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[[Image:Karl Dönitz.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Karl Dönitz]]

[[Image:Karl Dönitz.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Karl Dönitz]]

Grand Admiral '''Karl Dönitz''' (1891 - 1980) was commander of the [[U-boat]] fleet of the [[Kriegsmarine]] (German Navy) during the [[Second World War]] and very briefly leader of the remaining area of Nazi Germany upon Hitlers Death. Dönitz also served as a U-Boat captain during the [[First World War]].  

Grand Admiral '''Karl Dönitz''' (1891 - 1980) was commander of the [[U-boat]] fleet of the [[Kriegsmarine]] (German Navy) during the [[Second World War]] and very briefly leader of the remaining area of Nazi Germany upon Hitlers Death. Dönitz also served as a [[U-boat]] captain during the [[First World War]].  

==President==

==President==

Upon the death of [[Hitler]] and [[Joseph Goebbels|Goebbels]], Dönitz was appointed [[President]].<ref>http://www.flottenbasis.de/marine_kurier/ausgabe012005/achterstich1.html</ref><ref>http://lexikon.meyers.de/meyers/Bundespr%C3%A4sident</ref> Dönitz immediately opened up negotiations with the [[Allied Powers]] to offer Germany's unconditional surrender.<ref>http://www.br-online.de/wissen-bildung/thema/kriegsenden/09-kapitulation.xml</ref>  On May 7, the British and US governments accepted a surrender authorized by Dönitz.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/11/a3530611.shtml</ref> The decision was controversial, as the [[Big Three]] [[Allied Powers]] had agreed not to accept any separate peace terms.  Dönitz was subsequently arrested and tried as a [[war criminal]].<ref>http://www.br-online.de/wissen-bildung/thema/kriegsenden/09-kapitulation.xml</ref>

Upon the death of [[Hitler]] and [[Joseph Goebbels|Goebbels]], Dönitz was appointed [[President]].<ref>http://www.flottenbasis.de/marine_kurier/ausgabe012005/achterstich1.html</ref><ref>http://lexikon.meyers.de/meyers/Bundespr%C3%A4sident</ref> Dönitz immediately opened up negotiations with the [[Allied Powers]] to offer Germany's unconditional surrender.<ref>http://www.br-online.de/wissen-bildung/thema/kriegsenden/09-kapitulation.xml</ref>  On May 7, the [[British]] and [[United States]] governments accepted a surrender authorized by Dönitz.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/11/a3530611.shtml</ref> The decision was controversial, as the [[Big Three]] [[Allied Powers]] had agreed not to accept any separate peace terms.  Dönitz was subsequently arrested and tried as a [[war criminal]].<ref>http://www.br-online.de/wissen-bildung/thema/kriegsenden/09-kapitulation.xml</ref>

==Trial==

==Trial==

Dönitz was placed on trial in [[Nuremberg Trials|Nürnberg]] where he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for war crimes, largely related to his policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. A part of his defense at the trial was that the US had also waged unrestricted submarine warfare from day one of their involvement.

Dönitz was placed on trial in [[Nuremberg Trials|Nürnberg]] where he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for war crimes, largely related to his policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. A part of his defense at the trial was that the US had also waged unrestricted submarine warfare from day one of their involvement.

==Release==

==Release==

After his release he lived a quiet life writing a small number of books. His most famous being his memoir '''10 Jahre, 20 Tage'''. '''10 Years and 20 days'''; an [[allusion]] to his 10 years as a Kriegsmarine officer and his 20 days as the nominal head of the German state.

After his release, he lived a quiet life writing a small number of books. His most famous was his memoir '''10 Jahre, 20 Tage'''. '''10 Years and 20 days'''; an [[allusion]] to his 10 years as a Kriegsmarine officer and his 20 days as the nominal head of the German state.

==References==

==References==