Canaris first appears as a patriot and career intelligence officer whose path became entangled in dangerous rivalries. His work crossed competing military and political interests as Germany fell under Nazi rule. Erich Raeder placed him where he could prevent Heinrich Himmler from gaining control, despite disliking Canaris himself. That personal mistrust shows how rivalry inside Adolf Hitler's state could put an intelligence officer into a position of influence.
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Canaris as a window into German political failure
The review introduces a Canaris biography and frames the intelligence officer's career as a way into the institutions and rivalries that helped enable Nazi rule.