
Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (September 22, 1882 – October 16, 1946) was a Germany Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) and a senior military leader during World War II. ==Early life and career== He was born in Helmscherode near Hanover, Germany, the son of Carl Keitel, a middle-class landowner. He was a career soldier, after education in Göttingen he became a ''Fahnenjunker'' (Cadet Officer) in 1901 and joined the 6th Lower-Saxon Field Artillery Regiment. He married Lisa Fontaine, in 1909. During World War I he served on the Western front with the 46th Artillery Regiment. In September 1914, during the fighting in Flanders, he was seriously wounded in his right forearm by a shell fragment. He recovered becoming a member of the German General Staff in early 1915. Post-war he stayed in the newly created Reichswehr, he played a part in organizing Freikorps frontier guard units on the Poland border, served as a divisional general staff officer, and later was an instructor at Hanover Cavalry School for two years. In late 1924 he was transferred to the Reich Defence Ministry serving as an officer with the Troop Office (''Truppenamt''), the post-Treaty of Versailles disguised German General Staff. He was soon promoted to the head of the organizational department, a post he retained after the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, in 1935, based on a recommendation by Werner von Fritsch he became the head of the newly created Armed Forces Office (''Wehrmachtamt''). ==OKW and World War II== In 1937 he was made a general and in 1938 after the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair and the replacement of the ''Reichswehrministerium'' with the ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (OKW, High Command of the Armed Forces) he became Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. He was made a ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) in 1940. During World War II, Keitel proved a weak and cautious commander: he advised Hitler against invading Battle of France and opposed Operation Barbarossa. Both times he backed down in the face of Hitler and tendered his resignation: it was not accepted. In 1942 he again stood up to Hitler over Field Marshal Siegmund List. His defence of List was his last act of defiance to Hitler, after that he did not challenge another of Hitler's orders and was referred to by his colleagues as ''Lakaitel'' ("nodding donkey"). He signed numerous dubious orders, most infamous being the notorious Commissar order, and unquestionably allowed Heinrich Himmler a free hand with his racial controls and ensuing terror in captured Russian territory. Another was the order to have any of the French pilots fighting for the Armée de l'Air (Part II: Fighting for Free France, 1940-1945) fighter regiment in and on behalf of the Soviet Union to be executed instead of their being treated as prisoners-of-war. Keitel was also instrumental in foiling the attempted coup of the July 20 Plot in 1944, whose objectives were the assassination of Adolf Hitler and the replacement of the current upper hierarchy in the Army, and sat on the following Army Court of Honour that handed many officers, including Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, over to Roland Freisler's court. He signed the surrender to the Red Army on May 9, 1945 and was arrested on the 13th. He faced the Nuremberg Trials charged with: Conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression, war-crimes and crimes against humanity. His defense that he was following orders was rejected. He was found guilty on all charges. His request to be shot by firing squad was denied and he was hanging. 1882 births 1946 deaths Field Marshals of Nazi Germany Nuremberg executions
Moved here :Some believe the hanging violated the rules of the Geneva conventions for how to treat Prisoners of War. There needs to be more detail here if it is to be included. User:Roadrunner 21:05, 5 Apr 2004 (UTC) == How to use See Also... == Links already mentioned in the article need not be duplicated under the See Also list. User:Kingturtle 23:25, 16 May 2004 (UTC) Well, in that case almost every see also should be removed, I feel they help users navigate and that they show the way to important related pages. --User:GeneralPatton 01:13, 17 May 2004 (UTC) :Correct, most See Alsos should be removed. The links should be written into the text. User:Kingturtle 04:08, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ::You do have a point there. --User:GeneralPatton 01:45, 18 May 2004 (UTC) :Also...you could create a MediaWiki page regarding Nazi Germany leaders...if you are not familiar with MediaWiki pages...content written in a MediaWiki page will be displayed in articles that contain the corresponding tag. For example, the content written in Template:Protected will appear in any article that contains the
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Wilhelm_Keitel
Wilhelm_Keitel
Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (September 22, 1882 – October 16, 1946) was a Germany Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) and a senior military leader during World War II. ==Early life and career== He was born in Helmscherode near Hanover, Germany, the son of Carl Keitel, a middle-class landowner. He was a career soldier, after education in Göttingen he became a ''Fahnenjunker'' (Cadet Officer) in 1901 and joined the 6th Lower-Saxon Field Artillery Regiment. He married Lisa Fontaine, in 1909. During World War I he served on the Western front with the 46th Artillery Regiment. In September 1914, during the fighting in Flanders, he was seriously wounded in his right forearm by a shell fragment. He recovered becoming a member of the German General Staff in early 1915. Post-war he stayed in the newly created Reichswehr, he played a part in organizing Freikorps frontier guard units on the Poland border, served as a divisional general staff officer, and later was an instructor at Hanover Cavalry School for two years. In late 1924 he was transferred to the Reich Defence Ministry serving as an officer with the Troop Office (''Truppenamt''), the post-Treaty of Versailles disguised German General Staff. He was soon promoted to the head of the organizational department, a post he retained after the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, in 1935, based on a recommendation by Werner von Fritsch he became the head of the newly created Armed Forces Office (''Wehrmachtamt''). ==OKW and World War II== In 1937 he was made a general and in 1938 after the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair and the replacement of the ''Reichswehrministerium'' with the ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (OKW, High Command of the Armed Forces) he became Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. He was made a ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) in 1940. During World War II, Keitel proved a weak and cautious commander: he advised Hitler against invading Battle of France and opposed Operation Barbarossa. Both times he backed down in the face of Hitler and tendered his resignation: it was not accepted. In 1942 he again stood up to Hitler over Field Marshal Siegmund List. His defence of List was his last act of defiance to Hitler, after that he did not challenge another of Hitler's orders and was referred to by his colleagues as ''Lakaitel'' ("nodding donkey"). He signed numerous dubious orders, most infamous being the notorious Commissar order, and unquestionably allowed Heinrich Himmler a free hand with his racial controls and ensuing terror in captured Russian territory. Another was the order to have any of the French pilots fighting for the Armée de l'Air (Part II: Fighting for Free France, 1940-1945) fighter regiment in and on behalf of the Soviet Union to be executed instead of their being treated as prisoners-of-war. Keitel was also instrumental in foiling the attempted coup of the July 20 Plot in 1944, whose objectives were the assassination of Adolf Hitler and the replacement of the current upper hierarchy in the Army, and sat on the following Army Court of Honour that handed many officers, including Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, over to Roland Freisler's court. He signed the surrender to the Red Army on May 9, 1945 and was arrested on the 13th. He faced the Nuremberg Trials charged with: Conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression, war-crimes and crimes against humanity. His defense that he was following orders was rejected. He was found guilty on all charges. His request to be shot by firing squad was denied and he was hanging. 1882 births 1946 deaths Field Marshals of Nazi Germany Nuremberg executions
Wilhelm Keitel
Moved here :Some believe the hanging violated the rules of the Geneva conventions for how to treat Prisoners of War. There needs to be more detail here if it is to be included. User:Roadrunner 21:05, 5 Apr 2004 (UTC) == How to use See Also... == Links already mentioned in the article need not be duplicated under the See Also list. User:Kingturtle 23:25, 16 May 2004 (UTC) Well, in that case almost every see also should be removed, I feel they help users navigate and that they show the way to important related pages. --User:GeneralPatton 01:13, 17 May 2004 (UTC) :Correct, most See Alsos should be removed. The links should be written into the text. User:Kingturtle 04:08, 17 May 2004 (UTC) ::You do have a point there. --User:GeneralPatton 01:45, 18 May 2004 (UTC) :Also...you could create a MediaWiki page regarding Nazi Germany leaders...if you are not familiar with MediaWiki pages...content written in a MediaWiki page will be displayed in articles that contain the corresponding tag. For example, the content written in Template:Protected will appear in any article that contains the
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
W
WA | WB | WC | WD | WE | WF | WG | WH | WI | WJ | WK | WL | WM | WN | WO | WP | WR | WS | WT | WU | WX | WY | WZ |Words begining with Wilhelm_Keitel:
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Wilhelm_Keitel
Wilhelm_Keitel
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