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    His family was of Italian origin, as was later shown in an elaborate family tree, lavishly produced and bound as a present by Cesare Amé, chief of the Italian Military Intelligence Service S.I.M. The Canarisi were a north Italian family who came to Germany in the seventeenth century and were assimilated entirely into German culture. Nevertheless, certain Latin traits appear to have been recognisable generations later, and Canaris was known for his aversion to the cold – rarely did this officer ever remove his greatcoat – his love of the countries of the Mediterranean and his quick thinking.
    Ultimately, however, Canaris’ passionate interest in a remote Hellenic figure who was no blood relation of his family cut unsurprisingly litde ice with his father, even though he had at first encouraged his son’s interest and even procured a small copy of the statue to be erected in their house. A row ensued, in which his son was told in no uncertain terms that if he were to break family tradition and join the armed services, he would be allowed to seek a posting only in a solid cavalry regiment where social etiquette still counted for much and where the young Wilhelm would meet the right sort of person. This dispute is the only documented incidentthat casts a light on the young Canaris’ relationship with his rather distant father. It certainly implies that the relationship was not an easy one and that the ambitions of the father were being heaped on the shoulders of the son, irrespective of the latter’s feelings. The element of tacit competition between these two males of the family was, even without the benefit of psychological insight, an important factor in the young Canaris’ development. His ‘feminine’ side was strongly developed by his doting sisters and would later lead to his ability to bond with younger men, such as Heydrich or Szentpetery, at a most intense platonic level.
    A suitable commission was sought in a Bavarian heavy cavalry regiment. The young Canaris was an excellent all-round equestrian. It is interesting to reflect on the possible future development of Anglo-German wartime relations had Wilhelm taken this opportunity to appease his father and joined one of the many cavalry regiments which were to be slaughtered by machine guns as unhorsed infantry in the mud and blood of Flanders; though, ironically, in the Second World War, the German cavalry regiments would be very much in tune with the resistance and considered politically highly unreliable.
    Mercifully for Canaris, however, fate intervened to save him from a career that almost certainly, at the very least, would have repressed many of his desires and talents. In 1904 Canaris’ father died of a stroke. The routine of stables, mess pranks, buckles and boots was spared him. With the successful completion of his ‘Abitur’, his high school exams which he passed with flying colours, the route to Kiel, the home of the German navy, was now clear.
    For the German navy, unencumbered by the feudal baggage of the imperial German cavalry, Canaris was an ideal candidate. First, he came from what would be termed today a good family. He was clearly a bright fellow. He had passed his final school written tests with such brilliant results that he had been, most unusually, spared a viva. In an increasingly technocratic service, this also counted for much. Moreover, the Germannavy prided itself on its sense of honour and here the quiet piety Canaris had inherited from his mother made a good impression. Despite his mordant wit he exuded that gravitas which German writers such as Fontane have praised. The young man’s linguistic skills also impressed the examiners. He was already fluent in three languages. Perhaps most important of all, and here the German navy was no different from any other in imposing this far from nugatory requirement, he had impeccable manners.
    On 1 April 1905, Cadet Canaris entered the Imperial