Erich Raeder - Hitler's Admiral who for his Crimes was Sentenced to Life Imprisonment - World War 2

Erich Raeder was born on 24 April 1876 in Wandsbek, then part of the German Empire. The First World War began on 28 July 1914. Two years later, in May 1916, Erich Raeder participated in the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of World War I, fought between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet. Although the British lost more ships and sailors, they maintained naval dominance.
The First World War, which ended on 11 November 1918, had a profound impact on Raeder's personal life, as he lost his two younger brothers, who were killed in action. The Second World War began on 1 September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. When Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, Raeder was shocked and shattered. For the German Navy, which surface fleet of which was inadequate to fight the British Royal Navy, this war came at least five years too early, and Hitler had previously assured Raeder that they would not have to confront a war until 1944. In October 1939, Raeder proposed to Hitler the invasion of Norway. The primary motivation for Raeder's push was to use it as a base for naval attacks on Britain. It was only in early 1940 that Raeder first mentioned protecting the sea lanes for Swedish iron ore as a secondary reason for the Norwegian occupation.
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[@ladycplum]

And he asked to be shot rather than serve a prison sentence!

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️🏆⭐🙏 Thank you for sharing this

[@paulcorrigan3753]

This is a bit one-sided. The Kriegsmarine was the least 'Nazi' service of the Wehrmacht. There were significant acts of humanity by German naval captains during WW2. E.g., the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau hove to in an Arctic gale and heavy seas and rescued survivors of the auxiliary cruiser Rawalpindi - while HMS Renown was believed to be close by. Hans Langsdorff, captain of the panzerschiff/cruiser Graf Spee, went to great lengths to preserve the lives of crews of merchant ships he sank. So did Kapt zur See (later Admiral) Theodor Krancke, of the Admiral Scheer, during its six-month long raiding sortie that took it into the Indian Ocean. Captain Helmuth Heye, of the cruiser Admiral Hipper, went to a great deal of effort to rescue the crew of the destroyer HMS Glowworm, which had just rammed his ship. I could go on. Despite the success of sinking HMS Glorious Norway was catastrophic for the Kriegsmarine. The surface fleet never recovered from the losses. It could not cover the proposed invasion of England, for example. Germany reverted to submarine warfare, as it had begun to during the Kaiser's time, because it could not compete with the Royal Navy. They attacked convoys. All the belligerents attacked their enemies' convoys. What saved Raeder and his successor, Karl Doenitz, from the dubious attentions of the Allies' hangmen were the American and British admirals who wrote to the Nuremburg trial. They said that if Raeder and Doenitz were to be hanged then they should be, too. Their conduct of the war had been not much different, they wrote. They also praised the conduct of the Kriegsmarine during the war. It was war but the Kriegsmarine still managed to inject some humanity into its actions where it could. The doom-laden narrator's voice intoned that no-one shed a tear at Admiral Raeder's death. Theatrical bollocks, I say.

[@funkfamily4165]

Good comment. Now I want to read some more of the Kriegsmarine's history...

[@TonyDonnelly64]

Wasn't he serving on the same ship as Heydrich before Heydrich was kicked out ? What a bad day that was when he got dismissed, leaving him in the position to join Himmler's notorious SS

[@michaelyounke6924]

One look at Heydrich and you tell he’s a sociopath! When Hitler called him the man with the iron heart he did so for a REASON

[@shanemills3879]

I think that was Admiral Canaris, as Heydrich was one of his officers?

[@kingofsnakes1000]

Where did you find that photo? I've never seen Raeder's interim baton before.

[@roaropgard8575]

Rest in peace for the victims of Norway😢😢

[@cracoviancrusader6184]

Admiral Nimitz of the USN declared the same in a letter to the victors' court defending Grand Admiral Doenitz.

[@janlindtner305]

Always good lectures👍👍👍

[@pji4994]

Reader was an intelligent officer who distanced himself from the Nazi hierarchy, but was still culpable of crimes. Think he probably should have gotten the same sentence as Doenitz.

[@Howard_Hunter_]

If he had pled guilty like Doenitz, he may have gotten a sentence like Doenitz.

[@RoyJNg]

@@Howard_Hunter_ I don't see any information that Doenitz pleaded guilty, they all pleaded not guilty, only thing special about Doenitz was his lawyer was able to get Nimitz to also said the US Silent Service did not picked up enemy survivors too.

[@peterconrad6135]

Do you think if Raeder had not stepped down as Navy C-in-C that Hitler would have chosen him to secede him as he did Doenitz.........? If your answer is no, then no: he should not have received the same sentence as, "The Last Furher"

[@richardsimms251]

Good video

[@user-bv7py2px1w]

The truth is " There is no war crime when u win the war " .. Dont you think there are US ,UK and Soviet army commanders who are worse war criminals than Germans ?? Ask how many Women were r@ped by US forces in France and Belgium . How many unarmed civilians died in Dresden bombing ?? Let's not ask how Soviet killed innocent unarmed civilians in Estonia , Finland , Poland etc. Do u think the civilians in Hiroshima n Nagasaki were criminals ?? Think about it Conclusion : War is hell

[@okapmeinkap7311]

*They were fanatical supporters of their little emp who empowered "emperor soldiers" to commit unspeakable war crimes any and everywhere the japanese touched. Collectively they were and still are war criminals YES.*

[@user-bv7py2px1w]

@@okapmeinkap7311 You didn't prove my points wrong . The things I mentioned about Allied n Soviet army's crime is 100% true. "There is no war crimes when u win the war " this statement is the truth .

[@okapmeinkap7311]

@@user-bv7py2px1w I don't have to. Statements can prove themselves wrong. BTW, I did respond to Naga and Hiro but someone deleted it. Yes collectively the japanese were and still are war criminals.

[@margarita8442]

no tears shed darlinks !!!!

[@Karl-nv5ok]

No tears for you

[@joeasthope2064]

Wasn't that just normal warfare that any country would do I don't understand why he was on trial Did any other country go to court for doing the same

[@muhammadabdulsalam602]

Even I myself didn't find him guilty

[@donclowers7666]

To the victor go the spoils I guess.

[@roymartin500]

Slight miscarriage of justice as Grand Admiral Dönitz only received 10 years and he was in charge of the wolfpack u-boat attacks that sunk not only warships but merchant ships as well. I do know that Dönitz's lawyer saved his life as he proved Allied ships did the same thing. I'm sure someone more qualified in Criminal Justice can explain it better. But, yes US Supreme Court Justice Jackson' goal was to set presidents so if WW3 were today we'd have an example to draw from for swift and immediate action on the perpetrators.EDIT: As why Raeder got 20years & Dönitz got 10 either came down to Dönitz's strong attorney help or The Soviets wanting Raeder as a Prestige prisoner.

[@johnfleet235]

Donitz knew more about what was going on in the camps then came out in the trial. Who built and repaired the U-Boats? My guess is slave labor especially after 1942. You are right about Donitz having a good lawyer, but he and Reader were sent to prison mostly because of a push by the Royal Navy.

[@donclowers7666]

@@johnfleet235 I read somewhere that allied naval officers came to his defense to some degree as far as how he waged the naval part of the war. I have mixed feelings on the war trials overall and not sure the manner in which they were conducted is any example of how to do things after future wars.

[@BrianHayter-zl2uc]

Very interesting doco, great stuff. 👍👍👍😁😁😁🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@brianferris8668]

"There were no tears shed for Eric Raeder". How do you know there weren't?

[@JuleyC]

Because this channel thinks no one ever cried at the death of a loved one if they were "bad guys"

[@funkfamily4165]

And it's a cool finishing statement...

[@okapmeinkap7311]

Like whipcream on top choco pudding? ​Lame closing worts. @@funkfamily4165

[@curiousuranus810]

Another classic.

[@14rnr]

You're the first English person I've ever heard pronounce Jutland correctly

[@richardsimms251]

Interesting video and very interesting VOICE of the narrator.

[@davidcarter6715]

Abril 24, 1876 tears of joy.

[@peter455sd]

You win the war you're a hero. You lose the war you're a criminal...

[@robertomeneghetti6215]

With an exception, the nazis: criminals anyway, even when they were winning...

[@georgebrown8312]

Not necessarily. The Germans lost the war because Adolf Hitler made a series of military blunders, such as Operation Barbarossa, where Hitler sent his Wehrmacht into the former Soviet Union, and he declared war on the United States after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Those are why Nazi Germany lost the war.

[@jmcb8440]

What is this wand he has in his hand in the cover photo? I have seen Herman Goering with this thing also.

[@petervonstamer7859]

That his is a marshals baton all German grand admirals & field marshal received two baton a interm baton for daily use and a ceremony baton for important / official events

[@lewdecker1442]

Baton

[@WadeRaney-vv5oi]

A Good Presentation as usual👋

[@brendasg155]

Tears were shed for him

[@funkfamily4165]

Probably....

[@mariolasanda8116]

Thank you for this upload. He was not as evil as the other Nazis but he was responsible for a lot of atrocities committed by the Kriegsmarine.

[@anthonycruciani939]

What? You've been brainwashed.

[@cracoviancrusader6184]

Can you mention one? So far no one did. I am open-minded and willing to hear.

[@anthonycruciani939]

@@cracoviancrusader6184 No but he can contrive one.

[@funkfamily4165]

Victories in battle by the loser are labeled war crimes by the winner....

[@timfool]

He was a soldier. If you never were one I don't expect you to understand.

[@toddreaker2298]

Didn’t Nimitz support unrestrained warfare? He sent a letter to the court in support of Doenitz.

[@margarita8442]

I love dis channy darlinks

[@astralclub5964]

The French were given a choice. Take the fleet to the Caribbean or turn over the ships to Britain. The French chose to fight!

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

"No one shed a tear?" Nonsense. Raeder was highly respected by naval men of all nations and US and British admirals spoke up in his defense at Nuremberg. Raeder's funeral was attended by many of his comrades. It is actually comical that he got convicted on all counts when Donitz didn't. Raeder was no Nazi and acted no differently than any other naval leader of the time. Perhaps with the exception of Soviet admirals.

[@RedLanternFrank]

He had a family. So yes there where tears,

[@RodneyAllanPoe]

He almost got demoted to navy archives again by Hitler! 😅

[@haeuptlingaberja4927]

One of the oldest Nazi criminals, a boy when Bismarck still strutted across the world stage.

[@davidsigalow7349]

"Mein Fuhrer, Steiner and Raeder failed to stop the British convoy." Hitler removes glasses slowly, takes a deep breath, and prepares to rant...

[@Karl-nv5ok]

Seiner had nothing to do with Kriegsmarine,he was a Waffen-SS general.

[@davidsigalow7349]

​@Karl-nv5ok The reference to Steiner was a "Downfall" in-joke, as it was Steiner's failed counterattack that causes the Fuhrer 's 1000- meme rant. See, eg, the Hitler Rants Parodies (HRP) YT channel, which has been making "Downfall" Parodies for 15 years.

[@popcornhead3479]

Excellent videos but this narrator is horrible!

[@liviabaggio1543]

He seems like a naval of Rommel, who was forced to commit suicide, by his masters

[@tomcotton8800]

This man was a naval commander who did what all naval commanders would be expected to do during times of war. Was he parading up and down Sobibor throwing bricks at the heads of inmates? No. Was he lashing people for not moving quickly enough during the death marches? No. Was he rounding up people with Down’s Syndrome and herding them into the back of a van to be gassed? No. Get some perspective please. Not all Germans were unapologetic Nazis. Not all Germans were psychopathic killers.

[@anemarie2984]

Ou etait l OCCIDENT en 1933 ?

[@djquinn11]

Preparing to bail out the French Army again.

[@funkfamily4165]

The businessmen, like Ford, were courting the Nazis.

[@user-qf5dh1ld2i]

very one sided

[@RobertJonesWightpaint]

This "no tears shed" stuff really is daft - OF COURSE there were tears shed for many of these people; some deserved them more than others, but it's just a silly add-on to your otherwise very good documentaries. In Raeder's case - his was a career devoted to the Seemachtideologie, which you don't mention specifically; the need he perceived to at least be able to counter the domination of the Royal Navy - and not in itself a wicked ambition. For the rest - in war, he served his country according to his lights: he was a rigid political reactionary, and he accepted the Golden Party badge, which enrolled him automatically in the Nazi Party; of course, he could not deny the evil of the regime he had served, and as I remember didn't particularly try to. But I find it difficult to accept the concept of criminality so far as he was concerned. He was no Keitel, Jodl, or Göring.

[@renskeconnell8038]

That's why he

[@gareththomas6714]

why are you sticking up for this nazi? very odd indeed

[@JuleyC]

But but but Nazi/s ya this channel seems to think that if the creator thinks they were evil then everyone in the world did. Never mind most had families and even kids. In the new video for the night of his release his whole family was there to happily greet him.

[@funkfamily4165]

So basically, it's "no tears shed" by the victims of Nazi aggression. I think that's where the channel is coming from.

[@JuleyC]

@@funkfamily4165 Then perhaps the maker should extend it to say "no tears shed by the victims". On every one of their vids I keep seeing people taking issue with the tag line, and tbh it is just frustrating to hear teh line every time when it's clear it's not true in the way its said.

[@funkfamily4165]

Love this channel. Even if the voice is AI, it's a really good one.

[@muhammadabdulsalam602]

Actually I didn't find hin guilty!!

[@renskeconnell8038]

You must live under a rock. Killing thousands of unprotected seamen????

[@bujmoose3992]

Right after Pearl Harbor, The US submarine fleet was ordered to do the same thing that the U-Boats were charged with. I guess war crimes only matter if you lose.

[@Howard_Hunter_]

Why is the narrator speaking so weird? Sounds AI.

[@johanneabelsen1644]

Why did they let him out?! Too many got away alive..

[@goodoldbubba6620]

He had family. I'm sure they shed tears. He was a naval commander, not some officer at Auschwitz. He was not a war criminal, except that he was in the armed forces of his own country during war. That was his only crime, and was not a crime at all. Find another catch phrase besides "no tears shed"!!

[@danij5055]

"No tears shed" is a legitimate figure of speech, and not an uncommon one. It's usage here and in other videos very much catches and emphasizes a sentiment. If you don't understand that it's not meant literally, I don't know what more to tell you. Other than maybe don't be such a word police, or in other words a "word/grammar N@zi" 🤔 especially on a video about N@zis.

[@danij5055]

And yes, he was a war criminal. He gunned down survivors of ships. Or ordered it. 🤔

[@funkfamily4165]

It's "no tears shed" by the victims of the Reich.

[@goodoldbubba6620]

@@danij5055 I don't need an English lesson from something such as you. Do not presume to "correct" me as you're not my instructor, and certainly not my superior. None of you are. I meant what I said. Time he found a new catch phrase. Period.

[@goodoldbubba6620]

@@funkfamily4165 IDGAF

[@DonMeaker]

The Nuremburg trials were necessary because Germany didn't fulfill the terms of the Versailles treaty that required them to identify and punish German war criminals.

[@robertomeneghetti6215]

They, the Germans, only felt themselves victims.. 🤔🤔🙄🙄

[@Karl-nv5ok]

The Versailles Treaty was one of the causes of war.

[@Patrick_Cooper]

Try to imagine that this narrator is your father, and he is scolding you for some infraction. Just give up and do the punishment...