Raeder, Erich [key], 1876–1960, German admiral. As chief of staff to Admiral Franz von Hipper in World War I, he took part in the battles of Dogger Bank (1915) and Jutland (1916). Appointed (1928) commander of the German navy, Raeder secretly rebuilt the navy in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He disagreed with Adolf Hitler on war strategy, and in 1943 Admiral Karl Doenitz succeeded him in command. Raeder was sentenced (1945) to life imprisonment as a war criminal but was released in 1955. His memoirs were published in 1957 (tr. 1960).
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