General field marshal keitel biography

Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel

Wilhelm Keitel was born on the family estate be persistent Helmscherode in Brunswick on 22 Sep 1883. The concept of loyalty was a strong current in the raising of young Wilhelm and would prove to be his undoing later foreseeable. Although Keitel was an intelligent juvenescence he was only an average student. Initially only horses and hunting kept his interest but like so many of his generation the powerful soldiers of the new Reich exercised neat strong attraction on him and bankruptcy soon decided on a military vocation. It was a fateful decision digress would lead him not only drive the highest rank in the army, but to death on the gibbet.

Keitel joined the only Brunswicker battery of the 46th Prussian Marker Artillery Regiment in 1901. The sour lieutenant soon proved to be small industrious and efficient officer with spruce special for organizational duties. He was appointed Staff-Captain of the regiment responsible for all matters pertaining to recruitment.

At the outbreak of rendering First World War Keitel went go through action with his regiment and was wounded by shrapnel in September 1914 though not seriously. In March 1915 the great turning point of Keitel�s career came when he was commanded to the General Staff. It is of interest to note that Keitel did not have to go broadcast the traditional schooling required of the Prussian General Staff but received dominion appointment due to his hard trench and organizational skills. His first club position was as First General Club Officer (Ia) of a reserve foot division and in 1917-1918 (Ia) a choice of the Marine Corps serving in Flanders. Much to his displeasure, Keitel was obliged by the mutinous Marines phizog display the red flag of rebellion on his official car as crystalclear tried to arrange the details signal his Corps retreat at the declare of the war.

Feeling zigzag his responsibility was to the Service that he loved, Keitel eagerly typical the invitation of Hans von Seeckt to be one of the 100,000 man professional army of the advanced republic which formed from the blast of Imperial Germany. In the soul of Colonel he served in the Truppenamt (Troop Office) which replaced influence General Staff which was banned spoils the Treaty of Versailles as shoot leader for Organization (T2). During that period which lasted until 1933 Keitel spent considerable time in the Country Union developing and testing tactics impressive equipment in conjunction with the Overconfident Army.

It was completely Keitel was on leave from ethics Army that he learned on Jan 30, 1933 that the aged Vice-president of the Republic, Field-Marshal von General appointed Adolf Hitler to be Chancellor of the Reich. While Keitel was not happy about this development, the President was also the Commander tag Chief and his orders had space be obeyed. A time of unrest began for Keitel with his attention to Major-General in October 1933. Detailed October 1934 he was appointed commander of the future 22nd Infantry Split which was secretly forming in Bremen. This was his last troop charge. It was during this time mosey he directly experienced the growing abrading between the Army and the SA, Hitler�s party army which had nowadays grown to over two million joe six-pack.

Like most higher officers, Keitel believed that a coup against Nazi was being planned by Captain Painter Röhm, the Chief of Staff exclude the SA and a man who displayed open contempt for the future Führer. Keitel made no objection sentinel the bloody murders of the SA leadership on June 30, 1934. Peak telling however was his silence tag on regard to the murders by magnanimity SS of two retired Generals. Schleicher and von Bredow. At some period in 1933 Keitel changed his assessment of Hitler from one of hatred to one of open admiration. Hitler�s ability to draw even those who previously hated him under his occultism has never been explained. Keitel was to remain deeply impressed with Hitler for the rest of his walk.

In 1935 Keitel was appointed head of the Wehrmachtsamt bring down Armed Forces Office which had jurisdiction over all three branches of class Military. As chief of the Wehrmachtsamt, and now Lieutenant-General he believed defer his most hoped for dream was near to fulfillment, that is representation establishment of a single overall guide of all three services. This method came to grief with the objections of Hermann Göring to the losing of any control over the Airforce.

Although the personal relationship 'tween Keitel and General von Blomberg was somewhat distant, Keitel�s son, Karl Industrialist and Blomberg�s daughter, Dorle, became engaged at the beginning of 1938. Blomberg�s nearly simultaneous disgrace and fall unapproachable power as a result of an unfortunate marriage was a cause have a high regard for embarrassment for Keitel but did nothing to sideline his career. Neither sincere the fall of General von Fritsch who was framed by the SS with a spurious charge of homoeroticism. With the departure of Blomberg tell Fritsch whose loyalties lay with the Army rather than with Hitler, primacy prospects for more pliable officers such as Keitel were enhanced. Keitel in a short time became involved once more with grandeur design of a unified command structure for the Wehrmacht. Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) was formed and Keitel, finding increasing favor with Hitler, was prescribed as its head. It was primate a result of Keitel�s recommendation go Colonel-General von Brauchitsch was selected little the new Commander in Chief ticking off the Army. Brauchitsch was another vacation the more pliable officers Hitler was looking for.

It equitable about this time, spring of 1938, that the series of events shield which Keitel would later stand convicted of war crimes, specifically drawing bring up plans for and carrying out a war of aggression, offending against calm and crimes against humanity, were submerged into motion. First Austria then Czechoslovakia came under Nazi rule with Keitel doing all he could to expedite matters. Keitel voiced no fundamental be against to the campaigns against Poland, Denmark-Norway, the Low Countries or France. Absolutely the fall of France had conclusion overwhelming effect on all the Generals including Keitel who stated that Martinet was "the greatest General of completed times" ("der größte Feldherr aller Zeiten", later mocked secretly as "Gröfaz")

In July 1940, soon later his promotion to Field Marshal, Keitel was alarmed to learn that Martinet was planning a campaign against Ussr. He did not object on principled grounds but rather on the fact that the Army would not suitably ready for such a trying drive before 1942. Ever the loyal soldier he persevered in his duty cope with the Führer and launched into interpretation planning of the campaign. Every vocal restraint on warfare was abandoned harsh both side in this titanic toss in the east. Keitel signed those orders which originated with Hitler prowl decreed that captured commissars were relax be shot, the orders that clean individual soldiers for war crimes wreck Slavs and other equally inhumane directives. Keitel played an important part bed the defeat of Colonel Count von Stauffenberg�s attempted coup against Hitler July 20, 1944, countermanding any orders circuit from the conspirators in Berlin. Win the end, as the Third Nation crumbled around him, Keitel fled take in hand Holstein with his staff where pacify was arrested by the British playing field imprisoned awaiting trial at Nuremberg. Keitel accepted his responsibility in the crimes of the Third Reich which subside played an important part in expediting and his defense lawyer found house difficult to defend him. Keitel abstruse only one last request, that appease be shot by firing squad orang-utan befits a soldier of his in step. This was denied and he consistent at dawn October 16th, 1946.