Wilhelm Canaris was appointed by Hitler to head the Abwehr (the German secret service) 18 months after the Nazis came to power. But Canaris turned against the Fuhrer and the Nazi regime, believing that Hitler would start a war Germany could not win. In 1938 he was involved in an attempted coup, undermined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1940 he sabotaged the German plan to invade England, and fed General Franco vital information that helped him keep Spain out of the war. For years he played a dangerous double game, desperately trying to keep one step ahead of the Gestapo. The SS chief, Heinrich Himmler, became suspicious of the Abwehr and by 1944, when Abwehr personnel were involved in the attempted assassination of Hitler, he had the evidence to arrest Canaris himself. Canaris was executed a few weeks before the end of the war.
Hitler's Spy Chief: The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery
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Review
'This book describes, in fascinating detail, the shady and complex workings of the international intelligence world, and the amazing ways in which Canaris tried to subvert Hitler, while apparently serving his loyally.' EVENING GAZETTE
About the Author
Richard Bassett has worked in the City, advising several of Europe's largest companies. Before that he worked in Central Europe for many years, first as a professional horn player and then as a staff correspondent of the London TIMES in Vienna, Rome and Warsaw, where his dispatches covered the end of the Cold War and gave early warning of the impending disintegration of Yugoslavia. He is married with two children and divides his time between London and other parts of Europe.
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Customer Reviews
“ Through certain secret channels, he also was helpful in getting Jews and Catholics out of the country as well as foiling a plot to kidnap Pope Pius XII. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Not since Anthony Cave Brown wrote "Bodyguard of Lies" has there been a really thorough discussion about the role of Wilhelm Canaris in the shadow war against Hitler. Bassett brings a lot of recently-available detail to this book and draws some interesting conclusions. To his credit, he also admits that some aspects of the life of this fascinating character will never be unraveled. The writing style is sometimes a bit choppy but it moves quickly. Had Canaris succeeded in his plans, had Neville Chamberlain been more visionary, had Kim Philby not interfered, the history of World War II would have been very different.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Hitler's Spy Chief is subtitled "The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery," but it is not entirely clear what should be so mysterious about this perhaps somewhat enigmatic but ultimately more frustrating than indecipherable man.
Bassett begins with a glimpse of Canaris' youth, and quickly moves into very strong and informative chapters on his start with the German Imperial Navy prior to and during World War I. His adventures in South America and then Spain are fascinating, and make clear Canaris' patriotism, intelligence, and resourcefulness. Germany's collapse in 1918 affected him deeply, and he became fervently anti-communist and somewhat reactionary. Bassett's writing on the interwar period is excelent, highlighting the fascinating world of arms trading and multinational business against the backdrop of illegal German rearmament in the wake of Versailles. Canaris' networking skills were invariably at work on behalf of the German military, whether cooperating with the British, the Russians, or the Spanish; his personal preferences seemed to play no part, he had no private agenda to speak of. The biography so far is of a promising soldier and intelligence man. By the time Hitler was appointed Chancellor, and Canaris was eventually made chief of military intelligence, he was a loyal and obedient Nazi. Only two years later he was working behind the scenes to bring the government of Nazi Germany down. What changed?
Bassett's position seems to be that Canaris was appalled was the immoral/illegal conduct of Hitler and his henchmen, although he himself did not appear to waver when pursuing illegal activities during the interwar period, not excluding political assassination. Bassett repeatedly returns to Canaris' Catholic upbringing, contrasting this with the "pagan" Nazi regime, but there seems little evidence of Canaris' devout and pious Christianity in his career beyond this assertion. In any event, Canaris soon turned on the regime, and began working in secret to bring it down. Unfortunately for both Germany and the balance of the world, he failed completely. Once the war began, he worked essentially as an Allied agent (complete with assigned number), while working sincerely but utterly ineffectually to bring about some type of negotiated peace. Once victory for the Allies was in sight, and the unconditional surrender doctrine announced, Canaris' efforts became truly futile. Inevitably the Nazis uncovered this, and initially (and unusually leniently) simply retired him. After the July 1944 plot against Hitler, Canaris was arrested and eventually executed for treason.
Bassett chronicles Canaris' dealings with the Allies in frustratingly general terms, and there is a lot of writing about what must have been discussed at meetings that we cannot confirm were ever even held, where the principals were not necessarily even in the same country at the same time. Connections with Churchill and others are suggested, but not proven (and given the nature of the espionage world, as well as the passage of time and destroyed or classified records) or perhaps provable. Large parts of chapters seem largely built upon suppositions and conjecture. The book's strengths are definitely in the WWI and interwar periods, where there is much more solid source material to work from, and where Bassett's admiration for the adventurous and dashing Canaris in his prime shines through.
Bassett's conclusion is essentially that Canaris sought to halt the seemingly inexorable march to war by the Nazis; to end that war with some type of negotiated settlement once it had begun; and finally to hasten Germany's defeat when a settlement proved of no interest to first the Nazis and then the Allies. That he failed in every one of these goals, the author insists, should not be held against him. This last is nonsense; of course it should be held against him. Canaris as the head of the Abwehr certainly had tremendous and unique means and almost unlimited opportunity for eight consecutive years to bring about `regime change' in Germany, including constant personal access to Hitler himself. That he would use the opportunity to betray Germany to the Allies, yet fight the Russians, all the while waiting for someone else to do the dirty work of taking out Hitler and his clique is appalling. Several - too few - German officers had the courage required to attempt it; given what we have learned about Canaris as a younger man, one is surprised to learn that he apparently did not. The end result was that millions more soldiers and civilians of all nationalities died.
Reading the second half of this book is in many ways like watching a train wreck. Bassett writes well, has good command of the often thin sources, but ultimately seems not to know what to make of his subject. Well worth reading nonetheless.
Bassett begins with a glimpse of Canaris' youth, and quickly moves into very strong and informative chapters on his start with the German Imperial Navy prior to and during World War I. His adventures in South America and then Spain are fascinating, and make clear Canaris' patriotism, intelligence, and resourcefulness. Germany's collapse in 1918 affected him deeply, and he became fervently anti-communist and somewhat reactionary. Bassett's writing on the interwar period is excelent, highlighting the fascinating world of arms trading and multinational business against the backdrop of illegal German rearmament in the wake of Versailles. Canaris' networking skills were invariably at work on behalf of the German military, whether cooperating with the British, the Russians, or the Spanish; his personal preferences seemed to play no part, he had no private agenda to speak of. The biography so far is of a promising soldier and intelligence man. By the time Hitler was appointed Chancellor, and Canaris was eventually made chief of military intelligence, he was a loyal and obedient Nazi. Only two years later he was working behind the scenes to bring the government of Nazi Germany down. What changed?
Bassett's position seems to be that Canaris was appalled was the immoral/illegal conduct of Hitler and his henchmen, although he himself did not appear to waver when pursuing illegal activities during the interwar period, not excluding political assassination. Bassett repeatedly returns to Canaris' Catholic upbringing, contrasting this with the "pagan" Nazi regime, but there seems little evidence of Canaris' devout and pious Christianity in his career beyond this assertion. In any event, Canaris soon turned on the regime, and began working in secret to bring it down. Unfortunately for both Germany and the balance of the world, he failed completely. Once the war began, he worked essentially as an Allied agent (complete with assigned number), while working sincerely but utterly ineffectually to bring about some type of negotiated peace. Once victory for the Allies was in sight, and the unconditional surrender doctrine announced, Canaris' efforts became truly futile. Inevitably the Nazis uncovered this, and initially (and unusually leniently) simply retired him. After the July 1944 plot against Hitler, Canaris was arrested and eventually executed for treason.
Bassett chronicles Canaris' dealings with the Allies in frustratingly general terms, and there is a lot of writing about what must have been discussed at meetings that we cannot confirm were ever even held, where the principals were not necessarily even in the same country at the same time. Connections with Churchill and others are suggested, but not proven (and given the nature of the espionage world, as well as the passage of time and destroyed or classified records) or perhaps provable. Large parts of chapters seem largely built upon suppositions and conjecture. The book's strengths are definitely in the WWI and interwar periods, where there is much more solid source material to work from, and where Bassett's admiration for the adventurous and dashing Canaris in his prime shines through.
Bassett's conclusion is essentially that Canaris sought to halt the seemingly inexorable march to war by the Nazis; to end that war with some type of negotiated settlement once it had begun; and finally to hasten Germany's defeat when a settlement proved of no interest to first the Nazis and then the Allies. That he failed in every one of these goals, the author insists, should not be held against him. This last is nonsense; of course it should be held against him. Canaris as the head of the Abwehr certainly had tremendous and unique means and almost unlimited opportunity for eight consecutive years to bring about `regime change' in Germany, including constant personal access to Hitler himself. That he would use the opportunity to betray Germany to the Allies, yet fight the Russians, all the while waiting for someone else to do the dirty work of taking out Hitler and his clique is appalling. Several - too few - German officers had the courage required to attempt it; given what we have learned about Canaris as a younger man, one is surprised to learn that he apparently did not. The end result was that millions more soldiers and civilians of all nationalities died.
Reading the second half of this book is in many ways like watching a train wreck. Bassett writes well, has good command of the often thin sources, but ultimately seems not to know what to make of his subject. Well worth reading nonetheless.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Richard Bassett's "Hitler's Spy Chief: The Wilhelm Canaris Betrayal: The Intelligence Campaign Against Adolf Hitler" is a well-written and tantalizing survey of the life of Wilhelm Canaris, the head of German Military Intelligence (the "Abwehr") from 1935 to 1944. Although Bassett cautions against making Canaris a saint - and that caution is obviously well-taken since Canaris wasn't a saint - Canaris comes out of the pages of Bassett's book as an honorable and admirable figure.
Briefly, Canaris started out during the early years of Hitler as a Nazi - at least in the sense of an anti-Bolshevik, German patriot who wanted to see Germany returned to its ante bellum role in the world - but after a surprisingly short period of exposure to Hitler and his coterie, Canaris realized that the Nazis were uncivilized barbarians who would bring ruin to Germany. According too Basset, we can discern from Canaris' activities a two-track policy: the first being to help Germany win the war and the second being to blunt the barbarities of Nazi rule. As to the first, Canaris ran an effective intelligence operation that thoroughly compromised British intelligence. As to the second, Canaris gave orders to the Abwehr that it was not to be involved in atrocities.
Bassett details how Canaris was also the background figure in various plots by German generals to arrest or depose Hitler. The earliest of these plots was actually derailed by Chamberlain's surprise trip to Munich, which allowed Hitler to avoid the necessity of conquering Czechoslovakia, the initiation of which was the pre-set signal for the arrest of Hitler. Canaris was also involved in the von Stauffenberg plot, the failure of which led to the cashiering of Canaris and the roll-up of the Abwehr into the SD. Eventually, it also led to the arrest of Canaris, the discovery of his records, which included records of Nazi atrocities, and his execution days before the German capitulation in May of 1945.
Bassett also describes how Canaris opened lines of communications with British intelligence by which he attempted to co-ordinate a coup against Hitler with peace with the West. These lines of communications ran through Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Vatican. Ultimately, British intelligence was unwilling to believe in the idea of "the Good German" - an attitude fostered in part by Kim Philby working in the counter-intelligence division of British intelligence.
Bassett also claims that at some point Canaris became a de facto British agent in working against Hitler, such as by briefing Franco on arguments that he could use to keep Hitler from enlisting Spain in a joint operation to seize Gibraltar and by "sexing up" the intelligence on British military strength in 1940 in order to delay Operation Sea Lion. For its part, it was amusing to note that the British provided Canaris with details of Soviet military strength in order to induce Germany to head East.
Canaris' life is obviously fascinating. What is equally fascinating is how Canaris figures in the backstory of so many history books that I've read, although he is never mentioned in those stories. For example, as noted above, Kim Philby's entre into the career that would lead him to becoming the highest placed Soviet mole in British intelligence intertwined with that of Canaris; both were active in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, Philby reported on Canaris' actions to his Soviet masters, and Philby made himself invaluable to the Soviets by working to prevent any German-Western rapproachment.
Likewise, in The Lost History of 1914: Reconsidering the Year the Great War Began, the chapter on Mexico mentions the escape of the Mexican dictator Huerta on the German cruiser Dresden at least three times. It just happens to be the case that the young intelligence officer on the Dresden was Canaris.
Similarly, the assassination of Heydrich plays a not insignificant role in Peter Longerich's Heinrich Himmler: A Life, which according to Bassett may have been motivated by a British desire to protect the continuing viability of Canaris. Admittedly, Longerich's failure to mention this possible connection is appropriate given the speculative, inference-on-inference nature of the claim, which makes this observation pertinent: a lot of Bassett's "gosh-wow" insights are by their nature speculation. They may be valid speculations for all we know - why was Heydrich assassinated but not other provincial governors? And why the timing and disregard for the consequences in Czechoslovakia? - but we are never going to know the answer. The reader should take Bassett's arguments with a something of a grain of salt and not drink too deeply of the Kool-aid.
Nonetheless, it's interesting that the eminence grise in the backstory of this event described in Longerich's massive work on Himmler may have been Canaris.
Finally, in his execrable book Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, John Cornwell mentions that Pius XII showed great courage in relaying information about possible German military coups against Hitler. It is probably another example of Cornwell's shoddy scholarship and lack of curiosity about anything other than the axe he grinds against Pius XII, but Cornwell doesn't mention that it was Canaris and the Abwehr that was using Pius XII as a "line of communication to British intelligence. Incidentally, Bassett has a simple answer to the deep mystery of Pius' purported "silence"; Pius was preserving his institutional neutrality and authority in order to play the traditional role of mediator in order to bring the war to an earlier conclusion with a concommitant reduction in human suffering and death.
The absence of any mention of Canaris in these books may mean that, like a good spy chief, Canaris may have been manipulating the threads of history without leaving anything that would explicitly connect him to the record of these events.
Briefly, Canaris started out during the early years of Hitler as a Nazi - at least in the sense of an anti-Bolshevik, German patriot who wanted to see Germany returned to its ante bellum role in the world - but after a surprisingly short period of exposure to Hitler and his coterie, Canaris realized that the Nazis were uncivilized barbarians who would bring ruin to Germany. According too Basset, we can discern from Canaris' activities a two-track policy: the first being to help Germany win the war and the second being to blunt the barbarities of Nazi rule. As to the first, Canaris ran an effective intelligence operation that thoroughly compromised British intelligence. As to the second, Canaris gave orders to the Abwehr that it was not to be involved in atrocities.
Bassett details how Canaris was also the background figure in various plots by German generals to arrest or depose Hitler. The earliest of these plots was actually derailed by Chamberlain's surprise trip to Munich, which allowed Hitler to avoid the necessity of conquering Czechoslovakia, the initiation of which was the pre-set signal for the arrest of Hitler. Canaris was also involved in the von Stauffenberg plot, the failure of which led to the cashiering of Canaris and the roll-up of the Abwehr into the SD. Eventually, it also led to the arrest of Canaris, the discovery of his records, which included records of Nazi atrocities, and his execution days before the German capitulation in May of 1945.
Bassett also describes how Canaris opened lines of communications with British intelligence by which he attempted to co-ordinate a coup against Hitler with peace with the West. These lines of communications ran through Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Vatican. Ultimately, British intelligence was unwilling to believe in the idea of "the Good German" - an attitude fostered in part by Kim Philby working in the counter-intelligence division of British intelligence.
Bassett also claims that at some point Canaris became a de facto British agent in working against Hitler, such as by briefing Franco on arguments that he could use to keep Hitler from enlisting Spain in a joint operation to seize Gibraltar and by "sexing up" the intelligence on British military strength in 1940 in order to delay Operation Sea Lion. For its part, it was amusing to note that the British provided Canaris with details of Soviet military strength in order to induce Germany to head East.
Canaris' life is obviously fascinating. What is equally fascinating is how Canaris figures in the backstory of so many history books that I've read, although he is never mentioned in those stories. For example, as noted above, Kim Philby's entre into the career that would lead him to becoming the highest placed Soviet mole in British intelligence intertwined with that of Canaris; both were active in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, Philby reported on Canaris' actions to his Soviet masters, and Philby made himself invaluable to the Soviets by working to prevent any German-Western rapproachment.
Likewise, in The Lost History of 1914: Reconsidering the Year the Great War Began, the chapter on Mexico mentions the escape of the Mexican dictator Huerta on the German cruiser Dresden at least three times. It just happens to be the case that the young intelligence officer on the Dresden was Canaris.
Similarly, the assassination of Heydrich plays a not insignificant role in Peter Longerich's Heinrich Himmler: A Life, which according to Bassett may have been motivated by a British desire to protect the continuing viability of Canaris. Admittedly, Longerich's failure to mention this possible connection is appropriate given the speculative, inference-on-inference nature of the claim, which makes this observation pertinent: a lot of Bassett's "gosh-wow" insights are by their nature speculation. They may be valid speculations for all we know - why was Heydrich assassinated but not other provincial governors? And why the timing and disregard for the consequences in Czechoslovakia? - but we are never going to know the answer. The reader should take Bassett's arguments with a something of a grain of salt and not drink too deeply of the Kool-aid.
Nonetheless, it's interesting that the eminence grise in the backstory of this event described in Longerich's massive work on Himmler may have been Canaris.
Finally, in his execrable book Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, John Cornwell mentions that Pius XII showed great courage in relaying information about possible German military coups against Hitler. It is probably another example of Cornwell's shoddy scholarship and lack of curiosity about anything other than the axe he grinds against Pius XII, but Cornwell doesn't mention that it was Canaris and the Abwehr that was using Pius XII as a "line of communication to British intelligence. Incidentally, Bassett has a simple answer to the deep mystery of Pius' purported "silence"; Pius was preserving his institutional neutrality and authority in order to play the traditional role of mediator in order to bring the war to an earlier conclusion with a concommitant reduction in human suffering and death.
The absence of any mention of Canaris in these books may mean that, like a good spy chief, Canaris may have been manipulating the threads of history without leaving anything that would explicitly connect him to the record of these events.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I respect the underdogs figters against Martin Borman's Party's...
I am Hebrew and was in Germany with the USArmy.I agree with dose that belive Adolf was a Zombie and his operative was Borman. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Antonio Pascual-Amaya
5.0 out of 5 stars
Preserving humanity in Nazi Germany
Much has been wirtten about the evil of Nazi Germany and justly so. The horrors of the Second World War are too numerous to mention and the artocities perpetrated by the Geramns... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Efrem Sepulveda
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing
We get to know only a little of the private life of Wilhelm Canaris in this book. But I suppose that has to be the case for someone involved in espionage. Read more
Published 4 months ago by new york john
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating man
Admiral Canaris is, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating characters of the 20th century. I have read various biographies of him over the years, and at times I have been... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Andy in Washington
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a wasted opportunity
Heard so much about this man and his fate - this book gives background - if only people [the allies] had listened to him or encouraged him the 2nd WW might not have happened or at... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Barry
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Biography of a Little-Remembered Figure
Hitler's Spy Chief is an interesting, well-crafted biography of a little-remembered historical figure. The subject of the book, Adm. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Gary in Illinois
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Gentleman who would be Kingslayer
Wilhelm Canaris was born just after the German empire was. Though he came from a military family, he decided to join the 'new' Imperial German Navy (known as the High Seas Navy). Read more
Published 14 months ago by Grey Wolffe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good enough
The book is engaging and places Canaris in a larger context of European history from the WWI to his unfortunate end. Read more
Published on March 23, 2011 by Crack Fox 500
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book
I only would like a small detail that perhaps Richard Bassett do not know.
The other day I was ready the memoirs of Vittorio Mussolini, a book he wrote while in exile in... Read more
The other day I was ready the memoirs of Vittorio Mussolini, a book he wrote while in exile in... Read more
Published on October 18, 2010 by John Oysterman
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but could have been better written
A biography of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the chief of German military intelligence during World War II. Read more
Published on June 10, 2008 by Andres C. Salama
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