Erich Raeder

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Erich Raeder bigraphy, stories - German naval officer and ''Großadmiral'' during World War II

Erich Raeder : biography

24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960

Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral (Grand Admiral) — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz. Raeder led the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) for the first half of the war; he resigned in 1943 and was replaced by Karl Dönitz. He was sentenced to life in prison at the Nuremberg Trials, but was released early due to failing health.

Early years

Raeder was born into a middle-class Protestant family in Wandsbek in the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein in the German Empire. His father was a headmaster. Raeder idolised his father Hans Raeder, who as a teacher and a father was noted for his marked authoritarian views, and who impressed upon his son the values of hard work, thrift, religion and obedience-all values that Raeder was to preach throughout his life.Bird Erich Raeder pp. 1-2. Hans Raeder also taught his children to support the existing government of alleged "non-political" experts led by Bismarck who were said to stand "above politics" and were alleged to only do what was best for Germany. In the same way, Hans Raeder warned his children that if Germany were to become a democracy, that would be a disaster as it mean government by men "playing politics"-doing what was only best for their petty sectarian interests instead of the nation. Like many other middle-class Germans of his time, Hans Raeder had a strong dislike for the Social Democrats, who he charged were playing "party politics" in the Reichstag by promoting working class interests instead of thinking about the national good, a stance that his son also adopted.Bird Erich Raeder p. 2. Throughout his entire life, Raeder claimed that he was Staatspolitische (someone was "above politics", i.e. someone who only thought about the good of the nation instead of his party), and as an "apolitical" officer, Raeder thus maintained that his support for sea power was based upon objective consideration of the national good.

Awards and decorations

  • Order of the Double Dragon, 3rd class, 2nd Level (China, 10 October 1898)
  • China Medal in steel (German Empire, 12 December 1901)
  • Order of the Red Eagle, 4th class (Prussia, 22 June 1907)
  • Honorary Knight 2nd class of the House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis with Silver Crown (Oldenburg, 17 September 1907)
  • Order of the Red Eagle, 4th class with Crown (Prussia, 5 September 1911)
  • Commander’s Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph (Austria, 16 September 1911)
  • Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece, 14 May 1912)
  • Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd class (Russia, 16 April 1913)
  • Iron Cross (1914)
    • 1st Class (19 November 1914)Dörr 1996, p. 142.
    • 2nd Class (18 February 1915)
  • Imtiyaz Medal in silver with Swords
  • Gallipoli Star ("Iron Crescent", Ottoman Empire)
  • Friedrich August Cross, 1st and 2nd class (Oldenburg)
  • Knight’s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords (5 June 1916)
  • Military Merit Order, 4th class with swords and crown (Bavaria, 20 December 1916)
  • War Commemorative Medal (Bulgaria, 20 November 1917)
  • Military Merit Cross, 3rd class with war decoration (Austria-Hungary, 4 September 1918)
  • Honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Kiel (31 May 1926)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit (Spain, 16 November 1928)
  • Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit (Chile, September 1928)
  • World War Commemorative Medal with swords on (Hungary, 3 June 1931)
  • Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy, 7 May 1934)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria, 28 June 1934)
  • Cross of Honour (9 October 1934)
  • Order of Merit, 1st class (Hungary, 5 December 1934)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (27 February 1936)
  • Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 1st class (2 October 1936)
  • Olympic Games Decoration, 1st class (16 August 1936)
  • Golden Party Badge (30 January 1937)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy, 20 September 1937)
  • Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class (Japan, 9 November 1937)
  • War Memorial Medal (Bulgaria, 30 November 1937)
  • Golden Medal of Honour of Hamburg (1 April 1939)
  • Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 2 June 1939)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit in White (Spain, 21 August 1939)
  • Sudetenland Medal (25 October 1938) with "Prague Castle" clasp (Sudetenspange) (19 September 1939)
  • Memel Medal (26 October 1939)
  • Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class (30 September 1939)
  • Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (30 September 1939) as Großadmiral and Oberbefehlshaber der KriegsmarineFellgiebel p. 348.Scherzer p. 611.
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (Sweden, 24 October 1940)
  • Grand Cross of Order of St Alexander with swords (Bulgaria, 3 September 1941)
  • Order of Michael the Brave, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class (Romania, 14 October 1941)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty (Finland, 25 March 1942)
  • Grand Cross of the Military Order of Savoy (4 April 1942)
  • Grand Cross Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir with swords and other decorations (Croatia, 26 September 1942)
  • Merit Grand Cross of the war ribbon with swords (8 February 1943)