Wilhelm Canaris | |
|---|---|
 Canaris in 1940 | |
| 5th Chief of the Abwehr | |
| In office 1 January 1935 – 12 February 1944 | |
| Deputy | Hans Oster |
| Preceded by | Conrad Patzig |
| Succeeded by | Georg Hansen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wilhelm Franz Canaris 1 January 1887 Aplerbeck, Landkreis Dortmund, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 9 April 1945 (aged 58) Flossenbürg concentration camp, Flossenbürg, Nazi Germany 49°44′06″N 12°21′21″E / 49.734958°N 12.35577°E |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany German Resistance |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1905–1944 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross (First Class) U-boat War Badge German Cross in Silver |
Wilhelm Franz Canaris (1 January 1887 – 9 April 1945) was a German admiral and the chief of the Abwehr (the German military-intelligence service) from 1935 to 1944. Initially a supporter of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, Canaris turned against Hitler and committed acts of both passive and active resistance during World War II following the German invasion of Poland in 1939.
Being the head of Nazi Germany's military-intelligence agency, he was in a key position to participate in resistance and sabotage the Nazi war effort. As the war turned against Germany, Canaris and other military officers expanded their clandestine opposition to the leadership of Nazi Germany. By 1945, his acts of resistance and sabotage against the Nazi regime came to light and Canaris was hanged in Flossenbürg concentration camp for high treason as the Allied forces advanced through Southern Germany.