I just did some research on past NATO leadership:
– Nazi General Hans Speidel, who participated in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union, played a key role in German rearmament and integration into NATO, and in 1957 became Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe.
– Sturmführer Dr. Eberhard Taubert worked with Goebbels in the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda where he was responsible for designing the yellow badge for Jews. After the war, he eventually became an adviser to ex-Nazi Franz Josef Strauss, German Minister of Defence from 1956-62, and was assigned by Strauss to NATO’s “Psychological Warfare Department” which spewed anti-communist propaganda just as Goebbels’ ministry had during the war.
– Nazi Admiral and U-Boat commander Friedrich Guggenberger, whose U-boat sank 17 allied ships, later served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the NATO command Armed Forces North (AFNORTH) 1968-72.
– Johannes Steinhoff, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, was made Chairman of the NATO Military Committee 1971-74, holding other NATO positions prior to that.
– Johann von Kielmansegg, General Staff officer to the High Command of the Wehrmacht, 1942-44, was NATO’s Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe, 1967-68.
– Ernst Ferber, a major in the Wehrmacht, was NATO’s Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe, 1973-75.
– Karl Schnell, First General Staff officer of the LXXVI Panzer Corps, was NATO’s Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe, 1975-77.
– Franz Joseph Schulze, Chief of the Third Battery of the Flak Storm Regiment 241, was NATO’s Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe, 1977-79.
– Ferdinand von Senger und Etterline, Lieutenant of the 24th Panzer Division of the German Sixth Army, was NATO’s Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe, 1979-83.
People thought they hanged all the Nazi war criminals. They were actually sought for high positions in the allied post war military structure. You would be surprised the number of former Gestapo “Nazi Secret Police” that were given good jobs with the allies after the war. Sad really but the truth!