World War II: The Battle of Stalingrad - Jewish Virtual Library
The Battle of Stalingrad took place between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943, during the Second World War.
Franz Halder
However, Hitler was so focused on the city itself, that requests from the flanks for support were refused. The chief of the Army General Staff, <anchor>Franz Halder</anchor>, expressed concerns about Hitler’s preoccupation with the city, pointing at the Germans’ weak flanks, claiming that if the situation on the flanks was not rectified then “there would be a disaster”. Hitler had claimed to Halder that Stalingrad would be captured and the weakened flanks would be held with “national socialist ardour, clearly I cannot expect this of you (Halder)”. Halder was then replaced in mid October with General Kurt Zeitzler.
Franz Halder
Franz Halder

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# Franz Halder

## (1884 - 1972)

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![](/jsource/images/People/halder.jpg)

Franz Halder was born in [Germany](/jsource/vjw/Germanytoc.html) in 1884. He joined the German Army and during the First World War he was a member of the staff of the Crown Prince of Bavaria.

In 1938, Halder replaced General [Ludwig Beck](/jsource/biography/beck.html) as Chief of General Staff. Halder organized the offensive against [Poland](/jsource/Holocaust/polandtoc.html) but warned [Adolf Hitler](/jsource/Holocaust/hitlertoc.html) against the Invasion of France. Halder also helped plan the eventually abandoned Operation Sealion and Operation Barbarossa.

After the resignation of [Walther von Brauchitsch](/jsource/biography/Brauchitsch.html), Halder took over as Commander in Chief of the German Army. He was replaced by General Kurt Zeitzler in September 1942 after a disagreement with Adolf Hitler.

Halder was arrested by the [Gestapo](/jsource/Holocaust/Gestapo.html) in 1944 and accused of being involved in the [July Plot](/jsource/Holocaust/julyplot.html). He was sent to [Dachau](/jsource/Holocaust/dachautoc.html) Concentration Camp and was freed in 1945 by the U.S. Army.

In 1946, Halder gave evidence against leading members of the [Nazi Party](/jsource/Holocaust/nazipartytoc.html) at the [Nuremberg War Crimes Trial](/jsource/Holocaust/crimestoc.html). His critics have pointed out that Halder's objections to Hitler were based on military differences rather than a rejection of Nazi philosophy. For example, he became involved in the [July Plot](/jsource/Holocaust/julyplot.html) because he believed that Hitler no longer had the ability to win the war. Franz Halder died in 1972.

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**Sources:** [Spartacus Educational](http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk)

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