Karl Donitz

Karl Dönitz was a German naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine from 1943 to 1945. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. His most famous accomplishment is being the last German head of state in World War II. He began his career in the Imperial German Navy before World War I. In 1918, he was commanding UB-68, and was taken prisoner of war by British forces. While in a POW camp, he formulated what he later called Rudeltaktik ("pack tactic", commonly called "wolfpack").¹ By the start of the Second World War, Dönitz was supreme commander of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat arm (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU)). In January 1943, Dönitz achieved the rank of Großadmiral (grand admiral) and replaced Grand Admiral Erich Raeder as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.¹ On 30 April 1945, after receiving a radio message from Martin Bormann announcing Hitler's death and stating that Hitler had appointed him his successor in his will, Dönitz assumed the office of President of Germany (Reichspräsident). He formed a short-lived government known as the Flensburg Government and tried to negotiate a partial surrender to the Allies. However, on 7 May 1945, General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender document that included all German armed forces.¹ Dönitz was arrested by British forces on 23 May 1945 and was tried at Nuremberg for war crimes. He was convicted of crimes against peace and crimes against humanity and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He served his sentence at Spandau Prison and was released in 1956. He lived in Aumühle until his death in 1980.¹