Showing 2 results

Archival description
Only top-level descriptions Manstein, Erich, von, 1885-1973, German Field Marshal
Print preview View:

HALDER, GENERALOBERST FRANZ: JOURNAL, 1938-1942

  • MF321-MF322
  • Collection
  • 1939-1942

The Private War Journal of Generaloberst Franz Halder, Chief of the General Staff of the Supreme Command of the German Army, 1939- 1942 is a microfilmed copy of the desk journal of Generaloberst Franz Halder. In 1938, Generaloberst [Col Gen] Franz Halder took office as Chief of the General Staff of the German Army, Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH), openly declaring himself opposed to the Nazi leadership of the German Armed Forces. By 1939, however, Hitler had begun to direct much of the operational decision making of the OKH. Although Halder would continue to voice opposition to the more impractical military directives, he nonetheless complied with the strategic demands proposed by Hitler and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces. From 1938-1942, Halder's duties were confined to operational decision making and desk planning, analysing reports sent to him by his subordinates and conferring with officers of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH), the Supreme Command of the German Army, over administrative, operational, and logistical matters. Halder's short-hand notes and daily entries in his Kriegstagebücher summarised each day's work and acted as an aide mémoire to events, 1938-1942. The journal reflects the detail, routine, and bureaucracy encountered by Halder and his staff, as well as the decision making process between Halder, the General Staff, and Adolf Hitler. Kept by Halder personally, the journal should not be confused with the official War Diaries kept by the Supreme Command of the German Army. Intended to serve as a notebook, the diary does not furnish a complete record of all activities, 1939-1942; rather it reflects the German High Command decision making structure as well as the character of many German senior officers, including FM (Karl Rudolf) Gerd von Runstedt, FM Erich von Manstein, and Col Gen Heinz Guderian. After the war, the journal was introduced by the Prosecution as a documentary exhibit in the record of the case entitled the United States of America vs Wilhelm von Leeb et al, brought before Military Tribunal V (FM Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, Commander Army Group North, was tried for minor war crimes in 1948). The journal was subsequently translated and reduced to typewritten form from the original notes under the guidance of Phillip Willner, Chief of the Reporting Branch (German) of the Office of Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, Office of the Military Government for Germany. It was then reviewed with Halder for continuity and published soon thereafter.

Halder, Franz, 1884-1972, German General

EADON, Nicholas Piers (b 1941)

  • EADON
  • Collection
  • 1966-1980

Correspondence between Nicholas Piers Eadon and US, British, French and German military and naval figures of the twentieth century, mainly relating to great moments of their lives, with many signed portrait photographs, [1968]-1980, including US Gen Omar Nelson Bradley; US Gen Mark Wayne Clark; US Gen Alfred Maximilian Gruenther; US Gen Anthony Clement McAuliffe; US Gen Carl A Spaatz; US Gen Maxwell Davenport Taylor; US Gen Albert Coady Wedemeyer. Correspondence with British military figures, including FM Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis; FM Sir Claude (John Eyre) Auchinleck; Gp Capt Sir Douglas (Robert Steuart) Bader; Maj Gen Sir Francis Wilfred De Guingand; Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey; MRAF Sir (William) Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside; ACM Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory; FM Sir Francis Wogan Festing; Gen Sir Richard Nelson Gale; Maj Gen Sir Miles (William Arthur Peel) Graham; FM (Allan Francis) John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton; Lt Gen Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks; FM Sir Richard (Amyatt) Hull; Gen Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay of Wormington; Lt Gen Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese; Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart; FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein; AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma; Lt Gen (Charles) Willoughby (Moke) Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie of Wellington, New Zealand, and of Upton, Gloucestershire; MRAF Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford; FM William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim of Burma; Wg Cdr Robert Roland Stanford-Tuck; FM Sir Gerald (Walter Robert) Templer. Correspondence with French military figures, including Gen Pierre Billotte; Gen Jean Charbonneau; Adm Gensoul; Gen Gribius. Correspondence with German military figures, including Grand Adm Karl Doenitz; Gen Adolf Galland; Lt Gen Reinhard Gehlen; Col Gen Franz Halder; Gen Adolf Heusinger; Col Gen Karl Hollidt; R Adm Otto Kretschmer; FM (Fritz) Erich von Manstein; Gen Hasso von Manteuffel; Adm Wilhelm Marschall; FM Erhard Milch; Gen Enno von Rintelen; FM Ferdinand Schorner; Gen Joachim Schwatlo-Gesterding; Gen Baron Geyr von Schweppenburg; Gen Walther von Seydlitz; Albert Speer; Gen Dr Hans Spiedel; Lt Gen Helmut Staedke; Gen of Infantry Karl Strecker; V Adm August Thiele; Gen Walter Warlimont; Gen of Panzertruppe Walther Wenck, Luftwaffe Maj Gen Alwin Wolz; V Adm Karl Adolf Zenker.

Eadon, Nicholas Piers, b 1941