Wilhelm Heye

Who was Wilhelm Heye?

August Wilhelm Heye was a German officer who rose to the rank of Generaloberst and became head of the Army Command within the Ministry of the Reichswehr in the Weimar Republic. One of his sons was admiral Hellmuth Heye.

The son of a Prussian officer, Heye joined the Army in 1888 and subsequently became a member of the German General Staff. During the First World War he served on both the East and Western fronts, eventually becoming the the last chief of the operations department at the Oberste Heeresleitung. After the end of the war he assisted Hans von Seeckt in organising the new Reichswehr, serving as the second Chief of the Truppenamt and later commander of the Wehkries I. In 1926 he replaced Seeckt as Chief of Army Command, and held that position until retiring in 1930.