Im new to all this stuff and I was wondering what did these following guys do during the War.
Rudolf Hess
Karl Doenitz
Adolf Eichman
and info on Erwin Rommel
thanks
Info
Re:
Here are biographies on all three that describe what they did during the war and what their fates were:
Rudolf Hess (1894-1987), served as Hitler's deputy (1933-1941), held power over the law so that if he felt someone hadn't been punished enough by a jail sentence, he'd send the person to a concentration camp. This happened very often. However, in 1941, he flew to Scotland to negotiate a peace between the British and the Germans, but the British were not very impressed and they locked him up for the rest of the war. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Nuremberg in 1946 for being one of Hitler's closest collaborators in plotting aggressive war and waging it. He "committed suicide" in prison in 1987, at least according to the official British report, but I personally believe he was assassinated.
Karl Doenitz (1891-1980), served as the Grand Admiral of the German Navy (1943-1945). He, of all people, actually came the closest to winning the war for Hitler due to the brilliance of his strategies and that he finally got the Armaments Ministry to start building more and more U-boats. In 1945, he served as the German Fuehrer after Hitler committed suicide and held that position until the end of the war. In 1946, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Nuremberg for his involvement in war crimes.
Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962), although merely an SS Lieutenant Colonel, he was in charge of the Gestapo section that dealt with Jews and he ultimately was responsible for the deportations of millions of Jews to death camps, which were under his supervision. According to one of his partners in crime, Dieter Wisliceny, he bragged to him that "I will laugh when I jump into the grave, because of the feeling that I killed five million Jews. This gives me great satisfaction and gratification." Rudolf Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz, who testified at Nuremberg, describes Eichmann's ruthlessness in implementing the "Final Solution": "Eichmann was a man full of life, always active... He always had new plans and always sought innovations and improvements. He never knew rest. He was wholly and compulsively obsessed with the Jewish Question and with the `Final Solution' which had been ordered" (Von der Judenfrage und der befohlenen "Endloesung" war er besessen)..."Eichmann was totally obsessed by his mission and convinced that the campaign of extermination was essential in order to rescue the German nation in future from the desire of the Jews to destroy it." Eichmann managed to escape from a POW camp to Italy, where he managed to reach Argentina in 1950. He remained in Argentina living a seemingly normal life. However, in 1960, his identity was discovered by the Mossad and he was abducted and brought to Israel for trial. His trial, beginning in 1961, had loads of witnesses for the prosecution and this was one of the most significant post-war trials, since it was televised, thus it opened people's eyes to the horrors of the holocaust. It also brought up new evidence against other former SS men that lead to their arrest and imprisonment. Eichmann was convicted of all 15 charges and sentenced to death by hanging. On May 31, 1962, Eichmann was hanged in Ramleh prison, finally getting what he deserved.
Rudolf Hess (1894-1987), served as Hitler's deputy (1933-1941), held power over the law so that if he felt someone hadn't been punished enough by a jail sentence, he'd send the person to a concentration camp. This happened very often. However, in 1941, he flew to Scotland to negotiate a peace between the British and the Germans, but the British were not very impressed and they locked him up for the rest of the war. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Nuremberg in 1946 for being one of Hitler's closest collaborators in plotting aggressive war and waging it. He "committed suicide" in prison in 1987, at least according to the official British report, but I personally believe he was assassinated.
Karl Doenitz (1891-1980), served as the Grand Admiral of the German Navy (1943-1945). He, of all people, actually came the closest to winning the war for Hitler due to the brilliance of his strategies and that he finally got the Armaments Ministry to start building more and more U-boats. In 1945, he served as the German Fuehrer after Hitler committed suicide and held that position until the end of the war. In 1946, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Nuremberg for his involvement in war crimes.
Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962), although merely an SS Lieutenant Colonel, he was in charge of the Gestapo section that dealt with Jews and he ultimately was responsible for the deportations of millions of Jews to death camps, which were under his supervision. According to one of his partners in crime, Dieter Wisliceny, he bragged to him that "I will laugh when I jump into the grave, because of the feeling that I killed five million Jews. This gives me great satisfaction and gratification." Rudolf Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz, who testified at Nuremberg, describes Eichmann's ruthlessness in implementing the "Final Solution": "Eichmann was a man full of life, always active... He always had new plans and always sought innovations and improvements. He never knew rest. He was wholly and compulsively obsessed with the Jewish Question and with the `Final Solution' which had been ordered" (Von der Judenfrage und der befohlenen "Endloesung" war er besessen)..."Eichmann was totally obsessed by his mission and convinced that the campaign of extermination was essential in order to rescue the German nation in future from the desire of the Jews to destroy it." Eichmann managed to escape from a POW camp to Italy, where he managed to reach Argentina in 1950. He remained in Argentina living a seemingly normal life. However, in 1960, his identity was discovered by the Mossad and he was abducted and brought to Israel for trial. His trial, beginning in 1961, had loads of witnesses for the prosecution and this was one of the most significant post-war trials, since it was televised, thus it opened people's eyes to the horrors of the holocaust. It also brought up new evidence against other former SS men that lead to their arrest and imprisonment. Eichmann was convicted of all 15 charges and sentenced to death by hanging. On May 31, 1962, Eichmann was hanged in Ramleh prison, finally getting what he deserved.
Re:
Ooops! Forgot about Rommel in that first post, here's some info. on Rommel:
Born: November 15, 1891
Suicide: October 14, 1944
. Rommel was involved in the July Plot, since he disliked Hitler's conduct of the war.
. Mainly known for his brilliant command of the Afrika Korps, he managed to advance farther in the shortest time than any General ever in history.
. Commanded the 7th Panzer division during the invasion of France.
. Committed suicide by swallowing poision to avoid trial for his knowledge and backing of the July Plot.
Born: November 15, 1891
Suicide: October 14, 1944
. Rommel was involved in the July Plot, since he disliked Hitler's conduct of the war.
. Mainly known for his brilliant command of the Afrika Korps, he managed to advance farther in the shortest time than any General ever in history.
. Commanded the 7th Panzer division during the invasion of France.
. Committed suicide by swallowing poision to avoid trial for his knowledge and backing of the July Plot.
Thanks
Thanks for the info. Also I heard something on Rommel and the July plot and there was an argument that Rommel didnt know anything of the plan. And a man accused of the crime was interogated and told them that Rommel was in on it. What do you think, Was Rommel into the July plot or not?
Re:
Rommel knew of and approved of the July Plot and promised to back the July Plot, but he did have some qualms about killing Hitler himself and that he should be tried for his crimes instead. There were actually two men who mentioned Rommel. Cesar von Hofacker, a major conspirator in the July Plot, was tortured so horribly by the Gestapo that he blurted out Rommel's name. The other man was Karl-Heinrich von Stuelpnagel, another conspirator who was the military governor of France. He shot himself in the head in an attempt to avoid trial (unfortunately he was tried by the People's Court and hanged), but only succeeded in blinding himself and while he was in the hospital, he mentioned Rommel while in a trance.