born Oct. 4, 1881, Berlin, Ger.
died Oct. 18, 1948, Hamburg
German army officer.
A member of the general staff in World War I, he rose to become field marshal and army commander in chief (1938). In World War II, he successfully directed Germany's ground war until Adolf Hitler forced his resignation after suffering major losses in Russia in 1941. He survived the war but died shortly before his scheduled trial as a war criminal.