German Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946), Adolf Hitler's senior military advisor during World War II, was the individual who personally conducted the armistice agreement with the French. He was eventually convicted for crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials and subsequently hung as a war criminal in late 1946.

Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustave Keitel was born on September 22, 1882 in the village of Helmschrode, which was located in Harz Mountains portion of the Braunschweig province of Germany. He was born into a family with a long and rich military history. In his early years, Keitel wasn't much of a student, but he did enjoy hunting and farming. He joined the German army in 1901 as a member of the artillery corps. Gradually, he rose through the ranks of the officers, and was generally considered to be a good soldier. A year after he joined the army, he was made a...