Karl Dönitz
Großadmiral Karl Dönitz, Admiral and Reichspräsident of Nazi Germany
4th President of Germany
In office 30 April 1945 – 23 May 1945
Preceded by	Adolf Hitler Führer und Reichskanzler
Succeeded by	Allied military occupation 1945-1949 Theodor Heuss (FRG) Wilhelm Pieck (GDR)
Born	September 16, 1891(1891-09-16) Berlin
Died	December 24, 1980 (aged 89) Aumühle, near Hamburg
Nationality	German
Political party	Honorary Member of the National Socialist German Workers Party[1]

Karl Dönitz (pronounced [ˈdøːnɪts]  (help·info)) (16 September 1891–24 December 1980) was a German naval Commander who served in the Imperial German Navy during World War One and commanded the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during the second half of World War Two. Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative Theodor Heuss ( 31 January 1884 &ndash 12 December 1963) was a German politician West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck ( January 3, 1876 - September 7, 1960) was a German communist and the first and only The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Aumühle is a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein, about 21 km east of Hamburg. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany The Golden Party Badge was a special badge of the Nazi Party. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

In the final days of the war, Dönitz became the President (Reichspräsident) of Nazi Germany. The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945 The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers He held this position for about 20 days after the death of Adolf Hitler. The generally accepted cause of the death of Adolf Hitler on Monday 30 April 1945 is Suicide by gunshot and Cyanide poisoning Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately ^[2]

After the war, Dönitz was convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials and served ten years in prison. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after ^[3]

Contents 1 Early life and career 1.1 Imperial navy 2 Interwar period 2.1 Weimar republic's navy 2.2 Commodore and leader of the submarines 3 Role in World War II 3.1 Rear admiral, vice admiral, and commander of the submarines 3.2 Commander-in-chief and grand admiral 3.3 Hitler's successor 3.4 Flensburg government 3.5 Family 3.6 Relation to Jews and Nazism 4 War crimes trial 5 Later years 6 Portrayal in popular culture 7 Footnotes 8 References 9 Background information 10 Further reading 11 External links

Early life and career

Dönitz was born in Grünau in Berlin, Germany to Anna Beyer and Emil Dönitz, an engineer. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Karl had an older brother, Friedrich.

Imperial navy

In 1910, Dönitz enlisted in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire. The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire. He became a sea-cadet (Seekadett) on 4 April. This article refers to the general definition of cadet A Cadet may also be a member of the Cadets, a historical Russian Political party. This article refers to the general definition of cadet A Cadet may also be a member of the Cadets, a historical Russian Political party. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. On 15 April 1911, he became a midshipman (Fähnrich zur See), the rank given to those who had served for one year as officer's apprentice and had passed their first examination. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year For the fish called midshipman see Midshipman fish. The rank of midshipman is one of the oldest ranks still in existence

On 27 September 1913, Dönitz was commissioned as an Acting Navy Second Lieutenant (Leutnant zur See). Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. When World War I began, he served on the light cruiser SMS Breslau in the Mediterranean Sea. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A light cruiser is a Warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light Armoured cruiser " describing a small ship that carried armour in the same way Service history In 1912 Breslau was attached to the German Mittelmeerdivision (Mediterranean Division along with the Battlecruiser Goeben In August 1914, Breslau and the battlecruiser SMS Goeben were sold to the Ottoman navy; the ships were retitled the Midilli and the Yavuz Sultan Selim, respectively. The pursuit of Goeben and Breslau See also Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau In 1912 the German navy's Mittelmeerdivision (Mediterranean The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish They began operating out of Constantinople, under Rear Admiral Wilhelm Souchon, engaging Russian forces in the Black Sea. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Wilhelm Anton Souchon ( 2 June 1864 &ndash 13 January 1946) was a German Admiral in World War I who commanded The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey On 22 March 1916, Dönitz was promoted to Navy First Lieutenant (Oberleutnant zur See). Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks When Midilli put into dock for repairs, he was temporarily assigned as airfield commander at the Dardanelles. See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly From there, he requested a transfer to the submarine forces, which became effective in October 1916. He served as watch officer on U-39, and from February 1918 onward as commander of UC-25. On 5 September 1918, he became commander of UB-68, operating in the Mediterranean. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On 4 October, this boat was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas

Interwar period

The war ended in 1918, but Dönitz remained in a British camp as a prisoner of war until his release in July 1919. He returned to Germany in 1920.

Weimar republic's navy

During the Interwar Period, Dönitz continued his naval career in the naval arm of the Weimar Republic's Armed Forces (Reichswehr). The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was On 10 January 1921, he became a Lieutenant (Kapitänleutnant) in the new German Navy (Vorläufige Reichsmarine). Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. Dönitz commanded torpedo boats by 1928, becoming a Lieutenant-Commander (Korvettenkapitän) on 1 November of that same year. A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval Ship designed to carry Torpedoes into battle Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy) is a Commissioned officer rank in many navies Superior Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi

On 1 September 1933, Dönitz became a full Commander (Fregattenkapitän) and, in 1934, was put in command of the cruiser Emden. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service Frigate Captain is a naval rank It is equivalent to the Royal Navy / Commonwealth / US Navy rank of Commander. Commanding Officers KzS Richard Foerster - 15 October 1925 - 23 September 1928 FK / KzS Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière - 23 September 1928 Emden was the ship on which cadets and midshipmen took a year-long world cruise in preparation for a future officer's commission.

On 1 September 1935, Dönitz was promoted to Captain (Kapitän zur See). Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For information specifically on the Royal Navy rank of captain see Captain (Royal Navy. He was placed in command of the 1st U-boat Flotilla Weddigen, which included U-7, U-8, and U-9.

During 1935, the Weimar Republic's Navy (Reichsmarine) was replaced by the Nazi German Navy (Kriegsmarine). The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany.

Throughout 1935 and 1936, Dönitz had misgivings regarding submarines due to German overestimation of the capabilities of British ASDIC. Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate In reality, ASDIC could detect only ten percent of submarines during exercises. In the words of Alan Hotham, British Director of Naval Intelligence, ASDIC was a "huge bluff". The Naval Intelligence Division ( NID) was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965

German doctrine at the time, based on the work of American Naval Captain Alfred T. Mahan and shared by all major navies, called for the submarines to be integrated with the surface fleet and employed against enemy warships. Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27 1840–December 1 1914 was a United States Navy Flag officer, geostrategist, and educator By November 1937, Dönitz became convinced that a major campaign against merchant shipping was practical and began pressing for the conversion of the German fleet almost entirely to U-boats. ^[4] He advocated a strategy of attacking only merchant ships, targets relatively safe to attack. He pointed out destroying Britain's fleet of oil tankers would starve the Royal Navy of supplies needed to run their ships, which would be just as effective as sinking them. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) He thought a German fleet of 300 of the newer Type VII U-boats could knock Britain out of the war. Type VIIA The Type VIIA boats were designed in 1933 until 1934 as the first of a new generation of attack U-boats Most were built at Deschimag AG Weser in Bremen with U33-36 ^[5]

Dönitz revived the World War I idea of grouping several subs together into a "wolf pack" to overwhelm a merchant convoy's defensive escorts. Implementation of wolf packs had been difficult in World War I due to the limitations of available radios. In the interwar years, Germany developed ultra high frequency transmitters which it was hoped made their radio communication unjammable, while the Enigma code machine made communications secure (or so it was believed). The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of Dönitz also adopted Wilhelm Marschall's 1922 idea (claiming credit for it) of attacking convoys using surface or very near surface night attacks. This tactic had the added advantage of making a submarine undetectable by sonar. ^[6]

At the time, many, including Erich Raeder, felt such talk marked Dönitz as a weakling. Erich Johann Albert Raeder ( April 24, 1876 – November 6, 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during Dönitz was alone among senior naval officers, including some former submariners, in believing in a new submarine war on trade. He and Raeder constantly argued over funding priorities within the Navy, while at the same time competing with Hitler's friends, such as Hermann Göring, who received greater attention. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member

Since the surface strength of the Kriegsmarine was much less than that of the British Royal Navy, Raeder believed any war with Britain in the near future would doom it to uselessness, once remarking all the Germans could hope to do was die valiantly. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Raeder based his hopes on war being delayed until the German navy's extensive "Z Plan", which would have expanded Germany's surface fleet to where it could effectively contend with the Royal Navy, was implemented. Plan Z was the name given to the planned re-equipment and expansion of the Nazi German Navy ( Kriegsmarine) ordered by Adolf Hitler on January 27 1939 The "Z Plan", however, was not scheduled to be completed until 1945. ^[7]

Dönitz, in contrast, had no such fatalism and set about intensely training his crews in the new tactics. The marked inferiority of the German surface fleet would leave submarine warfare as Germany's only naval option once war broke out.

Commodore and leader of the submarines

On 28 January 1939, Dönitz was promoted to Commodore (Kommodore) and "Leader of the Submarines" (Führer der Unterseeboote). Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than

Role in World War II

Main article: Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945)

In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany, and World War II began. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous Military campaign of World War II, (though some say it was a series of naval Military campaigns The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Having anticipated the war to begin in 1945, The Kriegsmarine was caught unprepared for war. The Z Plan was tailored for a war beginning in 1945, not 1939. The plan called for a balanced fleet with a greatly increased number of surface capital ships, including several aircraft carriers. At the time war did start, Dönitz's U-boat force included only 57 boats, many of them short-range, and only 22 oceangoing Type VIIs. Type VIIA The Type VIIA boats were designed in 1933 until 1934 as the first of a new generation of attack U-boats Most were built at Deschimag AG Weser in Bremen with U33-36 He made do with what he had, while being harassed by Raeder and with Hitler calling on him to dedicate boats to military actions against the British fleet directly. These operations were generally unsuccessful, while the other boats continued to do well against Dönitz's primary targets of merchant shipping.

Rear admiral, vice admiral, and commander of the submarines

On 1 October 1939, Dönitz became a Rear Admiral (Konteradmiral) and "Commander of the Submarines" (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote); on 1 September the following year, he was made a Vice Admiral (Vizeadmiral). Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority

By 1941, the delivery of new Type VIIs had improved to the point where operations were having a real effect on the British wartime economy. Although production of merchant ships shot up in response, improved torpedoes, better U-boats, and much better operational planning led to increasing numbers of "kills". On 11 December 1941, following Adolf Hitler's declaration of war on the United States, Dönitz immediately planned for implementation of Operation Drumbeat (Unternehmen Paukenschlag). Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Second Happy Time was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic during which Axis Submarines attacked Merchant shipping ^[8] This targeted shipping along the East Coast of the United States. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern Carried out the next month, with only nine U-boats, it had dramatic and far-reaching results. The U.S. Navy was entirely unprepared for antisubmarine warfare, despite having had two years of British experience to learn from, and committed every imaginable mistake. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW or in older form A/S is a branch of Naval warfare that uses surface Warships Aircraft, space craft or other Submarines Shipping losses which appeared to be coming under control as the British Navy gradually adapted to the new challenge instantly skyrocketed. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

On at least two occasions, Allied success against U-boat operations led Dönitz to investigate possible reasons. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Among those considered were espionage and Allied interception and decoding of German Navy communications (the naval version of Enigma). Decoding is the reverse of Encoding, which is the process of transforming information from one format into another Both investigations into communications security came to the conclusion espionage was more likely, if Allied success had not been accidental. Nevertheless, Dönitz ordered his U-boat fleet to use an improved version of the Enigma machine (intended to be even more secure), the M4, for communications within the fleet, on 1 February 1942. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The navy was the only branch to use the improved version; the rest of the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) continued to use their then-current versions of Enigma. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 The new system was termed "Triton" ("Shark" to the Allies). For a time, this change in encryption between submarines caused considerable difficulty for Allied codebreakers; it took ten months before Shark traffic could again be read (see also Ultra and Cryptanalysis of the Enigma). ULTra ("Urban Light Transport" is a Personal rapid transit system from Advanced Transport Systems Ltd a company based in Cardiff, Wales. The Enigma machines were a family of portable Cipher machines

By the end of 1942, the production of Type VII U-boats had increased to the point where Dönitz was finally able to conduct mass attacks by groups of submarines, a tactic he called "Rudel" and became known as "wolfpack" (Wolfsrudel) in English. Allied shipping losses shot up tremendously, and there was serious concern for a while about the state of British fuel supplies.

During 1943, the war in the Atlantic turned against the Germans, but Dönitz continued to push for more U-boat construction and technological development. At the end of the war, the German submarine fleet was by far the most advanced in the world, and late war examples, such as the Type XXI U-boat, served as models for Soviet and American construction after the war. Description The key improvement in the Type XXI was greatly increased battery capacity roughly three times that of the Type VIIC. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 These, the Schnorchel boats, and the Type IX U-boat, appeared very late because of Dönitz's indifference, even hostility, to new technology. A submarine snorkel is a device that allows a Submarine to operate submerged while still taking in air from above the surface Type IXA Type IXB Type IXC Type IXC/40 Type IXD ^[9]His opposition to the larger Type IX was not unique; Admiral Thomas Hart, who commanded the United States Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines at the outbreak of the Pacific War, opposed fleet boats as "too luxurious". Thomas Hart or Tom Hart may refer to Tom Hart (comics, US comics creator Thomas C The Asiatic Fleet was part of the US Navy. During the World War II era the fleet protected the Philippines. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between ^[10]

Dönitz was very personally involved in operations, often contacting his boats up to seventy times a day with questions such as their position, fuel supply, and other "minutiae". Minutiae, in Fingerprinting terms are the points of interest in a fingerprint such as bifurcations (a ridge splitting into two and ridge endings This helped compromise his cyphers, by giving the Allies more messages to work from. The replies also enabled the Allies to use direction finding (HF/DF, called "Huff-Duff") to locate a U-boat using its radio, track it, and attack it (often with aircraft able to sink it with impunity). Direction finding (DF refers to the establishment of the direction from which a received signal was transmitted High frequency direction finder is usually known by its Acronym HF/DF, pronounced Huff-Duff.

Commander-in-chief and grand admiral

On 30 January 1943, Dönitz replaced Erich Raeder as "Commander-in-Chief of the Navy" (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) and Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) of the Naval High Command (Oberkommando der Marine). Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country The Oberkommando der Marine (or OKM for short was Germany 's Naval High Command until 1945 The Oberkommando der Marine (or OKM for short was Germany 's Naval High Command until 1945 It was Dönitz who was able to convince Hitler not to scrap the remaining ships of the surface fleet. Despite hoping to continue to use them as a fleet in being, the Kriegsmarine continued losing what few capital ships it had. In Naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port In September, the battleship Tirpitz was put out of action for months by a British midget submarine. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were Operational history This battleship was launched on 1 April 1939 and she was planned to be deployed in a manner similar to the ''Bismarck'', as a Commerce raider Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships - ''Tirpitz'', ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Lutzow'' - based in Northern A midget submarine is any Submarine under 150 tons typically operated by one or two but up to 6 or 8 crew with no on-board living accommodation In December, he ordered the battlecruiser Scharnhorst (under Konteradmiral Erich Bey) to attack Soviet-bound convoys, but she was sunk in the resulting encounter with superior British forces led by the battleship HMS Duke of York. Battlecruisers were large Warships in the first half of the 20th century that were first introduced by the British Royal Navy. For the German armoured cruiser commissioned in 1907 see SMS Scharnhorst The sisters - Scharnhorst and Gneisenau The Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Erich Bey ( 23 March 1898 – 26 December 1943) was a German naval officer who most notably served as a The Arctic Convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet In the World War II naval Battle of the North Cape, ships of the Royal Navy sank the German Battlecruiser ''Scharnhorst'' off Norway

Hitler's successor

On 30 April 1945, Hitler committed suicide. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar In his last testament, Hitler expelled both Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler from the Nazi Party. The last will and testament of Adolf Hitler was dictated by Hitler to his secretary Traudl Junge in his Berlin Führerbunker on April 29 Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. He surprisingly designated Dönitz his successor as Head of State (Staatsoberhaupt) and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Significantly, Dönitz was not to become Führer. Instead, Dönitz became President (Reichspräsident), a post Hitler had abolished years earlier. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels became Head of Government and Chancellor of Germany (Reichskanzler). Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler However, on 1 May, Goebbels committed suicide, the day after Hitler's death. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Hitler believed the leaders of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe), and SS (Schutzstaffel) had betrayed him. The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the So, because the German navy had been too small to affect the war in a major way, the leader of the navy became the only possible successor by default. ^[11]

On 1 May, following Goebbels' suicide, Dönitz became the sole representative of the crumbling German Reich. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Deutsches Reich was the name for Germany from 1871 to 1945 in the German language. He appointed Count Ludwig Schwerin von Krosigk as Reichskanzler and they attempted to form a government. Johann Ludwig (Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, (22 August 1887 4 March 1977 was a German jurist and senior government official During his brief period in office, Dönitz devoted most of his efforts to ensuring the loyalty of the German armed forces and trying to ensure German troops would surrender to the British or Americans and not the Soviets. He correctly feared vengeful Soviet reprisals. However, the Dönitz government was not recognized by the Allies and was for some days more or less ignored.

Flensburg government

Main article: Flensburg government

The rapidly advancing Allied forces limited the Dönitz government's jurisdiction to an area around Flensburg near the Danish border, where Dönitz's headquarters were located, along with Mürwik. The Flensburg government was the short-lived administration that attempted to rule Germany during most of May 1945 at the very end of World War II. Flensburg ( Danish: Flensborg, Low Saxon: Flensborg, North Frisian: Flansborj) is an independent town in The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Naval Academy Mürwik ( Marineschule Mürwik) located at Flensburg -Mürwik in Schleswig-Holstein Germany, is the educational and training Accordingly his administration was referred to as the Flensburg government. The Flensburg government was the short-lived administration that attempted to rule Germany during most of May 1945 at the very end of World War II. The following is Dönitz's description of his new government:

These considerations (the bare survival of the German people) which all pointed to the need for the creation of some sort of central government, took shape and form when I was joined by Graf Schwerin-Krosigk. Johann Ludwig (Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, (22 August 1887 4 March 1977 was a German jurist and senior government official In addition to discharging his duties as Foreign Minister and Minister of Finance, he formed the temporary government we needed and presided over the activities of its cabinet. Although he was restricted in his choice to those men who were in northern Germany, he nevertheless succeeded in forming a workmanlike cabinet of experts. Northern Germany is the geographic area in the north of Germany.

The picture of the military situation as a whole showed clearly that the war was lost. As there was also no possibility of effecting any improvement in Germany's overall position by political means, the only conclusion to which I, as Head of the State, could come was that the war must be brought to an end as quickly as possible, in order to prevent further bloodshed.

Late on 1 May, Himmler attempted to make a place for himself in the Flensburg government. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. The following is Dönitz's description of his showdown with Himmler:

At about midnight he arrived, accompanied by six armed SS officers, and was received by my aide-de-camp, Walter Luedde-Neurath. I offered Himmler a chair and I myself sat down behind my writing desk, upon which lay, hidden by some papers, a pistol with the safety catch off. I had never done anything of this sort in my life before, but I did not know what the outcome of this meeting might be.

I handed Himmler the telegram containing my appointment. "Please read this," I said. I watched him closely. As he read, an expression of astonishment, indeed of consternation, spread over his face. All hope seemed to collapse within him. He went very pale. Finally he stood up and bowed. "Allow me," he said, "to become the second man in your state. " I replied that that was out of the question and that there was no way in which I could make any use of his services.

Thus advised, he left me at about one o'clock in the morning. The showdown had taken place without force, and I felt relieved. ^[12]

Himmler was ultimately named Minister of Interior but was dismissed on 6 May. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.

On 4 May, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark, and northwestern Germany under Dönitz's command surrendered to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at Lüneburg Heath southeast of Hamburg, signaling the end of World War II in western Europe. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn The Lüneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide is a region in Lower Saxony, Germany. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany

On 7 May, Dönitz authorized the Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht), Colonel-General (Generaloberst) Alfred Jodl, to sign the instrument of unconditional surrender of all German forces to the Allies. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Jodl signed these surrender documents in Rheims, France. Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The surrender documents included the phrase, "All forces under German control to cease active operations at 23:01 hours Central European Time on 8 May 1945. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar " On May 8, shortly before midnight, General Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Wilhelm Keitel repeated the signing in Berlin at Marshal Georgiy Zhukov's headquarters, and, at the time specified, World War II in Europe ended. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) Marshal of the Soviet Union ( Marshal Sovietskovo Soyuza Советского Союза'' was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945

On 23 May, the Dönitz government dissolved when its members were captured and arrested by British forces at Flensburg. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The Flensburg government was the short-lived administration that attempted to rule Germany during most of May 1945 at the very end of World War II.

Family

Both of Dönitz's sons died during World War II. His younger son, Peter, was a watch officer on U-954 and was killed on 19 May 1943, when his boat was sunk in the North Atlantic with the loss of its entire crew. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After this loss, the older brother, Klaus, was allowed to leave combat duty and began studying to be a naval doctor. Klaus would be killed on 13 May 1944. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Klaus convinced his friends to let him go on the torpedo boat S-141 for a raid on HMS Selsey off the coast of England on his twenty-fourth birthday. A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval Ship designed to carry Torpedoes into battle The boat was destroyed and Klaus died, even though six others were rescued. His daughter Ursula married the U-boat commander and Knight's Cross recipient Günther Hessler in November 1941. Commander Günther Hessler ( 14 June 1909 – 4 April 1968) was a famous Fregattenkapitän with the

Relation to Jews and Nazism

Despite his postwar claims, Dönitz was seen as supportive of Nazism during the war. ^[13] Several naval officers described him as "closely tied to Hitler and Nazi ideology". ^[13] On one occasion, he went as far as to boast about Hitler's humanity. ^[13] Another event, in which he spoke to Hitler Youth scouts in what was defined as an "inappropriate way", earned him the nickname of "Hitler Boy Dönitz". ^[13] He refused to assist Albert Speer in stopping a scorched earth policy dictated by Hitler^[13]and is also noted as saying, "in comparison to Hitler we are all pip-squeaks. Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World . . Anyone who believes he can do better than the Führer is stupid". ^[13] There are several antisemitic statements on part of Dönitz known to historians. ^[13] When Sweden closed its international waters to Germany, he blamed this action on their fear and dependence on "international Jewish capital. "^[13] In August 1944, he declared, "I would rather eat dirt than see my grandchildren grow up in the filthy, poisonous atmosphere of Jewry". ^[13] On German Heroes' Day (12 March) 1944, Dönitz declared, without Adolf Hitler, Germany would be beset by "poison of Jewry", the country destroyed due to lack of National Socialism which, as Dönitz declared, gave defiance of an uncompromising ideology. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German ^[14] At the Nuremberg Trials, Dönitz claimed the statement about "poison of Jewry" was regarding "the endurance, the power to endure, of the people, as it was composed, could be better preserved than if there were Jewish elements in the nation". The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after Initially he claimed, "I could imagine that it would be very difficult for the population in the towns to hold out under the strain of heavy bombing attacks if such an influence was allowed to work".

Ideologically, Dönitz was antisemitic. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility ^[15] He was also recorded on several occasions of speaking about Jews in the "tone of Gauleiters". A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Later, during the Nuremberg Trials, Dönitz claimed to know nothing about the extermination of Jews and declared nobody among "his men" thought about violence against Jews. ^[14] Dönitz told Leon Goldensohn, an American psychiatrist at Nuremberg, "I never had any idea of the goings-on as far as Jews were concerned. Leon N Goldensohn ( October 19, 1911 &ndash October 24, 1961) was an American Psychiatrist charged with caring for the mental health Hitler said each man should take care of his business, and mine was U-boats and the navy". ^[16] To Goldensohn, Dönitz also spoke of his support for Bernhard Rogge, who was of Jewish descent, when the Nazi Party began to persecute the admiral. Bernhard Rogge ( November 4, 1899 – June 29, 1982) was a Captain ( German: Kapitän zur See) of the German

War crimes trial

Following the war, Dönitz was held as a prisoner of war by the victors, who accused him of war crimes. He was indicted as a major war criminal at the Nuremberg trials on three counts: (1) conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; (2) Planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression; and (3) crimes against the laws of war. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after A crime against peace, in International law, refers to "planning preparation initiation or waging of wars of aggression, or a war in violation of international War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied In Public international law, a crime against humanity is an act of Persecution or any large scale atrocities against a body of people and is the highest level of A crime against peace, in International law, refers to "planning preparation initiation or waging of wars of aggression, or a war in violation of international War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied Among the war-crimes charges, he was accused of waging unrestricted submarine warfare for issuing War Order No. 154 in 1939, and another similar order after the Laconia Incident in 1942, not to rescue survivors from ships attacked by submarine. War Order No 154 was issued during World War II at the end of November or the beginning of December 1939 The Laconia incident happened in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. By issuing these two orders he was found guilty of causing Germany to be in breach of the Second London Naval Treaty of 1936. The Second London Naval Disarmament Conference opened in London, the United Kingdom, on December 9, 1935. ^[3] However, as evidence of similar conduct by the Allies was presented at his trial, his sentence was not assessed on the grounds of this breach of international law. ^[3][17]

Dönitz was found not guilty on count (1) of the Indictment, but guilty on counts (2) and (3) and was sentenced to ten years in prison. However, in view of all the facts proven, and in particular of an order of the British Admiralty announced on 8 May 1940, according to which all vessels should be sunk on sight in the Skagerrak, and the answers to interrogatories by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, wartime commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, stating unrestricted submarine warfare had been carried on in the Pacific Ocean by the United States from the first day that nation entered the war, Dönitz's order to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare was not officially included in his sentence. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Skagerrak Strait runs between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the Fleet Admiral of the United States Navy (FADM or more commonly referred to as Fleet Admiral, is a five-star Flag officer rank and is the highest possible Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, USN, GCB ( February 24, 1885 &ndash February 20, 1966) held the dual command The United States Pacific Fleet ( USPACFLT) is a Pacific Ocean Navy theater-level component command of the United States Navy, under the operational control ^[3] Dönitz disputed the righteousness of his trial at Nuremberg, saying, "One of the ‘accusations' that made me guilty during this trial was that I met and planned the course of the war with Hitler; now I ask them in heaven's name, how could an admiral do otherwise with his country's head of state in a time of war?"^[18]. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after Numerous Allied officers also sent letters to Dönitz conveying their disappointment over the fairness and verdict of his trial. [3] [4] He was imprisoned for ten years in Spandau Prison in West Berlin. Spandau Prison was a Prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990

Later years

Dönitz was released on 1 October 1956, and he retired to the small village of Aumühle in Schleswig-Holstein in northern West Germany. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Aumühle is a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein, about 21 km east of Hamburg. is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( There he worked on two books. His memoirs, Zehn Jahre, Zwanzig Tage (Memoirs: Ten Years and Twenty Days), appeared in Germany in 1958 and became available in an English translation the following year. for other uses see Memoir (disambiguation As a literary Genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire This book recounted Dönitz's experiences as U-boat commander (ten years) and President of Germany (twenty days). In it, Dönitz explains the Nazi regime as a product of its time, but argues he was not a politician and thus not morally responsible for much of the regime's crimes. He likewise criticizes dictatorship as a fundamentally flawed form of government and blames it for much of the Nazi era's failings.

Dönitz's second book, Mein wechselvolles Leben (My Ever-Changing Life) is less known, perhaps because it deals with the events of his life before 1934. This book was first published in 1968, and a new edition was released in 1998 with the revised title Mein soldatisches Leben (My Life as a Soldier). Most editions today combine Mein wechselvolles Leben and Mein soldatisches Leben into a single volume.

Late in his life, Dönitz's reputation was rehabilitated to a large extent and he made every attempt to answer correspondence and autograph postcards for others. Unlike Albert Speer, Dönitz was unrepentant regarding his role in World War II^[19][20][21] since he firmly believed that no one will respect an individual who compromises with his belief or duty towards his nation in any way, whether an individual's betrayal was small or big. Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World Of this conviction Dönitz writes (commenting on Himmler's major betrayal):

The betrayer of military secrets is a pariah, despised by every man and every nation. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. Even the enemy whom he serves has no respect for him, but merely uses him. Any nation which is not uncompromisingly unanimous in its condemnation of this type of treachery is undermining the very foundations of its own state, whatever its form of government may be. ^[22]

Dönitz died of a heart attack on 24 December 1980, in Aumühle. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) As the last German officer with the rank of Grand Admiral, he was honored by many former servicemen and foreign naval officers who came to pay their respects at his funeral on 6 January 1981. Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 However, he had only received the pension pay of a captain because the West German government ruled all of his advances in rank after that had been due to Hitler. Captain is the traditional customary title given to the person in charge in command of a Ship at sea

Portrayal in popular culture

Karl Doenitz has been portrayed by the following actors in film, television and theater productions;^[23]

• Gert Hänsch in the 1976 Czechoslovakian film Osvobození Prahy
• Richard Bebb in the 1973 British television production The Death of Adolf Hitler. The year 1976 in film involved some significant events Events March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas ' Richard Bebb ( 12 January 1927 &ndash 12 April 2006) was an English actor of stage screen and radio The year 1973 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1973. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[24]
• Raymond Cloutier in the 2000 Canadian/U. The year 2000 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2000. S. T. V. production Nuremberg
• Peter Rühring in the 2005 German T. The year 2005 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2005. V. miniseries Speer und er
• David Mitchell in the 2006 British T. David Mitchell (born 14 July 1974 is a British Actor, Comedian and Writer. The year 2006 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2006. V. sketch comedy That Mitchell and Webb Look: Episode #1. That Mitchell and Webb Look is a BAFTA award winning British Television Sketch show starring David Mitchell and Robert 6
• Simeon Victorov in the 2006 British television docudrama Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial

Footnotes

References

• Dönitz, Karl, Grossadmiral. Memoirs: Ten Years and Twenty Days. Da Capo Press, USA, 1997. ISBN 0306807645. (reprints 1958 German-language Athenäum-Verlag edition).
• Guðmundur Helgason. "Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU) Karl Dönitz." at Uboat.net.
• Padfield, Peter. Dönitz: The Last Führer. Cassell & Co, UK, 2001

Background information

• Cremer, Peter. U-Boat Commander: A Periscope View of the Battle of the Atlantic. 1984. ISBN 0870219693
• Davidson, Eugene. The Trial of the Germans: Account of the Twenty-two Defendants Before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. 1997. ISBN 0826211399
• Hadley, Michael L. U-Boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters. McGill-Queen's University Press: 1985. ISBN 0773508015.
• Macintyre, Donald. U-boat Killer. 1999. ISBN 0304352357
• Werner, Herbert A. Iron Coffins: A U-boat Commander's War, 1939–45. 1999. ISBN 0304353302
• Prien, Gunther. Fortunes of War: U-boat Commander. 2000. ISBN 0752420259
• Herwig, Holger H. Innovation ignored: The Submarrine problem in Murray, Williamson and Millet Allan R. ed. "Military Innovation in the Interwar Period". Cambridge University Press 1998
• Failure to Learn: American Anti-submarine Warfare in 1942 in Cohen, Eliot A. and Gooch, John. Military Misfortunes Vintage Books 1991

Further reading

• Jason Pipes The Reichsmarine 1919–1935
• Jason Pipes Kriegsmarine - The Navy 1935–1945
• Re-birth of the U-boat

External links

• Archives of news and details about Karl Dönitz

Preceded by Erich Raeder	Grand Admiral of the Navy of Nazi Germany (Kriegsmarine) 1943-1945	Succeeded by None
Preceded by Adolf Hitler (as Führer and Reich Chancellor)	President of Germany 1945	Succeeded by Allied military occupation 1945–1949 Divided into East and West in 1949 West Germany: Theodor Heuss East Germany: Wilhelm Pieck

Persondata
NAME	Dönitz, Karl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	President of Germany; Nazi military commander
DATE OF BIRTH	16 September 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin, Germany
DATE OF DEATH	24 December 1980
PLACE OF DEATH	Aumühle, near Hamburg

Erich Johann Albert Raeder ( April 24, 1876 – November 6, 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Theodor Heuss ( 31 January 1884 &ndash 12 December 1963) was a German politician The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck ( January 3, 1876 - September 7, 1960) was a German communist and the first and only Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Aumühle is a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein, about 21 km east of Hamburg. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany

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