It was titled "The German Army from 1920 to 1945" and was co-authored by Halder and former field marshals Walter von Brauchitsch and Erich von Manstein, along with other senior military figures. It aimed to portray the German armed forces as apolitical and largely innocent of the crimes committed by the Nazi regime.[36][37] The strategy outlined in the memorandum was later adopted by Hans Laternser, the lead counsel for the defence at the High Command Trial of senior Wehrmacht commanders.[36] The document was written at the suggestion of American general William J. Donovan, who later founded the CIA.