Erich Raeder

Erich Raeder was a leader at sea.

He worked very hard to rise in rank. He was a leader in the German navy. He led many ships in a big war.

Later, he was in big trouble. He was found guilty of bad choices during the war. He had to stay in prison for a long time. He was released when he was old and sick.

It is interesting to learn about history.

Erich Raeder was a high-ranking officer in the German navy.

He was born in 1876. His father was a school headmaster. Raeder learned to value hard work and discipline from him. He joined the navy in 1894. He rose quickly through the ranks because he was smart.

During World War I, he worked for Admiral Franz von Hipper. He helped plan sea battles. After the war, Raeder stayed in the navy. In 1935, he became the leader of the navy. This navy was called the Kriegsmarine.

He led the navy during World War II. He believed the navy needed more time to prepare. Raeder wanted his ships to attack enemy supply lines. After the war ended, he faced a trial. Judges found him guilty of war crimes. He was sent to prison for life. He was released in 1955 because he was sick.

He died in 1960.

Erich Raeder was a very important leader in the German navy.

He was born in 1876 in a place called Wandsbek. His father, Hans Raeder, was a school headmaster. Hans taught his son to value hard work and discipline. He also taught him to be "apolitical." This meant Raeder believed he should serve the nation instead of a political party. Raeder spent his whole life claiming he was above politics. He believed his work was only for the good of Germany.

Raeder's career in the navy moved very quickly. He joined the Imperial Navy in 1894. He was known for being very intelligent and hardworking. In 1904, he even went to the Far East to watch the Russo-Japanese War. Later, he worked with a famous leader named Alfred von Tirpitz. Tirpitz wanted to build a huge fleet of ships. This was to make Germany a very strong power on the sea. Raeder helped by talking to journalists and politicians about these plans. He even served as the captain for the Kaiser's private yacht.

During World War I, Raeder saw many sea battles. He worked closely with Admiral Franz von Hipper. Raeder helped plan a big raid in 1916 called the Battle of Jutland. This was a very large fight between ships. During the war, there were different ideas about how to use ships. Some people wanted big battleships to fight directly. Others, like Wolfgang Wegener, wanted to use smaller submarines to attack supply ships. Raeder disagreed with Wegener's ideas. This led to a long argument between the two men.

After the first war ended, Raeder continued to rise in rank. He became an admiral in 1928. In 1935, the navy was renamed the Kriegsmarine. Raeder became its commander-in-chief. He was even given a special badge by Adolf Hitler in 1937.

When World War II began, Raeder led the navy. He felt the navy was not ready for such a big war. He believed they needed five more years of preparation. Because of this, he used a plan to send smaller ships around the world. He wanted to force the British navy to spread its ships out thin.

Raeder's time as a leader ended after the war. He was part of the Nuremberg trials. These were special trials held to judge leaders after the war. The judges found him guilty of war crimes. He was sentenced to live in prison for the rest of his life. However, he was let out early in 1955 because his health was failing. He lived for a few more years. He died in 1960 and was buried in Kiel.

Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a high-ranking German naval officer. He served as the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine during much of World War II.

Raeder eventually reached the rank of grand admiral in 1939. His career spanned several major changes in German history. He moved from the Imperial Navy to the Reichsmarine and finally to the Kriegsmarine. Following the war, he was convicted of war crimes during the Nuremberg trials. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released in 1955 due to failing health.

Raeder was born in 1876 in Wandsbek, located in the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein. His father, Hans Raeder, was a school headmaster with very strict views. Hans taught his son the importance of hard work, thrift, religion, and discipline. He also taught a specific view of politics. Hans believed that government should be run by experts who stood "above politics." He warned that democracy would be a disaster because of petty sectarian interests. Raeder adopted these views throughout his entire life. He claimed to be "apolitisch," meaning he was above party politics. He believed his naval decisions were based only on the national good.

Raeder joined the Kaiserliche Marine, or Imperial Navy, in 1894. He rose through the ranks quickly due to his intelligence and hard work. In 1901, he served on the staff of Prince Heinrich of Prussia. This position helped him gain a powerful patron. In 1904, he traveled to the Far East as an observer of the Russo-Japanese War. During this time, he worked closely with Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. Tirpitz wanted to use a "Risikotheorie," or risk theory, to gain world power. This plan involved building a "Risikoflotte," a risk fleet, to challenge Britain. Raeder helped lobby the Reichstag for the Third Navy Law of 1906. This law committed Germany to building large, all-big-gun battleships.

During World War I, Raeder served as the chief of staff for Admiral Franz von Hipper. He participated in major naval engagements like the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915. He also fought in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

At this time, two different naval philosophies existed in Germany. One group followed Admiral Tirpitz and wanted a "balanced fleet" of battleships. They sought a decisive battle of annihilation, known as an Entscheidungsschlacht. Another group, led by Wolfgang Wegener, had a different idea. Wegener argued Germany should focus on cruisers and submarines for commerce raiding. This is called guerre de course. Raeder strongly disagreed with Wegener's ideas. This disagreement caused a long feud between the two men.

After the first war ended, Germany entered the Weimar Republic era. This was a very difficult time for Raeder personally. His two younger brothers were killed in the war. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1919. Raeder viewed divorce as a huge personal disgrace. He denied his first marriage for the rest of his life. In 1920, he was involved in the failed Kapp Putsch. This was an attempt to replace the Weimar government. Because of this, he was temporarily marginalized in the navy. He spent two years writing the official history of the navy's role in World War I.

Raeder's career recovered, and he rose to become an admiral in 1928. In 1935, the Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine. Raeder became its commander-in-chief. In 1937, Adolf Hitler gave him the Golden Party Badge.

When World War II began, Raeder believed the navy was unprepared. He felt they needed at least five more years of preparation. Because the surface fleet was too small to fight the Royal Navy, he changed tactics. He used a strategy of convoy raiding. He sent smaller ships around the world to force the British to spread their fleet thin. He also used battleships for raids in the North Sea.

Raeder's leadership of the Kriegsmarine ended in January 1943. He was replaced by Karl Dönitz. After the war, the Nuremberg trials addressed the actions of German leaders. Raeder was found guilty of war crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison. However, his failing health led to his release in 1955. He lived until 1960. His life serves as a study of how military leaders navigate changing political systems. His career shows the transition from imperial rule to a democracy and then to a dictatorship.