Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Bodewin
Personal Details Wilhelm Ketiel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel September 22, 1882 Helmscherode, Duchy of Brunswick, German Empire |
| Died | October 16, 1946 Nuremberg Prison, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Cause of death | Execution by Hanging |
| Nationality | German |
| Years active | 1901-1945 |
| Era | World War I Interwar Period World War II |
| Known for | Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command Hitlers Yes-Man |
| Term | Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht 1935-1938 Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command 1938-1945 |
| Successor | Alfred Jodl (As Chief of the Wehrmacht High command) |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Criminal charges | Waging a War Of Aggression, War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, Crimes against peace. |
| Criminal penalty | Sentenced to death by Hangingr |
| Criminal status | Hanged October 16, 1946. |
| Spouse | Lisa Fontaine |
| Children | Erika Keitel Ernst-Wilhelm Keitel Hans-Georg Keitel Karl-Heinz Keitel Nona Keitel |
| Parent(s) | Carl Keitel, Apollonia Vissering. |
Johann Gustav Keitel (born 22 September 1882 in Helmscherode, Duchy Of Brunswick, Germany – died 16 October 1946 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany) was a German field marshal, a Nazi war criminal and the chief of the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945. He was one of the 24 accused of the Nuremberg Trials and hanged in 1946.
| Wilhelm Keitel | |
|---|---|
| File:!Portrait of Wilhelm Keitel !Portrait of Wilhelm Keitel | |
| Birth name | Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel |
| Nickname | Lakeitel |
| Born | September 22, 1882 Helmscherode, Duchy of Brunswick, German Empir |
| Died | October 16, 1946 Nuremberg Prison, Nuremberg, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Wehrmacht |
| Years of service | 1914-1918 1935-1945 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Unit | World War I, World War II I, World War II |
| Commands held | Oberkommando der Wehrmacht |
| Battles/wars | World War I, World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Lisa Fontaine (married in 1909) |
| Signature | [[File:[File:Wilhelm Keitel Signature.png|150px]|100px|alt=]] |
Life[change | change source]
Early life and career[change | change source]
Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel was born on 22 September 1882 in Helmscherode in the Duchy Of Brunswick (today Lower Saxony). He joined the Imperial German Army in 1901, aged 19.
During World War I, Keitel served on the Western Front and took part in the fighting in Flanders, where he was wounded a lot.
During Nazi era[change | change source]
From 1919 to 1933, under Weimar Republic, Keitel was part of the Reichswehr. In 1935, he was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed chief of the Reich Ministry of War's Armed Forces Office (Wehrmachtsamt). On 1 January 1936, he was promoted to lieutenant general. In 1938, he became the chief of the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945.
Keitel was a Nazi, and he was one of Adolf Hitler's most loyal followers. As the chief of the Wehrmacht, he was responsible for many war crimes, such as sending millions of Jews to extermination camps.
Death[change | change source]
During the Nuremberg Trials in 1946, Keitel was convicted as a Nazi war criminal. He was executed by hanging on 16th October 1946, aged 64, for his war crimes.
Legacy[change | change source]
Wilhelm Keitel appeared in the movie Downfall.