Karl Koller (general)

Karl Koller (1898 – 1951) was an Austrian general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe from 1944 to 1945.

Koller joined the military in 1916 and served in World War I. After the war, he remained in the Reichswehr and later transferred to the Luftwaffe after its establishment. He rose through the ranks, holding various staff positions before being appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe in September 1944, replacing Günther Korten who was killed in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler.

In this role, Koller was responsible for the operational planning and command of the Luftwaffe. As the war progressed, he was increasingly involved in the deteriorating situation on the Eastern Front and the diminishing resources available to the Luftwaffe. He frequently attended Hitler's military conferences and often acted as a liaison between Hitler and the Luftwaffe's commander-in-chief, Hermann Göring.

Towards the end of the war, Koller was involved in efforts to negotiate a separate peace with the Western Allies. After the German surrender, he was arrested and interned. He was later tried by an Allied military court and convicted of war crimes. He was sentenced to imprisonment and died in prison in 1951.

Koller is often remembered for his detailed diary, which provides a valuable first-hand account of the inner workings of the Luftwaffe during the final years of World War II. This diary has been published and provides insight into the command structure, decision-making processes, and overall state of the Luftwaffe during this period.