Erich Raeder

Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 in Wandsbek - 6 November 1960 in Kiel) was a naval leader in Germany before and during the Second World War serving as a Navy Admiral in the Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine under the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht military from 1922-1945 In 1939 he was made a "Großadmiral", the highest rank in the navy. (In English, this title means "Grand Admiral" and is equal to Admiral of the Fleet). 

 Navy career 
Born in 1876 in Hamburg, Germany, Raeder joined the Imperial German Navy in 1894, rising through the ranks. He played a significant part in planning naval strategy during World War I.After the war, he advocated for a powerful German navy and for submarine warfare. He played a key role in the buildup of the Kriegsmarine for the Wehrmacht .Raeder fell out of favor with Adolf Hitler later in World War II. In 1943 he was replaced by Karl Dönitz in his position as head of the German Navy. 

 Trial and imprisonment 
Raeder was arrested by the Allies in 1945 and was convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials. He was sentenced to life in prison, but this sentence was reduced to 10 years.Raeder was released in 1955 for health reasons and died in 1960. 

 Related pages 
 Navy
 Kriegsmarine
 World War I
 World War II
 Nuremberg Trials
 War crime

Category:1876 births
Category:1960 deaths
Category:Admirals
Category:German military personnel of World War II
Category:German prisoners
Category:German war criminals
Category:Nazi leaders