---
title: "Keitel, Jodl and Warlimont had never been in the war....Their lack of… — Walter Warlimont Quote #9 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "Keitel, Jodl and Warlimont had never been in the war....Their lack of fighting experience tended to make them underrate practical difficulties, and e… — a quote by Walter Warlimont."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # Keitel, Jodl and Warlimont had never been in the war....Their lack of fighting experience tended to make them underrate practical difficulties, and encourage Hitler to believe that things could be done that were quite impossible...

[Walter Warlimont](https://quotesby.net/Walter-Warlimont)\#9

[World war ii](https://quotesby.net/Walter-Warlimont/world-war-ii/)[Command](https://quotesby.net/topics/command/)[Competence](https://quotesby.net/topics/competence/)[Leadership](https://quotesby.net/topics/leadership/)

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## About this quote

What does it mean?The quote claims Keitel, Jodl, and Warlimont lacked combat experience, leading them to underestimate difficulties and encourage Hitler’s unrealistic expectations.In plain termsTheir inexperience caused them to misjudge practical challenges and fuel Hitler’s optimism.What can you take from it?Leadership without battlefield experience can produce unrealistic plans.

### Where it applies

- strategic planning
- high command meetings

### Putting it to work

- seek frontline input
- adjust plans realistically

### Questions to consider

- How did their background affect specific operations?
- Could experience have changed outcomes?

### Another view

It simplifies complex decision‑making to a single cause.

## More from Walter Warlimont

1. > Hitler gave another fateful halt order just when the armoured vanguards of Army Group North had reached the outskirts of Leningrad. Apparently he thereby wante…

[Permalink to quote \#8](https://quotesby.net/Walter-Warlimont/8/ "Permalink to quote 8")
2. > Warlimont became renowned, with Keitel and Jodl, as one of the German officers most loyal to Hitler and was accordingly sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment in …

[Permalink to quote \#10](https://quotesby.net/Walter-Warlimont/10/ "Permalink to quote 10")
3. > Had the 20th of July bomb plot against Hitler succeeded there would have been strikes and civil war within Germany... Already there were fanatic National Socia…

[Permalink to quote \#7](https://quotesby.net/Walter-Warlimont/7/ "Permalink to quote 7")

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[Gerd von Rundstedt](https://quotesby.net/Gerd-von-Rundstedt)[Gerd von Rundstedt quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Gerd-von-Rundstedt/1/ "Permalink to quote 1")
2. > What do you want to have me shot for, Semyon Mikhailovich? If you don't find me suitable as chief of the operations department, then give me a combat division.…

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3. > I think women have demonstrated in leadership positions that they're capable of handling very difficult situations.

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