This preparation began almost a year before the invasion. Jodl testified that Hitler feared an attack by Russia and so attacked first. On 27 March, when Hitler told the German High Command that the destruction of Yugoslavia should be accomplished with "unmerciful harshness", and the decision was taken to bomb Belgrade without a declaration of war, Jodl was also there. On 20 January, 4 months before the attack, Hitler told a conference of German and Italian generals in Jodl's presence that German troop concentrations in Romania were to be used against Greece Jodl was present on 18 March when Hitler told Raeder all Greece must be occupied before any settlement could be reached. The Hitler order of 11 January 1941 to intervene in Albania was initialed by Jodl. He was active in the planning against Greece and Yugoslavia. Many of the 17 orders postponing the attack in the West for various reasons, including weather conditions, until May 1940 were signed by Jodl. On 8 February 1940, Jodl, his deputy Warlimont and Jeschonnek, the air force planner, discussed among themselves the "new idea" of attacking Norway, Denmark and Holland, but guaranteeing the neutrality of Belgium. His testimony shows that from October 1939 Hitler planned to attack the West through Belgium, but was doubtful about invading Holland until the middle of November. Jodl explains his comment that Hitler was still looking for an ''excuse'' to move meant that he was waiting for reliable intelligence on the British plans and defends the invasion as a necessary move to forestall them. Jodl discussed the Norway invasion with Hitler, Keitel and Raeder on 12 December 1939 his diary is replete with later entries on his activities in preparation of this attack. Shortly after the Sudeten occupation, Jodl went to a post command and did not become Chief of the Operations Staff in O.K.W. The hope remains that the incredulous, the weak and the doubtful people have been converted and will remain that way". The genius of the Führer and his determination not to shun even a world war have again won the victory without the use of force. Jodl conferred with the propaganda experts on "imminent common tasks" such as German violations of internatioinal law, exploitation of them by the enemy and refutations by the Germans, which task Jodl considered "particularly important".Īfter Munich, Jodl wrote: "Czechoslovakia as a power is out. that the "incident" to provide German intervention must occur at the latest by 1400 hours on X-1 Day, the day before the attack, and said it must occur at a fixed time in good flying weather. He initialed items 14, 17, 24, 36 and 37 in the notes. In planning the attack on Czechosloivakia, Jodl was very active, according to the Schmundt notes. Jodl issued supplementary instructions on 11 March and initialed Hitler's order for the invasion on the same date. His diary for 10 March shows Hitler then ordered the preparation of "Case Otto" and the directive was initialed by Jodl. When Hitler decided not to tolerate Von Schuschnigg’s plebiscite, Jodl brought to the conference the "old draft", the existing staff plan. Though he claims that as a soldier he had to obey Hitler, he says that he often tried to obstruct certain measures by delay, which occasionally proved successful as when he resisted Hitler's demand that a directive be issued to lynch Allied "terror fliers".Įntries in Jodl's diary of 13 and 14 February 1938 show Hitler instructed both him and Keitel to keep up military pressure against Austria, begun at the Von Schuschnigg conference, by simulating military measures and that these achieved their purpose. He said that when he signed or initialed orders, memoranda and letters, he did so for Hitler and often in the absence of Keitel. Jodl defends himself on the ground he was a soldier sworn to obedience and not a politician and that his staff and planning work left him no time for other matters. In the strict military sense, Jodl was the actual planner of the war and responsible in large measure for the strategy and conduct of operations. Although his immediate superior was Defendant Keitel, he reported directly to Hitler on operational matters. After a year in command of troops, in August 1939 he returned to become Chief of the Operations Staff of the High Command of the Armed Forces. From 1935 to 1938 he was Chief of the National Defense Section in the High Command. Jodl is indicted on all four Counts.( explanation).
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