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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
. He was made a "Großadmiral" (English:
Grand Admiral
, equivalent to Admiral of the Fleet) in 1939, which is the highest naval rank. Born in 1876 in
Hamburg
,
Germany
, Raeder joined the Imperial German Navy in 1894, rising through the ranks. Raeder played a significant role in planning naval strategy during World War I. After the war, he advocated for a powerful German navy. He played a key role in the buildup of the
Kriegsmarine
, advocating for submarine warfare. Raeder fell out of favor with
Hitler
later in the war. In 1943 he was replaced by
Karl Donitz
in his position as head of the German Navy.
Raeder was arrested by the Allies in 1945 and was tried at the
Nuremberg Trials
, convicted of war crimes, and sentenced to life in prison. However, his sentence was reduced to 10 years. Raeder was released in 1955 due to health reasons and died in 1960.