This general was almost the only one among the entire German elite who held his dignity during interrogations and aroused involuntary respect among the winners. With a military bearing, he gave clear and precise answers, not giving in to emotions. Considering himself a true soldier and officer, he continued to serve the FĂŒhrer, and after he realized that the war had already been lost - that was how Alfred Jodl felt the concept of honor and fidelity. The biography and intentions of this officer always raised many questions.
A war with Russia is a war where you know how to start, but you donât know how it will end. Russia is not Yugoslavia, not France, where the war can be quickly brought to an end. The spaces of Russia are immeasurable, and it could not be assumed that we can go to Vladivostok. (From interrogation of General Alfred Jodl)
Did he understand the whole essence of the fascist army? During the trial, one of the prosecutors, the Soviet colonel Pokrovsky, asks the general if he knew about the atrocities of the German military, in particular, such as hanging upside down, quartering, torture by fire of captured enemies. Jodl replied: "I not only did not know about it, but I also do not believe in it."
Childhood
Alfred Jodl was born May 10, 1890 in the family of a retired military and peasant. His father, the captain and battery commander of the imperial Bavarian field artillery regiment, later a retired colonel, grew up in a large civil servant family, sharing bread with five brothers and sisters. A mother born to a peasant family was born on the banks of the Danube. Marrying a simple peasant woman, the millerâs daughter, put an end to Alfredâs fatherâs career and forced him to resign. Those dreams that he did not have time to realize in the service, had to realize his sons.
Parents dreamed of a large family, but their dreams were not destined to come true. Alfred had three sisters and a brother. The sisters died at an early age, but a brother survived.
The youngest member of the Jodl family, Ferdinand, was born in November 1896. He also chose military service, but his brother did not achieve success. Its maximum is the rank of general of mountain rifle troops during the Second World War.
Alfred studied well, of all subjects he achieved the greatest progress in the spiritual sciences and sports. Loved the mountains, skiing.
The question of where to go and which path to choose was not even asked to a boy named Alfred Jodl. The family had many officers in the family, which means that young Jodl had to choose a military profession.
Youth
In the photo above - Alfred Jodl. In the fall of 1903, the future general entered the Bavarian Cadet Corps in Munich. 7 years later, on July 10, 1910, a twenty-year-old youth begins his military career as a candidate for officer in the 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment. Two years later, in 1912, he was promoted to lieutenant.
During the first world war
When the First World War began, Alfred did not hesitate for a minute. He fought with both the Russians on the Eastern Front and the French on the West with the rank of artillery officer. It was not without injuries - in the first month of the war he was wounded by fragments of a grenade, but, having healed a little in the hospital, he immediately returned to the front. And, despite the fact that he did not advance much in the rank - he ended the war as lieutenant (in transfer to our ranks as a senior lieutenant), his courage and perseverance was noticed by the authorities. Jodl has been presented for several awards. So, during the war he was awarded the Austrian imperial cross, iron crosses 1 and 2 classes for courage.
Post-war time - between two world wars
Returning to a peaceful life was not easy. In his memoirs, General Alfred Jodl wrote about the feeling of chaos and the loss of all landmarks. He liked the military profession, it seemed exactly what he was created for, and it was difficult to find himself âin the civilian worldâ. To the military profession, as Jodl wrote, he stuck with his whole soul.
At one time he was attracted by the idea of ââdoing medicine. But, seeing the conditions in which the country found itself after the defeat, Jodl feels obligated to help his homeland precisely as a soldier. Soon, such a chance is given - in 1920, a young officer begins secret training at the General Staff. This German General Staff was created contrary to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, and, of course, was considered illegal. Just like that, âfrom the streetâ, it was impossible to get there, but Jodl already during the First World War established itself in the eyes of the commanders as a man who thinks, is careful and completely devoted to his country.
At this moment, the future General Jodl leads a double life. If during the day he commands batteries, then at night he studies military affairs in secret courses, preparing devoted soldiers for the future Reich.
Alfred is starting to get promotions more and more. In 1921 he was already a captain, in 1927 - a major, in 1929 - a lieutenant colonel, and in August 1931 he was already promoted to colonel.
Jodel and Hitler
Hitler, leader of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party), came to power on January 30, 1933. Initially, Jodl, as, however, and most of the military leaders of that time, reacted with caution to the new Reich Chancellor. But only at the beginning. For Jodl, military to the core, loyalty and loyalty to the head of state were considered direct responsibilities. Already on January 31, Jodl demands from his colleagues to stop criticizing the identity of the Reich Chancellor. He believes that they, as officers, are obliged to serve a devotedly new chapter, fulfilling their duty.
In general, this total obedience and devotion to Hitler later created a gap between Jodl and other officers. Knowing Alfred as a smart man, many of his former colleagues did not understand such dog loyalty. But here one must understand the very personality of Jodl: he believed that officers were obliged to serve the head of government without questions or doubts. It was in this that he saw his duty as a serviceman. Loyally be faithful and preserve - only such a model could get along in Jodlâs head, since childhood having absorbed the principles and morality of the ideal officer.
In the early years of Hitler's rule, Jodl was not alone in his views - most of the German people extolled the new chapter for his domestic political successes. Hitler unites German lands, stands up for the working class, and narrows the gap between the rich and the poor. He raises the national spirit of the crushed loss of Germany, he demonstrates patriotism and devotion to the country. Its popularity is growing rapidly, the masses for the most part see him as their leader.
On August 2, 1934, the German president, Field Marshal von Hindenburg, dies. The Cabinet of Ministers combines the post of President of Germany and the Reich Chancellor into one. Adolf Hitler becomes both the head of state of Germany and the supreme commander of the Wehrmacht. Officers, according to the protocol, swear allegiance to him. And Jodl finally becomes a devoted dog of the new owner. That was the only way Alfred understood officer honor. Moreover, by that time they were not yet personally acquainted.
For the first time, Adolf Hitler and Alfred Jodl met in September 1939, three days after the start of the offensive on Poland. Initially, Hitler treated the colonel, like most officers of that time, with caution. But Jodl's fanatical devotion to the Wehrmacht and his military talent could not go unnoticed. Hitler begins to bring him closer to himself, and, as history shows, he was not mistaken in his decision.
Jodl's devotion knows no bounds. So, he sharply criticizes General Ludwig Beck when he declares that Germany is not ready for war. Jodl does not even allow the possibility of conviction of the commander in chief from his old comrades.
The Second World War
In 1939, Jodl was awarded the title of Major General. He is involved in the development and helps plan the largest Nazi operations, such as the attack on Norway (Operation Weserubung) and the invasion of Poland (Operation Weiss). The FĂŒhrer highly appreciated his military genius and listened to his faithful warlord. Of all the entourage close to Hitler, only German General Jodl could allow himself to actively prove his point of view on any operation, if he believed that his position on this issue was more advantageous than the position of the Fuhrer.
But sometimes he went too far â yet Jodl was more a military than a diplomat. One of the first disagreements with Hitler was in the summer of 1941. Being a talented strategist, Jodl insisted on the transfer of all forces to capture Moscow. The Fuhrer, however, believed that it was important to capture Leningrad precisely during this period for the demoralization of Soviet citizens. As a result, part of the troops from Moscow was âpulledâ to another direction. Time showed Jodl was right - the attack on Moscow launched on October 2 failed, Leningrad also did not fall.
The second serious disagreement concerned the situation in the Caucasus. Jodl considered the offensive in the Caucasus region to be a failure at first and strongly advised the Fuhrer to give up all his strength to take Leningrad. But Hitler did not hear anyone - he demanded to immediately take the Caucasus
Another case is known when Alfred made an active attempt to intervene before Hitler for the disgraced General Franz Halder and Field Marshal Wilhelm List. This âout of rankâ attempt, which coincided in time with a series of setbacks on the Eastern Front, noticeably cooled the relationship between the FĂŒhrer and his âfaithful dogâ. There is evidence that Hitler even planned to replace Jodl with General Friedrich Paulus, but with a small caveat - when Paulus takes Stalingrad. As history shows, this was not destined to come true, and Jodl remained in his place.
At the same time, despite the coolness in relations, the military strategic genius of Jodl is still rated highly. Confirmation of this is another promotion and a new title: from January 1944, Jodl - Colonel General.
On July 20, 1944, an unsuccessful attempt was made on the Fuhrer. Four people died, seventeen were injured. Jodl himself was injured. It was this event that again brought the Fuhrer and his faithful servant closer
Although it was clear to Jodl after Stalingrad that they could not win a victory in this war, he still remained with the Fuhrer to the end. Being a far-sighted military man, he understood that this was only a matter of time, but he did not renounce Hitler. Alfred Jodl, the Wehrmacht general, understood loyalty in this way.
Personal life
Alfred Jodl was married twice. His first wife was Countess Irma von Bullion, a representative of a noble Swabian family. Her father, the oberst of Count von Bullion, was strongly opposed - at that time it was a terrible misalliance. But, despite the objections of loved ones, they were married on September 23, 1913. He was 23, the countess was 5 years older. According to eyewitnesses, Irma was a cheerful, cheerful woman. It is not surprising that Alfred was delighted with her.
But, unfortunately, Irma's life was short-lived. In the spring of 1943, the woman left for Koenigsberg, the current city of Kaliningrad. She had a complicated spinal surgery. Allied forces constantly bombed the city; most bomb shelters were not favorable for a long stay. Dampness, cold did their job - Irma became seriously ill. Bilateral pneumonia, even under ideal conditions, was difficult to treat in those years, not to mention treatment in a military setting. It was pneumonia with complications that caused the death of the beloved woman Jodl.
The general remarried. His new life partner was Louise von Benda. A woman has long favored him, she was always there as a reliable, loyal, devoted comrade. He was not given so much time together, but Louise was with him to the end. Throughout the Nuremberg trials, she supported her husband as best she could. After the death of Alfred, she was able to achieve the rehabilitation of her husband's name in Munich in 1953.
German unconditional surrender agreement
The last time Jodl spoke on the phone with Hitler on the evening of April 28. The Fuhrer received the suicide message on May 1, 1945. Since that time, all his actions consisted of "pulling time." This time was needed for the Wehrmacht soldiers - so that as many of them as possible managed to surrender independently at the mercy of the winner. As Jodl wrote in his letters at the end of the war: "If the war is lost, there is no point in fighting until the last soldier."
It was Alfred Jodl who was tasked with signing the act of unconditional surrender of the German troops. For him, one hundred percent military, this was a real personal tragedy. When signing, tears rolled down the face of an old hardened warrior.
One story is associated with the name of Jodl and the signing of the act of surrender. Representatives of three victorious powers came to accept surrender - the USSR, France and the United States. From the German side, Jodl signed. And now, handing over the signed papers to the representative of the Soviet Union, Marshal Zhukov, the general, nodding at the French and American representatives, mockingly asked Zhukov: âAnd did these also defeat us?â
When discussing the reliability or, on the contrary, the implausibility of this fact, we must remember what kind of person Alfred Jodl was. "Did they beat us too?" - This is a question of a person who knew exactly the situation at the front and understood who really was a strong opponent. This question betrays a person with a heightened sense of justice; a man who wanted to kneel before a really stronger opponent. The fact that France and the United States also considered themselves "winners", Jodl considered an insult.
Court in Nuremberg
On May 23, 1945, Alfred Jodl, a Wehrmacht general, was arrested. He did not offer resistance during the arrest and soon appeared before the Nuremberg Tribunal.
Jodl's defense was based on the fact that a soldier is not responsible for the actions of the head of state. According to his testimony, he simply carried out orders, fulfilling his duty as a military man, and repeatedly repeated that a soldier could not be held responsible for the actions and decisions of politicians.
According to eyewitnesses, seeing how Jodl behaves, Nuremberg could not fail to note his restraint, fortitude and some kind of painful decency. He was tried as a Nazi, but Jodl refused to recognize himself as a fascist. Jodl, whose Wehrmacht was defeated, held with dignity, defended accurately and with restraint. He held the position that he did his duty, serving the Fuhrer. He considered it the duty of an officer, not admitting personal guilt.
Jodl was charged on four counts:
- Active participation in the planning of the Nazi attack on Czechoslovakia.
- Participation in hostilities against Yugoslavia and Greece.
- Participation in the development of the Barbarossa plan.
- The order for the massive burning of houses in Northern Norway, so that local residents could not provide assistance to the Soviet army.
It is not known whether Alfred Jodl hoped for another court decision. Nuremberg, represented by the international tribunal, found the former general guilty of all four counts and sentenced to death by hanging.
The last hours of life
According to eyewitnesses, Jodl held himself with dignity until the last seconds of his life.
Like the rest of those sentenced, at the time of death the general was dressed in a uniform with no insignia; handcuffs on hand. Jodl overcame the 13 steps separating it from the scaffold with a military bearing, looking straight ahead.
At 2 a.m. on October 16, 1946, General Alfred Jodl was hanged. The last words of this devoted Wehrmacht soldier were the words "Greetings, Germany." He does not have a grave, his body was cremated, and the dust is scattered somewhere above an unnamed stream in the countryside.
Wife Louise fought for his life to the last, but could not do anything. But the woman, even after the death of her husband, did not stop hoping to save at least his honest name. So, it was thanks to her efforts in February 1953 in Munich that Jodl was completely justified. But public pressure turned out to be stronger, and a few months later, in September, this decision was canceled.