Joseph Berchtold
Nazi officer, Second commander of the SS (1897–1962)
Joseph Berchtold (March 6, 1897 in Ingolstadt – August 23, 1962 in Herrsching am Ammersee), a former salesman who sold office products, became Reichsführer SS after Julius Schreck in 1926.
Berchtold was in the World War I and had the rank of second lieutenant at the end of the war. In 1920 he joined the NSDAP and in 1922 also the SA. He was thought to be better than Julius Schreck, but was still not able to keep the people who started the party under control. After a lot of arguing he resigned in 1927 and was replaced by his deputy, Erhard Heiden.
During Nazi Germany he was a councillor of Munich from 1934 to 1945, and a member of the Reichstag from 1936 to 1945.
| Preceded by Julius Schreck |
Reich Leader of the SS 1926–1927 |
Succeeded by Erhard Heiden |
