Alfred Jodl

Alfred Jodl was a high-ranking German military officer during the first half of the 20th century.

He served as the Chief of the Operations Staff for the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, known as the OKW. This was the High Command for the German Armed Forces. His role was critical because he helped plan and direct military movements during World War II. Because of his high position, he became a central figure in the legal battles following the war. His life illustrates the complex and often dark history of military leadership during that era.

Jodl's military career began long before the Second World War. He graduated from a military cadet school in Munich in 1910. During World War I, he served with a field artillery regiment on the Western Front from 1914 to 1916. He was wounded in action and earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class in November 1914. In 1917, he moved to the Eastern Front before returning to the West as a staff officer. By 1918, he had received the Iron Cross 1st Class for gallantry. After the German Empire was defeated, he remained a professional soldier in the Reichswehr, which was the much-reduced German Army.

As Germany prepared for another conflict, Jodl moved into higher levels of command. He worked in the operations branch of the Army High Command under General Ludwig Beck. In September 1939, Jodl met Adolf Hitler for the first time. Shortly before the invasion of Poland, Hitler chose Jodl to lead the operations staff of the newly formed OKW.

During the early years of the war, Jodl was highly optimistic about German victories. He even predicted that the final victory over England was only a matter of time.

Jodl's leadership involved signing orders that led to serious international crimes. On June 6, 1941, he signed the Commissar Order, which directed that Soviet political commissars be shot. On October 28, 1942, he signed the Commando Order. This order required the immediate execution of Allied commandos captured behind German lines, even if they were in proper uniforms. These orders meant that certain prisoners of war were to be killed without any trial. Additionally, evidence showed his signature on an order that transferred Danish citizens, including Jewish people, to Nazi concentration camps.

Throughout much of the war, Jodl worked from the Wolf's Lair. This was Hitler's forward command post located in East Prussia. On February 1, 1944, he was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst, or colonel general. This is a four-star rank. He was also involved in the events of the July 20, 1944, plot against Hitler, where he suffered a concussion. As the war ended, Jodl was tasked by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz to handle the demand for an unconditional surrender. On May 7, 1945, Jodl signed the German Instrument of Surrender in Reims on behalf of the OKW.

After the German surrender, Jodl was arrested by British troops on May 23, 1945.

He was later brought before the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg trials. The prosecution charged him with conspiracy, planning wars of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. During the trial, Jodl defended himself against many of the claims. He argued that some charges, such as helping Hitler gain power in 1933, were untrue. However, the court found him guilty on all four major charges due to his role in the criminal orders.

Jodl was sentenced to death and was executed at Nuremberg Prison on October 16, 1946.

His case remains a significant part of legal history. The Nuremberg trials helped establish how international law applies to military leaders. The trial addressed how individual officers can be held responsible for the actions of their government. Even years later, the legal status of his conviction was debated in German courts. In 1953, a West German court briefly declared him not guilty based on a dissenting judge's view, but this was later revoked by the United States. His story serves as a study of the responsibility held by those in command during times of global conflict.