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Donitz was the commander of the [[U-Boat]] arm of the German Navy during the [[Second World War]], having served as a U-Boat captain during the [[First World War]]. Upon Hitler's suicide, He was delegated to succeed Hitler by Hilter's last will and testament upon the collapse of the [[Nazi]] state, and signed the German surrender. At the [[Nuremberg Trials]] he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for war crimes, largely related to his policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.

Grand Admiral '''Karl Dönitz''' was commander of the [[U-Boat]] fleet of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during the [[Second World War]]. Dönitz also served as a U-Boat captain during the [[First World War]].  

Upon the death of [[Hitler]] and [[Goebbels]], Dönitz was appointed President. Dönitz immediately opened up negotiations with the [[Allied Powers]] to offer Germany's unconditional surrender.

 

On May 7, Dönitz authorized General Alfred Jodl, to sign the unconditional surrender of German forces to the [[Allies]] in Rheims. On May 8, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel repeated the signing in [[Berlin]].

 

The Flensburg Government headed by Dönitz was not recognized by the [[Allied Powers]] and he was arrested by British forces.

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.

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.

[[Category:Military Commanders]]

[[Category:Military Commanders]]

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