Description:

JOACHIM KEITEL'S COPY OF KARL DONITZ'S SPEECH ANNOUNCING THE DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER
JOACHIM KEITEL (1882-1946) German field marshall and army chief of staff under Adolf Hitler, convicted of war crimes and executed at Nuremberg. Superb content and association typed D.S. with his large, distinct initial "K" in indelible purple pencil at the top of the first page, 3pp. large 4to. [Flensburg, May 1, 1945]. This is Keitel's copy of Donitz's first speech as President of Germany, the famous announcement of Hitler's death. This is a signed carbon, undoubtedly prepared at the same time that Donitz's own reading copy was prepared. In small part: "German men and women, soldiers of the German Wehrmacht: Our Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, has fallen. The German people bow in deepest mourning and veneration. Hitler recognised the terrible danger of Bolshevism at an early date and dedicated his existence to this struggle...The Fuhrer has appointed me as his successor. Conscious of this responsibility, I am taking over the leadership of the German people in this grave hour of destiny. My first task is to save the German people from annihilation by the advancing Bolshevist enemy...we shall have to continue to defend ourselves against them...May everyone fulfill his duty at his post. Only thus shall we be able to mitigate the sufferings which the coming period brings to each one of us and to prevent the collapse...God will not forsake us for so much of sufferings and sacrifices...". Folds, else fine. On May 23 Keitel, Donitz and their Flensburg government would be arrested as war criminals.

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December 8, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

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