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Erich Raeder

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Article Genealogy
Parent: Battle of the Atlantic Hop 3
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Erich Raeder
Erich Raeder
Ernst Sandau Jr. · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source
NameErich Raeder
CaptionRaeder in 1939
Birth date24 April 1876
Death date6 November 1960
Birth placeWandsbek, Hamburg, German Empire
Death placeKiel, West Germany
Allegiance* German Empire * Weimar Republic * Nazi Germany
BranchGerman Empire, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany
Serviceyears1894–1943
RankGrand Admiral
Commands* SMS Cöln * Chief of the German Naval Staff * Commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine
Battles* World War I ** Battle of the Dogger Bank ** Battle of Jutland
Awards* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Erich Raeder was a senior naval leader who served as the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine from 1935 until his dismissal in 1943, having previously led the Reichsmarine during the Weimar Republic. Appointed Grand Admiral in 1939, he was a key architect of the German navy's expansion and strategy during the early years of World War II. Following the war, he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against peace at the Nuremberg trials and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Early life and career

Born in Wandsbek near Hamburg, Raeder joined the Imperial German Navy in 1894, embarking on a career that would span five decades. He underwent training on the naval school ship SMS Stosch and later served as an officer on the SMS *Deutschland*, the flagship of Prince Heinrich of Prussia. His early promise was recognized with a posting to the Naval Academy in Kiel, where he specialized in staff work and developed expertise in Russian affairs. By 1910, he had joined the Naval High Command in Berlin, serving on the information staff for the Far East.

World War I and interwar period

During World War I, Raeder served as chief of staff to Franz von Hipper, commander of the I Scouting Group, seeing action at the Battle of the Dogger Bank and the Battle of Jutland. After the war and the scuttling of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow, he played a central role in the clandestine rebuilding of German naval power within the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. Appointed head of the Reichsmarine in 1928, he secretly planned for a future large surface fleet, a program that accelerated after Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement.

World War II

As commander of the Kriegsmarine at the outbreak of World War II, Raeder advocated for a significant expansion of naval forces through the ambitious Plan Z, though its implementation was curtailed by the war's early start. His strategy focused on commerce raiding using capital ships and auxiliary cruisers, leading to operations like the Battle of the Atlantic. He oversaw major naval campaigns including the invasion of Norway and the use of U-boats, but his influence waned after surface fleet setbacks like the loss of the battleship *Bismarck* and the Channel Dash. Disagreements with Hitler over naval strategy led to his resignation in January 1943, succeeded by Karl Dönitz.

Trial and conviction

Arrested by Soviet forces at the end of the war, Raeder was transferred to Nuremberg to stand trial before the International Military Tribunal. He was indicted on all four counts, including crimes against peace for his role in planning aggressive wars like the invasion of Norway and Poland, and war crimes related to unrestricted submarine warfare. Despite his defense's arguments, he was found guilty on counts one and two and sentenced to life imprisonment, a verdict upheld by the Subsequent Nuremberg trials.

Later life and death

Raeder's imprisonment was spent initially at Spandau Prison in the British occupation zone. He was released in September 1955 on grounds of poor health and advanced age, following a petition supported by Konrad Adenauer. He spent his final years in Kiel, writing his memoirs which were published in West Germany. He died there in November 1960 and was buried in the Nordfriedhof, his legacy remaining that of a pivotal but convicted architect of Nazi Germany's naval warfare.

Category:German grand admirals Category:People convicted by the International Military Tribunal Category:Military personnel from Hamburg