The political admiral chosen after a secret rearmament scandal

Raeder's appointment followed a crisis over a sham film studio used to hide German naval activity prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles. German politicians broadly accepted treaty evasion. Their anger centered on a cover business that required state backing and still went bankrupt. The affair exposed a wider civil-military struggle in which the armed forces tried to preserve their freedom from elected government. Other admirals saw Raeder as the service's most effective political salesman, rather than its strongest commander or strategist. His ability to sell naval policy helps explain both his selection and the later criticism of his leadership.