Karl Dönitz (1891-1980) was a German naval officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He rose to prominence during World War II, serving as the last commander of the German U-boat fleet and as Adolf Hitler's chosen successor as head of state.

Dönitz was born in Grünau near Berlin, Germany, in 1891. He joined the Imperial German Navy in 1910, serving as a submarine officer during World War I. He achieved great success as a U-boat commander during the war, sinking numerous Allied ships and rising to the rank of Kapitänleutnant.

After World War I, Dönitz remained in the German Navy and worked on the development of new submarine technologies. When World War II began in 1939, he was appointed commander of the U-boat fleet. Under his leadership, German U-boats wreaked havoc on Allied shipping, sinking millions of tons of supplies and earning Dönitz a reputation as a brilliant strategist.

In 1943, Dönitz was promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral and became commander-in-chief of the German Navy. He remained a staunch supporter of Hitler and the Nazi regime throughout the war, but after Hitler's suicide in April 1945, Dönitz became head of state as president of the German Reich.

Dönitz held this position for only a few weeks before he was captured by Allied forces and charged with war crimes. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but was released in 1956 and went on to write several books about submarine warfare. He died in 1980 at the age of 89.

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