritz Todt
Deutsches Historisches Museum online, 17. September 2015 (German)
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he served initially with the infantry and then as front line
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
observer within the ''
Luftstreitkräfte
The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...
'' (the German Air Forces – DLSK), winning the
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
. After the war he resumed his studies and graduated in 1920.
[
]
Career
In 1921, he initially worked on waterpower stations for the Grün & Bilfinger AG, Mannheim company and the same year for the civil engineering company where he worked until 1933.[ In January 1922, he joined the '']Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
'' (NSDAP), or Nazi Party. In 1931, he joined the '' Sturmabteilung'' (SA), which was then commanded by Ernst Röhm. He rose steadily through its ranks, attaining the rank of SA-''Obergruppenführer
' (, "senior group leader") was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissio ...
'' in September 1938. In 1932, Todt completed his thesis at Technical Hochschule of Munich ''Fehlerquellen beim Bau von Landstraßendecken aus Teer und Asphalt'' ("Sources of defects in the construction of tarmac and asphalt road surfaces") and became a Doctor of Engineering ( Dr.-Ing.).[
On 5 July 1933, five months after ]Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
became ''Reichskanzler'', Todt was appointed ''Generalinspektor für das deutsche Straßenwesen'' (Inspector General for German Roadways). In November, this public authority was raised to the status of a "Supreme Reich Authority" (''Oberste Reichsbehörde'') outside the hierarchy of Reich Ministries; Todt was subordinated directly to Hitler. Alan S. Milward characterized this phase as follows:
"His personal views on business questions and, what was more important, the success of the motorway project kept Todt in the inner circle of the Führer. At the same time, his deliberate pose as a technical expert, as a man without interest in internal power struggles, saved him from the adversaries of the more important party leaders for a long time".
He was given the task of organizing a new construction company for the motorways ('' Reichsautobahnen''). He edited the journal ''Die Strasse'', which was a publication of his agency from 1934 to 1942.
For his work on the autobahnen, Todt was recognized with the German National Prize for Art and Science
Through statutes of 30 January 1937, the German National Order for Art and Science (german: Der Deutscher Nationalorden für Kunst und Wissenschaft) was an award created by Adolf Hitler as a replacement for the Nobel Prize (he had forbidden German ...
by Hitler, next to Ernst Heinkel
Dr. Ernst Heinkel (24 January 1888 – 30 January 1958) was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, '' Wehrwirtschaftsführer'' in Nazi Germany, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, th ...
, Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was an Austrian-German automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche AG. He is best known for creating the first gasoline–electric hybrid vehicle (Lohner–Porsche), the Volksw ...
and Willy Messerschmitt.[ Hitler donated the award during 1937, devised as a replacement for the ]Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
, which Hitler forbade Germans from accepting starting during 1936.
In December 1936, he became ''Leiter des Hauptamts für Technik in der Reichsleitung der NSDAP'' (Director of the Head Office for Engineering in the National Directorate of the NSDAP) and, in December 1938, ''Generalbevollmächtigter für die Regelung der Bauwirtschaft'' (General Plenipotentiary for the Regulation of the Construction Industry) in the Four Year Plan
The Four Year Plan was a series of economic measures initiated by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany in 1936. Hitler placed Hermann Göring in charge of these measures, making him a Reich Plenipotentiary (Reichsbevollmächtigter) whose jurisdiction cut a ...
. At the beginning of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
in Europe, he was also appointed to the rank of '' Generalmajor'' of the Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
.[ In May 1938, he initiated the '']Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi. The organisation was responsible for a huge range of engineering pr ...
'' (OT), joining government firms, private companies and the ''Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ...
'' (Reich Labour Service).[ OT used up to 800,000 forced labourers ('' Zwangsarbeiter'') from countries that Germany occupied during World War II.][ Todt was responsible for the construction of the "West Wall" (commonly named the " Siegfried Line" in English-speaking countries) to defend the ''Reich'' territory.
On 17 March 1940, Todt was appointed ''Reichsminister für Bewaffnung und Munition'' (Minister for Armaments and Munitions) which meant he managed the entire military economy.][
After the ]invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...
in June 1941, Todt was appointed to manage the restoration of the infrastructure there. In late July 1941, he was named ''Generalinspekteur für Wasser und Energie'' (Inspector General for Water and Energy). During that year, he became increasingly distant from the commanders of the ''Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
'', in particular from ''Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
, the ''Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe'' (Commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
).[ After an inspection tour of the Eastern Front, Todt complained to Hitler that without better equipment and supplies for the armed forces, it would be better to end the war against the ]Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
.[ Hitler rejected such an assessment and continued the offensive against the Soviets.
]
Death
On 8 February 1942, soon after take-off from the ''Wolfsschanze'' ("Wolf's Lair
The ''Wolf's Lair'' (german: Wolfsschanze; pl, Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.
The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the small village of Görlitz in Ost ...
") airfield near Rastenburg, in East Prussia, Todt's aircraft crashed and he was killed.[ He was buried in the Invalids' Cemetery in the Scharnhorst-Strasse in ]Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
. Posthumously, he became the first recipient of the newly created ''Deutscher Orden'' (" German Order").[
It has been suggested that Todt had been the victim of an assassination orchestrated by Hitler, but that has never been confirmed. A possible motive for killing Todt was that he had flown to the Wolf's Lair to recommend that Hitler sue for peace with Russia. Todt's production figures suggested that the German economy was not able to support the defeat of Russia and, by February, it was apparent Hitler's plan to rapidly subdue Russia in a Blitzkrieg was not succeeding.
Todt's successor as ''Reichsminister'' was Albert Speer, whom Hitler awarded an ''Org.Todt'' ring during May 1943. Speer was supposed to be on same plane as Todt. In his autobiography, Speer mentioned a Reich Air Ministry inquiry into the airplane accident, which he said ended with the sentence: "The possibility of sabotage is ruled out. Further measures are therefore neither requisite nor intended". Speer, who was present but had declined to travel on the same flight because he had been kept up late the night before, talking with Hitler, thought that the wording was "curious".
]
Legacy
On 8 February 1944, the second commemoration of Todt's death, Hitler awarded the ''Dr.-Fritz-Todt-Preis'' as a Badge of Honor of the Nazi Party for "Innovative accomplishments, which are of great importance for the Volk
The German noun ''Volk'' () translates to people,
both uncountable in the sense of ''people'' as in a crowd, and countable (plural ''Völker'') in the sense of '' a people'' as in an ethnic group or nation (compare the English term '' folk ...
community because of the improvement of their weapons, ammunition and military equipment, and the saving of labor, raw materials and energy". The Badge of Honor came with a material prize and a certificate, was awarded as a medal made of gold, silver, or steel. The Golden Award of Honor was presented by Hitler in person upon proposal by the responsible Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a '' Gau'' or '' Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest rank in the Nazi political leadership, subordinate only to '' Reichsleiter'' and to ...
, upon the joint proposal of Robert Ley
Robert Ley (; 15 February 1890 – 25 October 1945) was a German politician and labour union leader during the Nazi era; Ley headed the German Labour Front from 1933 to 1945. He also held many other high positions in the Party, including ''Gaul ...
, the director of the corresponding Deutsche Arbeitsfront
The German Labour Front (german: Deutsche Arbeitsfront, ; DAF) was the labour organisation under the Nazi Party which replaced the various independent trade unions in Germany during Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
History
As early as March 1933, t ...
and NSDAP leaders, and the director of the "Main office for Technology in the NSDAP", Albert Speer.
Major awards
* 1918 Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
* 1937 Werner von Siemens Ring
The Werner von Siemens Ring (in German orthography, Werner-von-Siemens-Ring) is one of the highest awards for technical sciences in Germany.
It has been awarded from 1916 to 1941 and since 1952 about every three years by the foundation ''Stiftung ...
* 1938 German National Prize for Art and Science
Through statutes of 30 January 1937, the German National Order for Art and Science (german: Der Deutscher Nationalorden für Kunst und Wissenschaft) was an award created by Adolf Hitler as a replacement for the Nobel Prize (he had forbidden German ...
* 1939 Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy[Der deutsche Baumeister 12/1939.]
* 1942 German Order
See also
* Economy of Nazi Germany
Like many other Western nations at the time, Germany suffered the economic effects of the Great Depression with unemployment soaring around the Wall Street Crash of 1929. When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, he introduced poli ...
* Forced labour under German rule during World War II
* Nazi architecture
References
Further reading
* , Rolf-Dieter Muller, and Hans Umbreit, eds. ''Germany and the Second World War: Volume 5: Organization and Mobilization of the German Sphere of Power. Part I: Wartime Administration, Economy, and Manpower Resources, 1939-1941'' Oxford University Press, (2000)
*
* Taylor, Blaine. ''Hitler's Engineers: Fritz Todt and Albert Speer-Master Builders of the Third Reich'' (Casemate Publishers, 2010)
* Busch, Andreas: ''Die Geschichte des Autobahnbaus in Deutschland bis 1945''. Rockstuhl, Bad Langensalza 2002, .
*
* : ''Fritz Todt, der Mensch, der Ingenieur, der Nationalsozialist. Ein Bericht über Leben und Werk.'' Gerhard Stalling, Oldenburg 1943.
* , Eckhard Gruber: ''Mythos Reichsautobahn''. 2. Auflage. Links, Berlin 2000, .
* Franz W. Seidler
''Fritz Todt. Baumeister des Dritten Reiches.''
Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main/Berlin 1988, .419 pp.
* Adam Tooze
John Adam Tooze (born 1967) is an English historian who is a professor at Columbia University, Director of the European Institute and nonresident scholar at Carnegie Europe. Previously, he was Reader in Twentieth-Century History at the Universi ...
: ''Ökonomie der Zerstörung. Die Geschichte der Wirtschaft im Nationalsozialismus''. Siedler, München 2006 (German 2007), . New edition: Schriftenreihe der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, vol. 663, . Wieder: Pantheon, München 2008, .
External links
Tribute to Fritz Todt. Story RG-60.3910, Film ID: 2691
Deutsche Wochenschau, February 1942 (in German). Duration 8:35 min. Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive, USHMM
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust his ...
. Funeral of Fritz Todt at 01:05:12.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Todt, Fritz
1891 births
1942 deaths
People from Pforzheim
People from the Grand Duchy of Baden
20th-century German architects
German civil engineers
Luftstreitkräfte personnel
Sturmabteilung officers
Holocaust perpetrators
Architects in the Nazi Party
Nazi Germany ministers
Nazi Party officials
Major generals of the Luftwaffe
Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery
Technical University of Munich alumni
Prussian Army personnel
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914)
Recipients of the German Order (decoration)
Engineers from Baden-Württemberg
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1942
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Poland
Werner von Siemens Ring laureates
German Army personnel of World War I