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Karl Donitz
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Salah ad-Din View Drop Down
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Posts: 138 		  Quote Salah ad-Din Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Karl Donitz
    Posted: 10-May-2013 at 20:00
Donitz (1891-1980) dedicated most of his life to service in the German Navy, and served 1943-1945 as the commander-in-chief of the Reich's Navy. He is best remembered, however, for succeeding Hitler as the leader of Nazi Germany, a role he occupied for twenty days. After the War, Donitz spent ten years in prison, but upon his release in 1966 dedicated his time to writing two books of memoirs.

What do we know about Donitz - why did Hitler choose him as his successor? The fact that he got off lightly at the Nuremberg Trials (compared to some of his fellows) would suggest he might not have been much of a fervent Nazi.
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Posts: 937 		  Quote Arthur-Robin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-May-2013 at 06:38
 I can't answer your main questions as I don't know much about Donitz, but i can *partially* answer  why Hitler chose him as his successor (not why he choose him but why he ended up chosing him) : Hitler's original will was that his successors would be Goring as President/Fuehrer, Himmler as Chancellor, and Borman as Party Chief, but when things & they turned out not so good he changed will to Donitz as President/Fuhrer and Goebbels as Chancellor. It is said that Manfred Roder was successor of Donitz [and im not sure if i remember right that Matt Koehl (who succeeded Lincoln Rockwell?) was nominated successor of Roder?].
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Posts: 7940 		  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-May-2013 at 19:54
Donitz was chosen because Goebbels was dead and Hitler's two right-hand men Goring and Himmler had been dismissed for treason. Himmler wanted to seize power and surrender to the Allies, but Hitler was determined to fight to the death.
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Posts: 925 		  Quote beorna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-May-2013 at 03:02
There were two possible candidates, Himmler and Goering. Both committed treason in the eyes of Hitler. Donitz was already Supreme commander of the navy. So he was one of the highest military commanders and was allways obedient to Hitler, while the army had disappointed him so often in the weeks before his suicide.
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