The Memoirs of Field Marshal Keitel

Hitler's Chief Planner Field Marshal Keitel was a member of Hitlers inner circle. He was involved in all plans and decisions since 1938 and thus was an active participant in the conduct of the war. At the end of the war he was arrested by the Allies and tried for war crimes against humanity. Keitel was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Once the verdict was handed down at Nuremburg, Keitel wrote his memoirs in about 6 weeks. He completed his memoirs and requested as a soldier that he be shot to death . This request was refused and he was duly hanged. Thus ended a sordid chapter in German history. Keitel in his memoirs has tried to present his point of view. But sadly throughout the book there is no remorse that he was part of the greatest killing machine in history. Keitel tries to keep upthe image of a professional army, but he has nothing to say about his many controversial orders which he signed that besmirched the uniform of the officer corps of the German army. The fact that he did ever try to moderate the inhuman orders of Hitler clearly stand out.

The Memoirs The memoirs are interesting to read. In particular his account of the last days of the Reich and the German surrender are interesting. The surrender is graphically presented and one gets a view of that period through German eyes. Keitel I am afraid has little sympathy. Perhaps he thought that he would get away by claiming that he only obeyed orders as a soldier. But it did not work. There were too many orders to kill jews, communists, Allied raiding parties were sentenced to be shot in an order signed by him which went against the Geneva convention. Keitel had to pay for his crimes. Thus his last request to be shot was rejected and he was hanged.