Wilhelm Keitel

Keitel was appointed Chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), the high command of the German armed forces. In this role, he served as Hitler's primary military advisor and was responsible for coordinating military operations. He became known for his unquestioning loyalty to Hitler.

Keitel signed the Commissar Order, which ordered the execution of Soviet political commissars captured during Operation Barbarossa. This order violated international law and contributed to the brutal nature of the war on the Eastern Front.

Keitel signed the Night and Fog Decree, which authorized the disappearance of resistance fighters in occupied territories. Victims were arrested and secretly transported to Germany, where they were executed or imprisoned without trial. This decree was later classified as a war crime.

Keitel signed the unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, in Berlin. He represented the German armed forces at the signing ceremony. This act formally ended World War II in Europe.

Keitel was tried at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg for conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on October 16, 1946.