Wilhelm Canaris

Wilhelm Canaris

Wilhelm Canaris , 1887–1945, German admiral. He occupied various positions in the German navy during and after World War I. In 1935 he was made chief of the Abwehr [military intelligence]. A conservative, Canaris at first welcomed Hitler, but Hitler's methods and the fear that a new war would destroy Germany drove him into the opposition. The Abwehr became a center of conspiracy against the regime. Under Canaris's protection, one of his subordinates, Hans Oster, helped organize opposition to the Nazi regime. In Apr., 1943, many of Oster's co-conspirators were arrested and the Abwehr was put under constant surveillance, but Canaris was not dismissed until Feb., 1944. He was arrested shortly after the attempt (July, 1944) on Hitler's life, though he was not directly involved in the plot. He was executed by the Gestapo in Apr., 1945.

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Canaris, Wilhelm

Canaris, Wilhelm (b. 1 Jan. 1887, d. 9 Jan. 1945). German admiral and resistance leader Having joined the German navy in 1905, he rose to become admiral and chief of the military counter-intelligence in 1935. Although he was right-wing politically, he became an opponent of the Nazi regime and was involved in the organization of the resistance movement in 1938. He became reluctant, however, to contemplate an attack on Hitler, and thus lost touch with the inner circles of the resistance in 1941. Nevertheless, because of his association with them he was imprisoned in the wake of the July Plot and executed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Canaris, Wilhelm." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Canaris, Wilhelm." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CanarisWilhelm.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Canaris, Wilhelm." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CanarisWilhelm.html

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