Wilhelm Franz Canaris was a German admiral and the chief of German military intelligence. An enthusiastic National Socialist at first, Canaris slowly turned against Hitler and his policies and became part of the resistance. Canaris was born into a wealthy and cultured family. He joined the navy after leaving school. During the First World War, he was an intelligence officer on the naval ship Dresden. His daring escape from Chile during the war brought him to the notice of the German intelligence. He later became the chief of the German intelligence network. Canaris was a supporter of Hitler when he came to power. He played an active part in the Nazi regime’s expansion plans. By 1938, he had changed his stance and started supporting the resistance movements. He was an enigma as on the one hand he seemed to aid Nazi policies while on the other hand he actively participated in anti-Nazi efforts. He is said to have suggested that the Jews wear the ‘Star of David’ for easy identification and yet it was he who used his position to smuggle 500 Dutch Jews out of Germany. Some historians have labelled him as an opportunist while others have hailed him as a heroic figure. His contradictory actions along with his general reticence have made him one of the most mysterious figures in the history of WWII.