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In 1938, the Third Reich's military command structure began to
markedly differ from the world's other primary powers when Hitler
ordered the Ministry of War abolished. Hitler replaced it with a military
command structure titled the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or
High Command of the Armed Forces). In name, the OKW held
responsibility for overseeing the individual military services. In
practice, however the OKW offered an opportunity for Hitler to tighten
his grip over the OKH or Oberkommando der Heer - the Army High
Command.

Alfred Jodl spent the Second World War as the number two man in
OKW's command hierarchy and thus ranked among the German war
machine's top officers. All too often Jodl proved to be the wrong
choice for the prominent role he held in the German leadership.
Although not quite the political lackey he has been made out to be by
other German officers looking for a scapegoat for their own failings
following the War; Jodl possessed several less than admirable traits
for a military leader, including the fact he was even more of a political
ideologue than many of his colleagues. Overall, Jodl had a detrimental
impact on the German war effort, however whether or not a more
talented officer would have made a difference in the War's outcome is
questionable.

Picture Courtesy US National Archives, ARC identifier no. 195338