Profile of World War II Colonel General Ludwig Beck

Profile of World War II Colonel General Ludwig Beck Early Career Born at Biebrich, Germany, Ludwig Beck received a traditional education before entering the German Army in 1898 as a cadet. Rising through the ranks, Beck was recognized as a gifted officer and was tapped for staff service. With the outbreak of World War I, he was assigned to the Western Front where he spent the conflict as a staff officer. With the German defeat in 1918, Beck was retained in the small postwar Reichswehr. Continuing to advance, he later received command of the 5th Artillery Regiment. Becks Rise to Prominence In 1930, while in this assignment, Beck came to the defense of three of his officers who were charged with distributing Nazi propaganda on post. As membership in political parties was forbidden by Reichswehr regulations, the three men faced a court-martial. Angered, Beck passionately spoke on behalf of his men arguing that the Nazis were a force for good in Germany and that officers should be able to join the party. In the course of the trials, Beck met and impressed Adolf Hitler. Over the next two years, he worked to write a new operations manual for the Reichswehr entitled Truppenfà ¼hrung. The work earned Beck a great deal of respect and he was given command of the 1st Cavalry Division in 1932 along with a promotion to lieutenant general. Eager to see German prestige and power returned to prewar levels, Beck celebrated the Nazi ascent to power in 1933 stating, I have wished for years for the political revolution, and now my wishes have come true. It is the first ray of hope since 1918. With Hitler in power, Beck was elevated to lead the Truppenamt (Troop Office) on October 1, 1933. Beck as Chief of Staff As the Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Reichswehr from having a General Staff, this office served as a shadow organization that fulfilled a similar function. In this role, Beck worked to rebuild the German military and pushed to develop new armored forces. As German rearmament moved forward, he was officially titled Chief of the General Staff in 1935. Working an average of ten hours a day, Beck was known as an intelligent officer, but one that often became obsessed by administrative details. A political player, he worked to expand his posts power and sought the ability to directly advise the Reich leadership. Though he believed that Germany should fight a major war or series of war to restore its place as a power in Europe, he felt that these should not occur until the military was fully prepared. Despite this, he strongly backed Hitlers move to reoccupy the Rhineland in 1936. As the 1930s progressed, Beck became increasingly concerned that Hitler would force a conflict before the military was ready. As a result, he initially refused to write plans for the invasion of Austria in May 1937 as he felt it would provoke a war with Britain and France. Falling Out with Hitler When the Anschluss failed to cause international protest in March 1938, he quickly developed the needed plans which were dubbed Case Otto. Though Beck foresaw a conflict to eliminate Czechoslovakia and officially advocated for action in the fall of 1937, he retained worries that Germany was not prepared for a major European war. Not believing Germany could win such a contest prior to 1940, he openly began advocating against a war with Czechoslovakia in May 1938. As the armys senior general, he challenged Hitlers belief that France and Britain would allow Germany a free hand. The relationship between Beck and Hitler rapidly began to deteriorate aided by the latters preference for the Nazi SS over the Wehrmacht. While Beck lobbied against what he believed would be a premature war, Hitler chastised him stating that he was one of the officers still imprisoned in the idea of the hundred-thousand-man army imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Through the summer Beck continued to work to prevent a conflict while also attempting to reorganize the command structure as he felt it was Hitlers advisors that were pushing for war. In an effort to increase pressure on the Nazi regime, Beck attempted to organize a mass resignation of senior Wehrmacht officers and issued instructions on July 29 that as well as preparing for foreign wars the army should be ready for for an internal conflict which need only take place in Berlin. In early August, Beck suggested that several Nazi officials should be removed from power. On the 10th, his arguments against war were relentlessly attacked by Hitler at a meeting of senior generals. Unwilling to continue, Beck, now a colonel general, resigned on August 17. Beck Bringing Down Hitler In exchange for resigning quietly, Hitler had promised Beck a field command but instead had him transferred to the retired list. Working with other anti-war and anti-Hitler officials, such as Carl Goerdeler, Beck and several others began planning to remove Hitler from power. Though they informed the British Foreign Office of their intentions, they were unable to prevent the signing of the Munich Agreement in late September. With the beginning of World War II in September 1939, Beck became a key player in various plots to remove the Nazi regime. From the fall of 1939 through 1941, Beck worked with other anti-Nazi officials such as Goerdeler, Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, and Ulrich von Hassell in planning a coup to remove Hitler and make peace with Britain and France. In these scenarios, Beck would be the leader of the new German government. As these plans evolved, Beck was involved in two aborted attempts to kill Hitler with bombs in 1943. The following year, he became a key player, along with Goerdeler and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, in what became known as the July 20 Plot. This plan called for Stauffenberg to kill Hitler with a bomb at the Wolfs Lair headquarters near Rastenburg. Once Hitler was dead, the conspirators would use the German reserve forces to take control of the country and would form a new provisional government with Beck at its head. On July 20, Stauffenberg detonated the bomb but failed to kill Hitler. With the plots failure, Beck was arrested by General Friedrich Fromm. Exposed and with no hope of escape, Beck elected to commit suicide later that day rather than face trial. Using a pistol, Beck fired but only managed to critically injure himself. As a result, a sergeant was forced to finish the job by shooting Beck in the back of the neck. Selected Sources World War II Database: Ludwig BeckJVL: Ludwig BeckGerman Resistance Memorial Center: Ludwig Beck

The Best IB Biology Textbooks, Reviewed

The Best IB Biology Textbooks, Reviewed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To achieve success in your IB Biology SL/HL class and on the exam, you need to find the best textbook for your learning style. In this article, I have collected and reviewed a list of the most recent IB Biology Textbooks (2013 or newer), as I don't recommend you studying with any older books, as they may be out of date. Who Is This Article For? This article is for IB Biology students who are serious about success in the classroom and on the IB Biology SL/HL papers. If you only plan on using the textbook for 5 hours of studying, the choice of book becomes less important. However, if you plan to use the textbook throughout the school year for study help as well as while preparing for the IB Biology exam, you should choose carefully. In this guide, I’ve divided the books into specific categories to help you make a knowledgeable choice. The Best IB Biology Textbooks We’re going to divide this into a few categories: Best Overall Textbook: A must have book as a part of your learning process, no matter your skill level or weaknesses. Best Textbook for Average Students:This book provides more in-depth explanations for those who need a little more assistance and struggled to understand the material when it was taught in class. Best Textbook for High Achieving Students:This book has the material to push the high achievers over the top by focusing on how to apply what you have learned in class to the exam, without repeating the details that you have already mastered. Textbook to Avoid:This book lacks certain material you need to succeed in class and on the exam. Best Overall Textbook This textbook is a must have as a part of your learning process, no matter your skill level or weaknesses. IB Biology Course Book: 2014 Edition: Oxford IB Diploma Program Price on Amazon: New $58.90, Used $37.18 Description: This is the go-to IB Biology textbook. Andrew Allott and David Mindorff are the only authors to work directly with the IBO to create their textbook, which means they truly understand what the IBO wants you to understand and what the IBO will ask you on the exam. They're also able to give you the most realistic practice problems that resemble the actual IB Biology papers.This textbook contains: detailed explanations on each topic in the SL/HL syllabus practice problems for each topic Pros: developed directly with the IB high-quality in-depth explanations realistic sample IB Biology questions organized logically, with practice integrated throughout inexpensive compared to other new textbooks Cons: this book does not give clear guidance on how best to customize its content for your needs doesn't contain study strategies or test strategies Best Textbook for Average Students This book provides more in-depth explanations for those who need a little more assistance and struggled to understand the material when it was taught in class. Biology for the IB Diploma Price on Amazon: New $83, Used $5 Description: This is textbook is the best for average students because it is the most detailed of all of the IB Biology textbooks, making use of annotated diagrams and pictures to explain complex processes. This book follows the IB Biology Syllabus: chapters are presented in syllabus order. Both Standard Level and Higher Level topics are covered, with Higher Level only topics clearly marked. The text is written in easy to understand language with all key IB Biology terms simply defined, and exam questions integrated throughout. Pros: high-quality in-depth explanations great for visual learners since it makes extensive use of visuals organized according to the syllabus with IB exam questions integrated. very inexpensive to buy used compared to the other textbooks. Cons: doesn't contain test strategies or study strategies may be too detailed/feel redundant for high achieving students who have mastered the basics. Best Textbook for High Achieving Students This book has the material to push the high achievers over the top by focusing on how to apply what you have learned in class to the exam, without repeating the details that you have already mastered. HL Biology 2nd edition bookand SL Biology 2nd edition book Price for SL Textbook on Amazon: New $105, Used $34 Price for HL Textbook on Amazon: New $136, Used $50 Description: These textbooks are the most focused on IB exam success. Throughout the textbooks, IB Biology exam questions are provided from real past papers, along with advice for test success and on how to avoid common mistakes. These textbooks follow the organization of the newest IB Biology Syllabus and provide explanations using real-world examples as well as pictures. The accompanying eBook provides additional support with videos, animations, solved problems, and more. Pros: many realistic IB Biology exam practice questions, integrated with each chapter. in-depth online support with additional simulations, videos, and problems explained. provides test strategies Cons: may not be in-depth enough for some students, since the explanations expect you have some knowledge. Higher Level and Standard Level are separated into 2 books, so if you decide to switch into Higher Level late (after taking a year of IB Biology, which many schools allow), you would have to purchase another book. relatively expensive compared to the other textbooks. Textbook to Avoid This book lacks certain material you need to succeed in class and on the exam. Biology for the IB Diploma Coursebook Price on Amazon:New $61, Used $41 Description: This edition of the IB Biology Coursebook from Cambridge Press was developed using the newest IB Biology syllabus. It covers all of the core topics of the syllabus including some practice questions. However, it does not cover any of the options (Both IB Biology SL and HL have core topics your teacher must cover as well as 2 additional topics - known as the options - because your teacher gets to choose from 4 options - for a more in-depth explanation of the options, read our other article The Complete IB Biology Syllabus: SL and HL). The core topics are tested on Paper 1 and 2 of the IB Biology SL/HL Exam, and the options are tested on Paper 3. Pros: developed using the IB Biology syllabus focused review of IB Biology core topics including some practice questions. inexpensive compared to other new textbooks Cons: missing review of the options, which count for ⅓ of the IB Biology exam. This textbook is too expensive to spend money on when it is missing ⅓ of the material needed to succeed on the IB Biology exam. Other Free and Paid Study Resources Find other free IB Biology study resources in our other articles The Best IB Biology Study Guide and Notes for SL/HL and Where to Find IB Biology Past Papers - Free and Official.Also, check out our other article on The Best IB Biology Books, Reviewed to find additional paid study guides for IB Biology SL/HL. What’s Next? Trying to figure out what extracurricular you should do? Learn more about participating in Science Olympiad, starting a club, doing volunteer work, andjoining Student Government. Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT.Taking the SAT in the next month? Check out our guide to cramming. Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school.Also, figure out your target SAT score or target ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: