Walter Warlimont – Oberkommando der Wehrmacht & Wounded July 20 Plot

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Walter Warlimont. General der Artillerie Walter Warlimont (3 October 1894, Osnabrück † 9 October 1976, Kreuth am Tegernsee) was a German General der Artillerie and one of the most prominent military strategists in the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) during World War II. Commissioned in 1914, he fought in the First World War before serving in several influential staff roles in the interwar years.

He studied U.S. mobilization methods and became Chief of the Industrial Mobilization Section in Germany. During the Spanish Civil War, Warlimont coordinated German aid to Franco and, by 1937, authored a memorandum that influenced Hitler’s creation of the OKW.

In WWII he quickly rose in rank, becoming Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces Operations Staff under General Alfred Jodl. He helped plan the invasions of Poland, France, and Russia, and was involved in strategic oversight throughout the war. On 20 July 1944, he was severely wounded in the assassination attempt against Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair.

Awards and Decorations:

• Verwundetenabzeichen 20. Juli 1944 in Schwarz – Wounded in the assassination attempt on Hitler, 20 July 1944 (presented 2 September 1944).

• Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern – 1 February 1945, as General der Artillerie and Chief of the Wehrmachtführungsstabes, OKW.

Postwar:
In 1948, Warlimont was tried in the High Command Trial at Nuremberg for war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment, though he was released in 1954. He later authored the book Inside Hitler’s Headquarters 1939–1945 and lived quietly in Bavaria until his death in 1976.

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of General der Artillerie Walter Warlimont.

• Signed on a postwar photograph.

• Condition: Very good, with a clear and strong autograph.

Collector’s Note:
Warlimont’s role as Deputy Chief of the OKW Operations Staff makes him one of the key figures of the German high command during WWII. His direct connection to the 20 July 1944 bomb plot and subsequent decorations further elevate the historic significance of his autograph.