Erich Raeder was a German naval leader who commanded the German Navy from 1928 to 1943, serving the democratic Weimar Republic government for five years and Adolph Hitler's Nazi government for fifteen. Raeder, who based his military philosophy on waging aggressive war, was indicted after World War II by the International Military Tribunal (IMT) for war crimes and was tried with other prominent Nazi officials at the Nuremberg trials. Raeder was born on April 24, 1876, in Wandsbek, Germany, to middle-class parents. He joined the German Navy in 1894 and was commissioned an officer in 1897. During World War I he served as chief of staff to Admiral Franz von Hipper, taking part in the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland. In addition he took part in mining operations and missions along the British coastline.

After Germany surrendered in 1918 the Allies imposed many restrictions on the size and quality of the German Navy. These...