Wilhelm Canaris
German admiral, head of military intelligence service (1887-1945) · Germany · Historical Figures · Died at 58
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Something wrong?The German admiral who ran Hitler's military intelligence - then quietly worked to undermine him. Canaris spent the war in a position built for loyalty and used it for sabotage, a betrayal that ended at the gallows as Allied troops closed in.
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Photos 8
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1979-013-43, Wilhelm Canaris
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H28859, Berlin, Empfang im Hotel Kaiserhof
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L19106, Doorn, Beisetzung Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-088-40, Bedienstete des Marinekommandoamtes
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-138-02A, Russland, Wilhelm Canaris, v. Bentivegni
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B00407, Berlin, Canaris, Vitez Bartha, v. Glaise-Horstenau.jpg?width=1200)
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H15527, Berlin, Minister Pirow aus Südafrika, Verabschiedung (cropped)
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H15527, Berlin, Minister Pirow aus Südafrika, VerabschiedungIn their own words 7
, I die for my fatherland. I have a clear conscience. I only did my duty to my country when I tried to oppose the criminal folly of Hitler.
Please don't worry about me, Captain Patzig. I'm an incurable optimist. And as far as those fellows are concerned, I think I know how to get along with them.
You can talk to the man. He is reasonable, and sees your point of view, if you point it out properly.
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Wilhelm Franz Canaris was born 1 January 1887 and rose to admiral in the German navy, taking command of the Abwehr in 1935 as an early Hitler supporter. The 1939 invasion of Poland flipped him: he turned against the regime and began acts of resistance from inside its own intelligence apparatus. His position gave him rare leverage to sabotage the Nazi war effort while the leadership trusted him with secrets. As Germany's collapse neared, the scope of his betrayal surfaced. On 9 April 1945, with Allied forces pushing through southern Germany, Canaris was hanged for high treason at Flossenbürg concentration camp.
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Historical Figures from Germany 5
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