DONITZ KARL: (1891-1980) German Grand Admiral of World War II who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler ...

DONITZ KARL: (1891-1980) German Grand Admiral of World War II who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as head of state, serving as President of Germany from April – May 1945. A good D.S., Donitz, one page, 4to, n.p., 4 ^th March 1978. The typed document is a souvenir copy of the Instrument of Surrender of all German Forces to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and to the Soviet High Command, the original of which had been signed by Alfred Jodl, on Donitz’s orders, at Rheims on 7 ^th May 1945. The text, in five numbered paragraphs, states, in part, ‘1. We the undersigned, acting by authority of the German High Command, hereby surrender unconditionally to the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command all forces on land, sea, and in the air who are at this date under German control. 2. The German High Command will at once issue orders to all German military, naval and air authorities and to all forces under German control to cease active operations at 2301 hours…….3. The German High Command will at once issue to the appropriate commanders, and ensure the carrying out of any further orders issued by the Supreme Commander……4. This act of military surrender is without prejudice to, and will be superseded by any general instrument of surrender imposed by, or on behalf of the United Nations and applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole. 5. In the event of the German High Command or any of the forces under their control failing to act in accordance with this Act of Surrender, the Supreme Commander……will take such punitive or other action as they deem appropriate’. Signed and dated by Donitz in bold blue fountain pen ink at the conclusion, further adding two lines of German text in his hand, ‘Die unterschrift dieses dokuments machte in meinem auftrag General Jodl’ (Translation: ‘The signature on this document was made on my behalf by General Jodl’). VG