The Athenia sinking - when I broadcast that this was done not by our U-boats but by the British, I had Raeder's word for it. It was Raeder's fault. He knew and Hitler knew it was a German submarine.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Raeder falsely claimed the British sank the Athenia to cover up German submarine actions, which he and Hitler knew about.
- In plain terms
- He lied about who sank a ship to hide German involvement, even though he knew the truth.
- What can you take from it?
- Leadership accountability matters when officials knowingly spread false information about military actions.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do leaders manage blame for military failures?
- What prevents truthful reporting in wartime?
Another view
The quote assigns blame based on testimony without external verification.
More from Erich Raeder
An irritable old man with a practical, unimaginative mentality, but academically intelligent.
Permalink to quote #9 Navy Commander Erich Raeder was more concerned with enhancing the navy's position in the new Reich than with contributing to a rational grand strategy. His lim…
Permalink to quote #8 Raeder, the political admiral, stealthily built up the German Navy in defiance of the Versailles Treaty, and then put it to use in a series of aggressions whic…
Permalink to quote #7
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