Q&A · 1:17:20-1:18:35

Raeder and Dönitz as peacetime and wartime naval leaders

A comparison of Raeder and Donitz separates peacetime force-building from wartime institutional survival.

Question

How did Karl Dönitz compare with Erich Raeder as leader of the Kriegsmarine?

Short answer

Alex favors Raeder for peacetime fleet-building and Dönitz for wartime survival, while acknowledging that both faced almost impossible constraints.

Notes

Raeder's task was to build a better fleet, while Dönitz's was to keep the fleet functioning. Alex favors Raeder for peacetime and Dönitz for wartime, although a panelist questions the comparison on political grounds. Both faced severe funding constraints in the Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine. Raeder was preparing for a war that Germany would not be able to fight as planned.