Franz Halder (* June 30th in 1884 in Würzburg, Bavaria) is Chief of the General staff of the Heer. When the National Socialists took over Germany in 1933, Halder kept at a distance to them yet. In September 1938, colonel-General Ludwig Beck stepped back as Chief of the General staff of the Heer, protesting against the war plans of Adolf Nazi, and Halder got his Post. In the fall of 1938 and 1939, he was part of the military resistance against the "Führer", but each time declined to this Opposition to become active in a putsch, and also was not willing to further support such plans.
At the Beginning of World War II, Halder participated in all the strategic Plannings of the Wehrmacht. This included the invasion of Poland and the campaign in the West („Frankreichfeldzug“). For his part of the preparations of the invasion of Poland, on October 27th in 1939 Halder got, as one of the first German Soldiers, the knights' cross of the Eisernes Kreuz. After the victory over France, he began to receive undisclosed monthly extralegal payments from the "führer" that effectively doubled his already large wage.
He strongly dislikes Erich von Manstein.
In 1907, Halder married Gertrud Erl, also from a Military family. They had three daughters.