Description:

KARL DONITZ AND ALFRED JODL SEEK TO FREE THE WEHRMACHT OF COMPLICITY IN THE HOLOCAUST
An historic set of three documents in which the Reichspresident and Commander-in-Chief of the surrendered Wehrmacht, KARL DONITZ (1891-1980), as part of the Flensburg Government unrecognized by the Allies, denies any involvement by the Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS, or the German people in the "atrocities" discovered in German concentration camps. On plain paper with his typed title as "The Supreme Commander of the German Forces", Donitz sends a signed directive, 1p. large 4to., to all members of the Wehrmacht on May 16, 1945. In part: "...Press and radio of the allies have lately issued numerous comments on atrocities and inhuman conditions in German concentration camps. German authorities recently discovered such a case on board a ship...and reported it to me on May 15th, 1945. Detention and isolation of people with a criminal disposition and spoiled moral standard have been a public necessity and rendered good results...atrocities and cruelties...have nothing to do with the interests of community and the general principles of law...neither I nor the German people and the German forces nor the members of the SS fighting ranks as soldiers were aware of such incidents...for the sake of their dead comrades I feel obliged to state plainly that we soldiers have nothing in common with despotic acts offending soldierly and human feeling and sense of honor, and that we utterly detest them. Therefore I order that the forces and each individual soldier publicly condemn such events...". This letter was then sent to ALFRED JODL (1890-1946), chief of staff of the military at Flensburg. On the same day, Jodl in turn sends a T.L.S., 1p. 4to. in German to the head of the SHAEF Commission monitoring Flensburg. He forwards Donitz's order, adding in part: "...The supreme commander of the German Forces, Grossadmiral Donitz, thinks it is necessary to give the following order to attain a uniform view and conception of the concentration camps in the German force. Approval is asked to issue this order by wireless and teleprint to all high staffs for publication among the troops..." Boldly signed. The next day, Eisenhower responded: included is a retained carbon copy of his response as written by Major Gen. Lowell W. Rooks to Jodl from the SHAEF Control Party at OKW: "...the request by Gross Admiral Donitz...is NOT approved, neither will such an order be sent by wireless or teleprint to the Staffs..."But for a tiny occasional edge tear, all three documenents are in very good condition, accompanied by their official translations. On May 12, Rooks and his British deputy, Brigadier E. J. Foord had arrived in Flensburg and established their quarters in the passenger ship Patria. Their mission was to liaise with the Dönitz "acting government" and to impose the will of the victorious Allied Powers on the German High Command. On May 21, SHAEF, in agreement with the Soviet High Command, decided to dissolve the Flensburg government and arrest its members as POWs. The dissolution was carried out on May 23rd and Donitz, von Friedenburg, Jodl and Speer were placed under arrest. Of course, all four had prior knowledge of the use of slave labor and mass murders at the camps - three would be jailed (one executed), and one would commit suicide the same day.

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

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