Description:

THE GERMAN PEACE NEGOTIATOR AT REIMS DRAFTS EISENHOWER'S SURRENDER ULTIMATUM
Highly important handwritten and signed draft dispatch prepared for translation and transmittal to the German Government by its chief peace negotiator, Kriegsmarine Commander in Chief HANS-GEORG VON FRIEDEBURG (1895-1945). Friedeburg had been sent to Reims by the new President of Germany, Grossadmiral Karl Donitz, to negotiate peace terms with the Allies through Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Here, Friedeburg, in a very hurried scrawl, relates Eisenhower's demands including the insistence that Germany immediately surrender unconditionally � a situation the Germans believed would bring on millions more deaths. Some background is called for. Following the surrender of German forces in northern Germany, Holland and Denmark at Luneburg Heath on May 4, 1945, Donitz dispatched von Friedeburg to SHAEF headquarters at Reims where he arrived at 1700 the very next day, May 5th. Donitz hoped to negotiate a separate peace with Western Allies and have the German armies turned against the Soviets, but it was quickly made clear to Friedeburg that this was not an option. Friedeberg was reminded of the hopeless situation of the German military and was then given the proposed surrender to study. He prepared this urgent two-page draft message in pencil on the scene, to be relayed to Donitz by radio for his approval. It reads, in part: "...Encrypted telegram by General Admiral von Friedeburg to Grand Admiral Donitz 1) Holding present front Lohr, Rendulic and Schorner determined by agreed immediate and simultaneous American and Soviet operations. Request [by] General Colonel [Alfred] Jodl concerning Lohr thereby insubstantial 2) Chief of General Eisenhower's staff makes double proposal: either my authorization to sign unconditional and simultaneous surrender in all theaters of war; or personal dispatch [of] Chief OKW, ob. d. H. [Schorner, for the army] Ob. d. M. [von Friedeburg, for the Kriegsmarine] and O. d. L. [Stumpf, for the Luftwaffe] for the purpose of simultaneous signature of surrender. 3) Unconditional surrender includes staying in current positions and prohibition of scuttling or damaging ships and aircraft of all kinds and ensuring the transmission and execution of all further commands of the Allied and Soviet High Command at all theaters of war by OKW. 4) In case of immediate surrender [the] honor [of the] Army and Navy expressly guaranteed, meanwhile, if otherwise the new government will carry the guilt if the fight continues. Hela [Peninsula evacuation] and further plan means continuation of battle on all fronts. 5) Operational assistance [for] German government upon looming famine and the ensuing chaos will be expected here. About details discussion only possible after signing. 6) Decision on paragraph 2 [who is authorized to sign a surrender] of extreme urgency. In the case of my authorization would [require?] immediate written permission with signature�7) With my signature immediate surrender will be confirmed, later solemn ratification through chiefs in paragraph 2 is demanded. [Signed] von Friedeburg." Fine condition. Soon thereafter, and after further discussion, Friedeberg laboriously edited the message and had it translated it into English (see next lot) as required by SHAEF. It was then transmitted by SHAEF in Reims to Montgomery's 20th Army Headquarters for delivery to Donitz in Flensburg the next morning. This lot was obtained by our consignor directly from Major-General Sir Kenneth William Dobson Strong (1900-1982), a senior officer of the British Army who served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2) at Eisenhower's Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ). In May 1944 he joined SHAEF and played a leading part in the negotiations for the unconditional surrender of Germany.

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June 9, 2020 12:00 PM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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