World War II German Military History Albert Kesselring Personal Prison Diary Written During the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials 1946

Albert Kesselring

Manuscripts & Autographs

Kesselring, Albert. Personal diary kept during imprisonment following the Second World War and during the Nuremberg war crimes proceedings. Albert Kesselring served as Field Marshal in the German Luftwaffe and commanded major German military operations in multiple theaters of the war, including air campaigns in Poland and France, the Battle of Britain, operations during the invasion of the Soviet Union, and later the Mediterranean and Italian fronts. After Germany’s defeat he was arrested and prosecuted for war crimes committed during the German occupation of Italy. This diary documents his daily life during the immediate postwar period while he remained under Allied custody and while the major trials of German leaders were underway at Nuremberg. Entries note visits, court appearances, and personal reflections recorded during a period when former senior commanders awaited the outcome of postwar legal proceedings.

Personal pocket diary for the year 1946 containing 58 pages with scattered pencil entries written by Albert Kesselring. The calendar format volume measures approximately 4 x 6 inches. The entries record numerous visits from his wife Paulina, whom Kesselring notes simply as “Liny,” and also mark the dates on which he traveled to Nuremberg to testify during the trial of Hermann Göring on February 15, April 26, and May 14. The diary concludes with a handwritten entry on December 31 reading “All’s well that ends well!” reflecting Kesselring’s outlook at the close of the year.

Following the war Kesselring was tried by a British military tribunal for actions carried out during the German occupation of Italy and initially received a death sentence. The sentence was later commuted and he was released from imprisonment in 1952. Personal writings from senior German military commanders during the immediate postwar years provide direct documentary evidence of how individuals connected to the German war effort experienced detention, testimony, and the legal processes that followed the collapse of Nazi Germany. Slight foxing to the verso of the cover. Overall condition very good.

Item #13291

Price: $880.00