Description:

THE ORDER THAT SAVED OVER 1,500,000 MILLION GERMAN SOLDIERS
"MOVE IN DIRECTION FRANKENSTRUB"

On May 6, 1945 following receipt of Eisenhower's "unconditional surrender" ultimatum by Grossadmiral Donitz at Flensburg, and after deliberation with his government and military, Donitz dispatched Field Marshal ALFRED JODL (1890-1946) to SHAEF Headquarters at Reims to join Kriegsmarine C-in-C Hans Georg von Friedeburg in his surrender negotiations with Lieut. General Walter Bedell Smith and British Major Gen. Kenneth Strong. Jodl was instructed to try to negotiate a separate peace with the Americans, failing which he was to ask for a delay "as long as possible" between the signing of a surrender document and the fixing in place of German forces. This planned delay would allow time for the over 2,000,000 German soldiers on the Eastern Front to flee to "salvation in the west", as Donitz described it. A separate peace with the Americans was flatly rejected, and at 8:00 PM Strong called SHAEF Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to relay Jodl's request for a 48 hour interim between the signing of a surrender and the freezing in place of all German forces. Eisenhower responded: "Tell them 48 hours from now I will close my lines on the Western Front so that no more Germans can get through." Offered here is the historic message Jodl immediately drafted which saved the lives of over 1,500,000 German soldiers desperately trying to hold the Eastern Front against the onslaught of the Red Army. Written on an 8.5 x 12 inch sheet in German for radiogram transmission to Donitz and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, it reads in full: "Orders required to all concerned to move in direction "Frankenstrub" as quickly and in as peaceful a manner as possible. Jodl Generaloberst". Fine condition. "Frankenstrub" was the OKW facility in Berchtesgaden, on the border of western Austria. Its use here was code and to be interpreted as official authorization for the forces in the east to "move westwards", in a "peaceful" manner. By 8:41 PM this message had been rather simply translated into English (see Lot 26) and transmitted by SHAEF to Donitz in Flensburg. Ultimately, Eisenhower's concession gave Jodl what he so desperately wanted: the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians. 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 Eisenhower's chief of intelligence at SHAEF and played a leading part in the negotiations of the unconditional surrender of Germany.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

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

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000