Admiral Canaris

How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis

David Alan Johnson

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English

Rowman and Littlefield
18 June 2024

History; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Nuclear weapons

Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, Adolf Hitler’s chief of military intelligence, accomplished something that neither President Franklin D. Roosevelt nor Prime Minister Winston Churchill could ever achieve – he saved the lives of hundreds Jewish refugees and other racial and political undesirables by rescuing them from Nazi Germany and other Nazi-occupied countries. Seen as a quiet and uninteresting career naval officer, Canaris’ unmilitary bearing was actually a cover he had devised for himself, camouflaging a very sharp, and rebellious, mind. Admiral Canaris is a page-turning story of one of the most important and least likely saboteurs within the Third Reich.

Initially a supporter of Hitler and the plan to ream Germany, Canaris was appointed to direct the Abwehr – Germany’s miliary intelligence agency – after a long career in the navy built on fostering relationships with foreign agents. But when the Nazis began their campaign of assassination and terror, including the systematic murder of thousands of Jews and other “undesirables,” the admiral became determined to do everything possible to fight Hitler and the Nazis. After the failure of Operation Pastorious, a spy mission to disarm American manufacturing plants, Hitler extolled his executive committee for risking German lives instead of the lives of “criminals or Jews.” That speech gave Canaris an idea. He would go on to disguise refugees as Abwehr agents and sent them to South America, under the official designation of “infiltration agents,” where they joined hundreds of authentic German agents operating in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and nearly every other South American country.

Canaris’ anti-Nazi activities, along with some health issues, finally resulted in his dismissal as head of the Abwehr. He was suspected of inefficiency and incompetence by senior Nazi officers – who had no idea that he had turned against the Hitler regime -- and exiled to a desk-job in the Economic Warfare Department. Little did the Fȗhrer know, this placement was the best thing that could have happened to Canaris’ resistance efforts. Through in-depth research and affirming storytelling, author David Alan Johnson paints the picture of a driven and devious mind working amidst the darkest evil to save all those that he could.

By: David Alan Johnson
Imprint: Rowman and Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 503g
ISBN: 9781633889989
ISBN 10: 163388998X
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 18 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

David Alan Johnson is the author of eleven books, including The Last Weeks of Abraham Lincoln and Decided on the Battlefield: Grant, Sherman, Lincoln, and the Election of 1864.

Reviews for Admiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis

""David Alan Johnson through his in-depth research and impressive storytelling approach, deftly paints the picture of a driven and devious mind working amidst the darkest evil to save all those that he could. An impressive and high value contribution to personal reading lists of military history buffs, as well as the growing community and academic library collections of World War II Biographies & Histories.""-- ""Midwest Book Review"" ""[A] well-written synthesis of the life of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, who served as the chief of military intelligence for Nazi Germany from 1935-1944. While Canaris might be less well-known than some of the more senior Nazi officials from World War II, his unique position and acts of sabotage make him among the most consequential resistance leaders during the war. Admiral Canaris' excellent skills in deception, subterfuge, political infighting, along with his eventual distaste that turned into hatred of Hitler's regime, make for a fascinating story.""--CDR Christopher Nelson, USN ""Center for International Maritime Security"" ""A solid portrait of the iconic Nazi."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews""