Closing statement by the defendant Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (22 September 1882 – murdered 16 October 1946) before the "International War Crimes Tribunal" in Nuremberg on August 31, 1946. 1/3

CHAIRPERSON: "The defendant Wilhelm Keitel has the floor."

WILHELM KEITEL: "I have admitted my responsibility in the context of my official position on the witness stand and have explained the importance of this official position through the evidence and through the plea of ​​my defense attorney. I am far from belittling my part in what happened. In the interest of historical truth, however, it seems necessary to correct some errors in the closing statements of the prosecution.

The American prosecutor stated in his closing statement - I quote: 'Keitel, a weak, devoted tool, handed over the Wehrmacht, the means of attack, to the party!' A "handing over" of the Wehrmacht to the Party by me cannot be reconciled with my functions, neither up to February 4, 1938, nor after that time, when Hitler made himself Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht and thus had absolute control over the Party and the Wehrmacht. I do not recall that any evidence was presented in the course of these proceedings that could justify this claim by the prosecution.

The evidence also showed, however, that the further claim that Keitel led the Wehrmacht in carrying out its criminal intentions is erroneous. This claim in the Anglo-American trial brief contradicts the brief, which expressly states that I had no authority to give orders. That is why the British chief prosecutor is also mistaken when he speaks of me - I quote: 'a field marshal who gave orders to the Wehrmacht', and when he accuses me of having said that I 'had no idea what practical results would be achieved' - that is the quote - then I believe that this is something different from what I said on the witness stand, namely - I quote my words from the witness stand: 'When an order was given, I acted in accordance with my duty, in my opinion, without being swayed by the possible, but not always recognizable, consequences.' The claim - I quote: 'Keitel and Jodl cannot deny responsibility for the operations of the Einsatzkommandos with which their own commanders worked closely and cordially' cannot be reconciled with the result of the evidence. The OKW was excluded from the Soviet Russian theater of war, and no troop commanders were subordinate to it. The French prosecutor said in his closing speech: 'Is it necessary to recall the terrible words of the defendant Keitel that human life in the occupied territories is worth less than nothing?' End of quote.

These terrible words are not my words. I did not think them up, nor did I make them the content of an order. The fact that my name is associated with the passing on of this Führer order weighs heavily on me enough.

Elsewhere, Mr Champetier de Ribes states - I quote: "The execution of this order" - it was about fighting partisans - "was carried out on the basis of the instructions of the commander of the army group, who in turn acted on more general instructions from the defendant Keitel." https://t.me/UnvergesseneHelden
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