Alfred Jodl

General Colonel Alfred Jodl

Alfred Jodl (born May 10, 1890 in Würzburg, executed October 16, 1946 in Nuremberg) – German military commander from World War II in the rank of general colonel (Generaloberst), condemned to death and executed as a war criminal and criminal against humanity.

Wehrmacht Chief of Staff (from 1939) in Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was one of Hitler’s closest military associatesand the main author of operational plans that served the European conquest policy. On May 7, 1945, he signed the first act of unconditional surrender of the German army in Reims. Military in Nuremberg was considered a co-responsible ordinance on the basis of which the Wehrmacht committed crimes against prisoners of war and the population of the occupied countries. Among other things, he pronounced his statement during the trial in which he declared that if England and France joined their forces and helped in Poland in 1939, they would probably win over Germany.

He claimed that the period of the September campaign was the only period of the Second World War, when the Allies could have won a quick victory over the Wehrmacht, engaged in battles in Poland. In addition, he also added that 110 French and British divisions did not take any action against the slim German forces on the Western Front.

He was sentenced to death for participation in the planning of the war. He was hanged on October 16, 1946, despite the fact that, like many convicts, he asked for execution by shooting.