caption serviceyears branch commands death_place death_date birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date rank image article_title name
field marshal von witzleben in 1940 or '41 1901 -- 1944 heer 1 . armee plötzensee , nazi germany prison , berlin , free state of prussia 8 august 1944 breslau , german empire now wrocław , lower silesian voivodeship , , poland province of silesia , kingdom of prussia german to 1933 -rrb- nazi germany empire -lrb- to 1918 -rrb- weimar republic -lrb- knight 's cross of the iron cross first world war second world war 4 december 1881 generalfeldmarschall bundesarchiv bild 146-1978-043-13 , erwin v. witzleben.jpg erwin von witzleben
 erwin von witzleben
erwin von witzleben

job wilhelm georg erdmann erwin von witzleben -lrb- 4 december 1881 -- 8 august 1944 -rrb- was a german officer , by 1940 in the rank of a field marshal -lrb- `` generalfeldmarschall '' -rrb- , and army commander in the second world war .
a leading conspirator in the 20 july plot , he was designated to become commander-in-chief of the wehrmacht armed forces in a post-nazi regime .
