In 1919, Wilhelm von Graffe, a German Naval Officer, witnessed the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow. This crushing defeat pushed him to dedicate his life to returning Germany to its rightful position of power. Years later, prior to World War II, von Graffe came up with a plan to accomplish that goal. Von Graffe's plan centered on the shipping lanes of North America's Great Lakes, areas likely to be an integral part of Great Britain's lifeline since both Canada and the United States would provide abundant supplies to Great Britain's war effort, as they had in the past. Von Graffe clearly saw the advantage to Germany in sabotaging such supply shipments. This project became so secret that only Adolf Hitler and his spymaster, Admiral Canaris, knew the details. However, the possibility for the success of this operation diminished when von Graffe was forced to return to Germany, where he found himself faced with an unexpected dilemma, which tried his honor as both a citizen and a German Officer.