Just as little as it could be suggested one hundred and thirty years ago to bring before a court an admiral of the dictator Napoleon, so can one not condemn an admiral of the dictator Hitler. The resulting strength and power has been hardly considered by the prosecution, and, in any case, it has not been taken into consideration in the presentation of the facts and the legal conclusions. The second class of leaders, those with a persevering will, exercises a much more important influence, in spite of its less brilliant appearance. Hitler belongs to this second class of leaders, who, in accordance with this quotation, exercised an immense influence, and who, on the other hand, was unimpressive in his brown uniform. One does not always realize what a strong and persistent will can achieve.
Nothing can resist it, neither nature, nor gods, nor men.
In view of these words, one must realize that Raeder could not resist either. This question will be denied by every commander all over the world and likewise by every other person except in the case of a dictator commanding the commission of a crime the criminality of which is recognized by the military commander himself. Accordingly, Raeder could be made responsible for a military crime only, but not for a political one, because for the political crime the dictator himself must answer. But he was a naval man only. He lived for the Navy alone, for the welfare of the Navy for which he is also now prepared to bear responsibility to the full extent.