Fritz Todt

Fritz Todt
Todt in 1940
Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions
In office 17 March 1940 – 8 February 1942
Leader	Adolf Hitler (Führer)
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Albert Speer
Inspector General for Water and Energy
In office 29 July 1941 – 8 February 1942
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Albert Speer
General Plenipotentiary for Regulation of the Construction Industry
In office 9 December 1938 – 8 February 1942
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Albert Speer
Head of the Organisation Todt
In office May 1938 – 8 February 1942
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Albert Speer
Inspector General for German Roadways
In office 5 July 1933 – 8 February 1942
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Albert Speer
Personal details
Born	(1891-09-04)4 September 1891 Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire (in modern Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Died	8 February 1942(1942-02-08) (aged 50) near Rastenburg, East Prussia, Nazi Germany (modern Kętrzyn, Poland)
Resting place	Invalids' Cemetery, Berlin
Political party	Nazi Party
Parent(s)	Emil Todt (father) Elise Unterecker (mother)
Education	Technical University of Munich Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Profession	Civil engineer
Known for	Chief of Organisation Todt
Cabinet	Hitler Cabinet
Civilian awards	German Order
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire  Nazi Germany
Branch/service	Luftstreitkräfte Luftwaffe
Years of service	1914–1918 1939–1942
Rank	Leutnant of the reserves Generalmajor der Luftwaffe (Honorary) SA-Obergruppenführer
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Military awards	Iron Cross

Fritz Todt ([fʁɪt͡s toːt]; 4 September 1891 – 8 February 1942) was a German construction engineer and senior figure of the Nazi Party. He was the founder of Organisation Todt (OT), a military-engineering organisation that supplied German industry with forced labour, and served as Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition in Nazi Germany early in World War II, directing the entire German wartime military economy from that position.

An engineer by training, Todt served in the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and was a recipient of the Iron Cross. He joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and the Sturmabteilung (SA) in 1931. Steadily rising through the ranks, Todt became Inspector General for German Roadways after Adolf Hitler came to power. In that capacity, he was responsible for the construction of the German autobahns. In 1938, he founded Organisation Todt and directed large-scale engineering projects such as the Westwall (Siegfried Line) and the Atlantic Wall. In 1940, he was appointed Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production. During World War II Todt made extensive use of forced labour, with as many as 800,000 labourers from German-occupied territories in the service of his organisation.

Todt was killed in February 1942 near Rastenburg when his aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. He was succeeded as Reichsminister and head of the OT by Albert Speer.