THE DOCUMENT THAT FORCED THE SURRENDER OF NAZI GERMANY - ONE OF THE "MOST SIGNIFICANT RECORDS" OF THE ...

THE DOCUMENT THAT FORCED THE SURRENDER OF NAZI GERMANY - ONE OF THE "MOST SIGNIFICANT RECORDS" OF THE 20TH CENTURY
AUCTION PROCEEDS TO BE DONATED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, DIRECT RELIEF, AND N.H.S. CHARITIES TOGETHER, IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY CAPTAIN TOM MOORE TO THE BRITISH NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

On May 6, 1945, shortly before his departure from Flensburg to Reims to discuss German surrender terms, Field Marshal Alfred Jodl met with the president of Germany, Grossadmiral Karl Donitz and was given two documents of the utmost historical importance. Offered here is one of those letters, one page in length, 8 x 10 inches, written at "Headquarters" in Flensburg and signed by Donitz at its conclusion. It reads in full: "I authorize Colonel General Jodl, Chief of the Operations Staff in the High Command of the Armed Forces to negotiate an armistice agreement with the headquarters of General Eisenhower." The letter is signed by Donitz in blue ink at bottom and bears an official seal. This letter comprised General Jodl's credentials - his official authorization to negotiate peace - and dispelled any possible fears at SHAEF headquarters that a "rogue" general might be attempting to illicitly represent the German government. This letter was delivered by Jodl to British General Kenneth Strong who served as an Allied negotiator and interpreter in Reims. The letter originally bore tape stains and three tears on the right side, which have been professionally repaired and the letter is now encapsulated for further protection. It is very important to note that Jodl was given a second, very similar letter by Donitz at the same time, this one authorizing him to sign any instrument of surrender. What has been unknown until today is that Jodl never presented his "authorization to surrender" until AFTER he had already signed the surrender document. In effect, Jodl obtained many more hours of time negotiating the surrender and transmitting terms back-and-forth to Donitz, while in actuality he could have signed the surrender at any time. These were crucial hours allowing even more soldiers and refugees to flee across the lines into the west. This fact is borne out in a 1980 letter sent to a collector by Kriegsmarine Captain Walter Ludde-Neurath, Donitz's adjutant who was at the admiral's side during the final days of the surrender and during the arrest of the Flensburg government. In 1975, Archivist of the United States James B. Rhoads declared: "...the passage of time...only heightens the importance of the surrender documents, which remain among the most significant records of the 20th century..." The document authorizing Jodl to sign the surrender is among those documents to which Rhoads referred, and it still resides at the National Archives. The letter offered in this sale is the "mate" to that "most significant record." Its importance and place in the most prominent holdings cannot be understated. This lot was obtained by our consignor directly from Major-General Sir Kenneth William Dobson Strong (1900-1982), a senior officer of the British Army who served as Eisenhower's chief of intelligence at SHAEF and played a leading part in the negotiations of the unconditional surrender of Germany. Photo for illustrative purposes only and not included.