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93-481: Tirpitz may refer to: People [ edit ] Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930), German admiral Tirpitz Plan , a plan for Germany to achieve world power status through naval power Ships [ edit ] German battleship Tirpitz , a World War II-era Bismarck-class battleship named after the admiral List of ships named Tirpitz Museums [ edit ] Tirpitz Museum (Denmark) , focused on

186-596: A coup d'etat against the German government, to be led by Hindenburg and Ludendorff, even against the Kaiser if necessary. Tirpitz's experience with the Navy League and with mass political agitation convinced him that the means for a coup was at hand. Tirpitz considered that one of the main aims of the war must be annexation of new territory in the west, to allow Germany to develop into a world power. This meant holding

279-614: A " place in the sun " secured for Germany. In the months that followed, the following ideas gradually emerged: The war aims of the DVLP were concerted at every possible opportunity in "countless meetings (...) and a flood of declarations, appeals, writings, demands and telegrams to the Kaiser, the government, the Reichstag, the Supreme Army Command and to the public" became known and popularized. Above all, this should create

372-538: A building programme, but failed to gain funding for enough ships to satisfy anyone. Imperial Chancellor Hohenlohe saw no sense in naval enlargement and reported back that the Reichstag opposed it. Admiral Gustav von Senden-Bibran , Chief of the Naval Cabinet, advised that the only possibility lay in replacing Hollmann: Wilhelm impulsively decided to appoint Tirpitz. Meanwhile, however, Hollmann had obtained funding for one battleship and three large cruisers. It

465-531: A co-founder of the Pan-Germanic and nationalist Fatherland Party ( Deutsche Vaterlandspartei ). The party was organised jointly by Heinrich Claß , Konrad Freiherr von Wangenheim , Tirpitz as chairman and Wolfgang Kapp as his deputy. The party attracted the opponents of a negotiated peace; it organised opposition to the parliamentary majority in the Reichstag, which was seeking peace negotiations. It sought to bring together outside parliament all parties on

558-540: A delegation procedure, and every party member could participate in the party congresses, which were purely forums for acclamation. The Select Committee called a party congress. In addition, there was a Reich Committee composed of the Executive Board, the Select Committee, and 50 individuals to be determined by the party congress, but only met three times. In addition to Tirpitz, Johann Albrecht and Kapp,

651-556: A fleet could take on the Royal Navy was insanity and anyone saying it belonged in the madhouse. Yet by the end of the debates the country was convinced that the bill would and should be passed. On 26 March 1898 it did so, by a majority of 212 to 139. All those around the Kaiser were ecstatic at their success. Tirpitz as navy minister was elevated to a seat on the Prussian Ministry of State. His influence and importance as

744-544: A grand admiral's baton or the associated insignia. Despite the building programme he oversaw, he believed that the war had come too soon for a successful surface challenge to the Royal Navy, as the Fleet Act of 1900 had included a seventeen-year timetable. Unable to direct naval operations from his purely administrative position, Tirpitz became a vocal spokesman for unrestricted U-boat warfare, which he felt could strangle Britain's supply of food and force them to terms. While

837-487: A joint committee with the Treasury State Secretary to discuss finance, which never discussed anything. Meanwhile, he continued his best efforts to convince the Kaiser and Chancellor, so that in due course he could announce the issues had already been decided at a higher level and thereby avoid debate. Once the bill was nearly complete Tirpitz started a round of visits to obtain support. First he visited

930-496: A mixed fleet including cruisers for long-distance operations overseas. Tirpitz believed that in a war no number of cruisers would be safe unless backed up by sufficient battleships. Kapitän zur See (captain at sea) Tirpitz became chief of the naval staff in 1892 and was made a Konteradmiral (rear admiral) in 1895. In autumn 1895, frustrated by the non-adoption of his recommendations, Tirpitz asked to be replaced. The Kaiser, not wishing to lose him, asked instead that he prepare

1023-533: A policy of appeasement of neutrals at the expense of vital German interests, and begging for peace. He called for vigorous warfare without regard for diplomatic and commercial consequences and supported the most extreme use of weapons, especially unrestricted submarine warfare. The Fatherland Party had ceased its operations by February 1919. From 1908 to 1918 Tirpitz served as a member of the Prussian House of Lords . After Germany's defeat Tirpitz supported

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1116-421: A second risk: that Britain might see the growing German fleet and attack before it grew to a dangerous size. A similar course had been taken before when Lord Nelson sank Danish ships at Copenhagen to prevent them falling into French hands. Tirpitz calculated this danger period would end in 1904 or 1905. In the event, Britain responded to the increased German building programme by building more ships herself and

1209-636: A set of imperialist war aims calling for the annexation of most of Europe and Africa that in many ways were a prototype for the war aims of the Second World War. The official purpose for the existence of the Fatherland Party was to end the war victoriously and secure a "German peace." On 24 September 1917, Tirpitz had demanded a "correct solution to the Belgian question," a "safeguarding of the open sea lanes," "physical compensation" and

1302-587: A set of recommendations for ship construction. This was delivered on 3 January 1896, but the timing was bad as it coincided with raids into the Transvaal in Southern Africa by pro-British forces against the pro-German Boers . The Kaiser immediately set his mind to demanding cruisers which could operate at a distance and influence the war. Hollman was tasked with obtaining money from the Reichstag for

1395-740: A similar organization, the German Workers' Party , which later became the National Socialist German Workers' Party , better known as the Nazi Party, that came to national power in January 1933 under Adolf Hitler . German scholar Dirk Stegmann concluded that the Fatherland Party was pre- or proto-fascist because of Drexler's involvement. It should be considered that many historians challenge this position. In 1997, scholar Heinz Hagenlücke argued that "the party

1488-486: A world power, rather than lose the empire at the cost of keeping Germany less powerful. This theory sparked a naval arms race between the German and British Empires in the first decade of the 20th century. This theory was based on the assumption that Britain would have to send its fleet into the North Sea to blockade the German ports (blockading Germany was the only way the Royal Navy could seriously harm Germany), where

1581-543: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Alfred von Tirpitz Prussia never had a major navy, nor did the other German states before the German Empire was formed in 1871. Tirpitz took the modest Imperial Navy and, starting in the 1890s, turned it into a world-class force that could threaten Britain's Royal Navy . However, during World War I , his High Seas Fleet proved unable to end Britain's command of

1674-716: Is seen in the Anglo-Japanese treaty of 1902 that enabled the battleships of the China squadron to be re-allocated back to Europe. The Japanese fleet, largely constructed in British shipyards, then proceeded to utterly destroy the Russian Navy in the war of 1904–05 , removing Russia as a credible maritime opponent. The necessity to reduce the Mediterranean Fleet in order to reinforce the navy in home waters

1767-609: The Atlantic Wall in Denmark. Tirpitz Museum (Norway) , focused on the battleship of same name . Other uses [ edit ] German coastal battery Tirpitz , a World War II artillery emplacement in Romania Tirpitz (pig) , a pig rescued from the sinking of SMS Dresden and named after the admiral Tirpitz Range, a range of mountains on New Hanover and New Ireland islands Topics referred to by

1860-603: The Belgian ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend , with an eye to the main enemy, the United Kingdom. He proposed a separate peace treaty with Russia, giving them access to the ocean. Germany would be a great continental state but could maintain its world position only by expanding world trade and continuing the fight against the UK. He complained of indecision and ambiguity in German policy, humanitarian ideas of self-preservation,

1953-681: The Boer War broke out between the British and Boers in South Africa . In January 1900 a British cruiser intercepted three German mail steamers and searched them for war supplies intended for the Boers. Germany was outraged and the opportunity presented itself for a second Naval Bill. The second bill doubled the number of battleships from nineteen to thirty-eight. This would form four squadrons of eight ships, plus two flagships and four reserves. The bill now spanned seventeen years from 1901 to 1917 with

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2046-597: The Defence League . These organizations became collectively known as the nationale Verbände . The DVLP had its central main management based in Berlin and was divided into state, district, and local associations at the middle and lower levels. The Berlin headquarters of the DVLP employed almost 150 members at the end of 1917. According to the statutes, the state, district, and local associations were set up as required. The local associations could only communicate with

2139-492: The Empire . It was argued that colonies overseas were essential, and Germany deserved her "place in the sun". League membership grew from 78,000 in 1898, to 600,000 in 1901 and 1.1 million by 1914. Special attention was given to members of the budget committee who would consider the bill in detail. Their interests and connections were analysed to find ways to influence them. Steel magnate Fritz Krupp and shipowner Albert Ballin of

2232-513: The First World War . Politically and strategically, Tirpitz's risk theory ensured its own failure. By its very nature it forced Britain into measures that would have been previously unacceptable to the British establishment. The necessity to concentrate the fleet against the German threat involved Britain making arrangements with other powers that enabled her to return the bulk of her naval forces to home waters . The first evidence of this

2325-538: The Franco-Prussian War the Prussian Navy was greatly outnumbered and so the ship spent the duration of the war at anchor, much to the embarrassment of the navy. During the early years of Tirpitz's career, Prussia and Great Britain were on good terms and the Prussian Navy spent much time in British ports. Tirpitz reported that Plymouth was more hospitable to German sailors than was Kiel, while it

2418-763: The German Revolution on 10 December 1918. Most of its members later joined the German National People's Party (DNVP), the major national-conservative party in Germany during the Weimar Republic . Before the rise of the Nazi Party, it was the major conservative and nationalist party in Weimar Germany. Head of the noticeably large head office of the party with its last nine departments and up to 137 employees were (one after

2511-507: The Hamburg-America Line were invited to speak on the benefits of the bill to trade and industry. Objections were raised that the bill surrendered one of the most important powers of the Reichstag, that of annually scrutinising expenditure. Conservatives felt that expenditure on the navy was wasted, and that if money was available it should go to the army, which would be the deciding factor in any likely war. Eugen Richter of

2604-574: The Reichstag Peace Resolution of July 1917. It played a vital role in the emergence of the stab-in-the-back myth and the defamation of certain politicians as the November Criminals. The Fatherland Party was decidedly monarchist and supportive of the war efforts of German Emperor Wilhelm II . Militarism played an essential role in the party. In March–April 1915, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz stated that

2697-482: The "state within the state" in that Tirpitz was not punished despite having essentially called for deposing the Emperor. In August 1916, Germany became a de facto military dictatorship under the duumvirate of Generalfeldmarschall Hindenburg and Generalquartiermeister Ludendorff, who ruled Germany until 1918. During the rule of the "silent dictatorship" of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, the German government advocated

2790-568: The British would try to avoid confrontation with Germany (that is, maintain a fleet in being ). If the two navies fought, the German Navy would inflict enough damage on the British that the latter ran a risk of losing their naval dominance. Because the British relied on their navy to maintain control over the British Empire , Tirpitz felt they would opt to maintain naval supremacy in order to safeguard their empire, and let Germany become

2883-426: The DVLP board of directors was made up of the following people: Gottfried Traub , August Rumpf , Heinrich Beythien , Carl Pfeiffer , Lambert Brockmann , Wilhelm von Siemens , Dietrich Schäfer , Franz von Reichenau , Ernst Schweckendieck , Otto Hoffmann , Ulrich von Hassell and Stephan von Nieber . The party executive of the DVLP had a powerful, almost independent position - it could not be changed from within

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2976-413: The DVLP line were deleted on 24 September 1917, without comment. The party promised not to put up its own candidates for Reichstag elections, and the "internal dispute" should rest until the war's end. However, this demonstration of disinterest was merely a tactical tool that arose from the DVLP's political concept. The main domestic political goal of the party leadership was clearly to force a dissolution of

3069-562: The DVLP. The November Revolution effectively ended the existence of the DVLP. Until 28 November, the board met again and agreed to stop all "public activities." Furthermore, the members were asked to agitate for the early convocation of a national assembly , to ensure that the "national forces" were gathered together, and, for the time being, to support the Council of the People's Deputies in "maintaining order." Finally, on 10 December 1918,

3162-477: The Fatherland Party and the Supreme Army Command ( Oberste Heeresleitung ) with the military providing the party’s main source of funding and featuring statements from the party in the military’s official publication Militär-Wochenblatt . Many former officers joined the DVLP; those on active duty were not permitted to participate in any political party. The party was officially dissolved during

3255-592: The French home port of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin . Tirpitz later described his time with torpedo boats as "the eleven best years of my life". In 1887 the torpedo boats escorted Prince Wilhelm to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of his grandmother, Queen Victoria . This was the first time Tirpitz met Wilhelm. In July 1888 Caprivi was succeeded by Alexander von Monts . Torpedo boats were no longer considered important, and Tirpitz requested transfer, commanding

3348-465: The German Navy abandoned the observance of cruiser rules in 1915, this policy was reversed following the outcry over the Lusitania 's sinking . Tirpitz, a popular figure ("on account of his aggressiveness and his beard", according to US ambassador Gerard), had agitated against all restrictions using the German press, and threats to resign, and began to fall out with the Kaiser as a result. When

3441-551: The German Navy could force a battle. However, due to Germany's geographic location, Britain could blockade Germany by closing the entrance to the North Sea in the English Channel and the area between Bergen and the Shetland Islands . Faced with this option a German admiral commented, "If the British do that, the role of our navy will be a sad one", correctly predicting the role the surface fleet would have during

3534-513: The Kaiser himself). At that time, the German Imperial Navy had only four ranks for admirals: rear admiral, ( Konteradmiral , equal to a Generalmajor in the army, with no pips on the shoulders); vice admiral ( Vizeadmiral , equal to a Generalleutnant , with one pip); admiral (equal to a General der Infanterie , with two pips), and grand admiral (equal to a field marshal). Tirpitz's shoulder boards had four pips, but he never received

3627-531: The Kaiser. This brought him into conflict with the Navy State Secretary, Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann . Hollmann was responsible for procurement of ships, and had a policy of collecting ships as funding permitted. Tirpitz had concluded that the best fighting arrangement was a squadron of eight identical battleships, rather than any other combination of ships with mixed abilities. Further ships should then be added in groups of eight. Hollmann favoured

3720-556: The Liberal Radical Union opposing the bill observed that if it was intended for Germany now to seriously take up the trident to match its other forces, then such a small force would not suffice, and there would be no end to ship building. August Bebel of the Social Democrats argued that there existed a number of deputies who were Anglophobes and wished to pick a fight with Britain, but that to imagine such

3813-635: The Reich Committee of the DVLP, which only about 20 people visited, decided to dissolve the party. On this occasion, a three-member liquidation committee was established, which initiated the transfer of the party's assets to the German National People’s Party (DNVP) and became finalized on 1 February 1919. During World War I, Anton Drexler joined the German Fatherland Party. After the war, he would go on to form

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3906-496: The Reichstag by employing extra-parliamentary pressure. This was justified with a populist and pseudo-democratic argument that parliament no longer portrayed the " will of the people ." The party's leaders were Wolfgang Kapp – who would later play a key role in the failed coup in 1920 known as the Kapp Putsch – and Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz , a naval minister and post-war party leader. Walter Nicolai , head of

3999-580: The Royal Navy deployed against its own fleet, and Britain committed to her list of potential enemies. The Tirpitz risk theory made it more probable that, in any future conflict between the European powers, Britain would be on the side of Germany's foes, and that the full force of the most powerful navy in the world would be concentrated against her fleet. Tirpitz had been made a Großadmiral (grand admiral) in 1911, without patent (the document that accompanied formal promotions personally signed at this level by

4092-655: The beginning of 1916, he was dismissed from office and never regained power. Following his dismissal, he would become Chairman of the far-right German Fatherland Party , an ideological precursor to the German National People's Party . Tirpitz was born in Küstrin (today Kostrzyn in Poland ) in the Prussian province of Brandenburg , the son of lawyer and later judge Rudolf Tirpitz (1811–1905). His mother

4185-502: The bill. Tours of ships and shipyards were arranged. The Kaiser and Chancellor stressed that the fleet was only intended for protection of Germany, but so that even a first class power might think twice before attacking. Highlights from a letter Prince Bismarck wrote were read out in the Reichstag, though not mentioning passages where he expressed reservations. Papers were circulated showing the relative size of foreign fleets, and how much Germany had fallen behind, particularly when considering

4278-466: The councils of the Hanseatic towns. On 19 October the draft bill was sent to the printers for presentation to the Reichstag. Tirpitz's approach was to be as accommodating with the deputies as he could. He was patient and good humoured, proceeding on the assumption that if everything was explained carefully, then the deputies would naturally be convinced. Groups were invited to private meetings to discuss

4371-481: The experience in A Mother's War . Tirpitz joined the Prussian Navy more by accident than design when a friend announced that he was doing so. Tirpitz decided he liked the idea and with the consent of his parents became a naval cadet at the age of 16, on 24 April 1865. He attended Kiel Naval School. Within a year Prussia was at war with Austria. Tirpitz became a midshipman ( Seekadett ) on 24 June 1866 and

4464-472: The extreme right who would become popular during the interwar period . Backed by the Pan-German League , the German Fatherland Party was founded by Heinrich Claß , August von Dönhoff , Alfred von Tirpitz and Wolfgang Kapp on 2 September 1917. On 9 September, the DVLP made its existence public in newspaper advertisements. The established bourgeois parties reacted inconsistently to

4557-434: The final ships being completed by 1920. This would constitute the second-largest fleet in the world and although no mention was made in the bill of specific enemies, it made several general mentions of a greater power which it was intended to oppose. There was only one navy which could be meant. On 5 December 1899 Tirpitz was promoted to Vizeadmiral (vice admiral). The bill passed on 20 June 1900. Specifically written into

4650-465: The fleet. The second followed fears of British encroachment, and reduced the replacement time which a ship would remain in service from 25 to 20 years. The third was caused by the Agadir Crisis where again Germany had to draw back. This time three more battleships were added. The first naval law caused little alarm in the United Kingdom. There was already in force a dual power standard defining

4743-591: The former chancellor and elder statesman, Prince Bismarck . Armed with the announcement that the Kaiser intended to name the next ship launched Furst Bismarck , he persuaded the former chancellor, who had been dismissed from office for disagreement with Wilhelm II, to modestly support the proposals. Tirpitz now visited the King of Saxony , the Prince Regent of Bavaria , the Grand Duke of Baden and Oldenburg and

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4836-529: The founding of the Fatherland Party. Many conservative parties expressly welcomed them. The board of the National Liberal Party offered to cooperate with the Fatherland Party and left party members the option to join it. The left-liberal Progressive People's Party , which lost a noticeable number of members to the DVLP, expressly refused to work with it. The Catholic Centre Party ( Zentrum ) told party members on 12 October 1917 not to assist

4929-511: The great power of her army compared to others. A press bureau was created in the Navy Ministry to ensure journalists were thoroughly briefed, and to politely answer any and all objections. Pre-written articles were provided for the convenience of journalists. University professors were invited to speak on the importance of protecting German trade. The Navy League was formed to popularise the idea of world naval power and its importance to

5022-411: The impression of a "primitive popular movement." In the first few months of its existence, the DVLP repeatedly emphasized its "national" character and its alleged domestic political neutrality. The call to members and supporters, which was still little veiled in the "Great Appeal," to stand up against a Prussian electoral reform, the parliamentarization of Reich policy, and the government's commitment to

5115-483: The ironclads SMS  Preussen and then SMS  Württemberg . He was promoted to captain ( Kapitän zur See ) 24 November 1888 and in 1890 became chief of staff of the Baltic Squadron. On one occasion the Kaiser was attending dinner with the senior naval officers at Kiel and asked their opinion on how the navy should develop. Finally the question came to Tirpitz and he advised building battleships . This

5208-538: The man who had accomplished this miracle was assured and he was to remain at the centre of government for the next nineteen years. One year after the passage of the bill Tirpitz appeared before the Reichstag and declared his satisfaction with it. The specified fleet would still be smaller than the French or British, but would be able to deter the Russians in the Baltic . Within another year all had changed. In October 1899

5301-409: The members belonged to "patriotic" clubs and associations affiliated with the Fatherland Party. It is also known that several higher officials - including Prussian government presidents - forced the staff of the departments and authorities they headed to join the party. The party tried harder to attract workers, especially after the January strike. A guideline for party speakers had previously stated that

5394-640: The military secret service, was also supportive. Media baron Alfred Hugenberg was also a prominent member and Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg was made "Honorary Chairman". The party included many leading industrialists, large landowners, and business association officials, including Georg Wilhelm von Siemens , Carl Duisberg , Ernst von Borsig , Hugo Stinnes , Emil Kirdorf and Hermann Röchling , but also humanities scholars such as Eduard Meyer . The Fatherland Party held two congresses (on 24 September 1917 and 19 April 1918 in Berlin). The statute did not provide

5487-542: The only thing that was keeping Germany from winning the war was the poor leadership of the Chancellor and the Emperor. His solution was a plan in which Bethmann-Hollweg would be sacked, and the office of Chancellor abolished; the Kaiser would "temporarily" abdicate; and Generalfeldmarschall Hindenburg be given the new office of "Dictator of the Reich ," concentrating all political and military power into his hands to win

5580-472: The other) Kapp's close confidants Georg Wilhelm Schiele , Franz Ferdinand Eiffe , and Konrad Scherer . Huge sums of money were incurred for the maintenance and activities of the DVLP party apparatus, which were completely unusual for other contemporary parties. In addition, the party gave the bulk of its literature and other propaganda material completely free of charge. This effort could not possibly be covered only by membership fees and occasional donations. In

5673-537: The party and chose new members if necessary. Decisions were made in small groups; according to the statute, the committee had a quorum when two (from April 1918 three) members were present. The Select Committee, abolished in April 1918, later included the eight people appointed in September 1917. The party's political influence peaked in the summer of 1918 when it had around 1,250,000 members. Close ties existed between

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5766-643: The party executive through the state associations. District associations were only to be interposed when needed; they had no members and only served the regional associations as administrative bodies. In July 1918, 32 state associations, 237 district associations, and 2,536 local associations across Germany. According to its own information, the DVLP had 450,000 members in March 1918, 1,250,000 in July, and 800,000 in September. However, these numbers are considered highly exaggerated. At least, very likely, but more than half of

5859-416: The political right, which had not previously been done. At its peak, in the summer of 1918, the party had around 1,250,000 members. It proposed both Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff as "people's emperors" of a military state whose legitimacy was based on war and on war aims instead of on the parliamentary government of the Reich . Internally, there were calls for

5952-540: The preamble was an explanation of Tirpitz's risk theory. Although the German fleet would be smaller, it was likely that an enemy with a world spanning empire would not be able to concentrate all its forces in local waters. Even if it could, the German fleet would still be sufficiently powerful to inflict significant damage in any battle, sufficient damage that the enemy would be unable to maintain its other naval commitments and must suffer irreparable harm. Thus no such enemy would risk an engagement. Privately, Tirpitz acknowledged

6045-515: The principal area of conflict to be that between Heligoland and the Thames . Cruiser warfare around the globe was deemed impractical because Germany had few bases to resupply ships, while the chief need was for as many battleships as possible to take on the British fleet. A target was outlined for two squadrons of eight battleships, plus a fleet flagship and two reserves. This was to be completed by 1905 and cost 408 million marks, or 58 million per year,

6138-558: The restrictions on the submarine war were not lifted, he finally resigned on 15 March 1916. He was replaced as State Secretary of the Imperial Naval Office by Eduard von Capelle . Despite his support for unrestricted U-boat warfare, Tirpitz placed a low priority on submarine construction during his leadership of the Imperial Naval Office. Ultimately, this decision would result in a severe shortage of newly built U-boats by 1917. In September 1917 Grand Admiral Tirpitz became

6231-499: The right-wing German National People's Party ( Deutschnationale Volkspartei , or DNVP ) and sat for it in the Reichstag from 1924 until 1928. Tirpitz died in Ebenhausen, near Munich , on 6 March 1930. He is buried in the Waldfriedhof in Munich. The Tirpitz Range on the island of New Hanover in Papua New Guinea takes its name from Alfred von Tirpitz. German Fatherland Party The German Fatherland Party ( German : Deutsche Vaterlandspartei , abbreviated as DVLP )

6324-415: The same as the existing budget. The proposal was innovative in several ways. It made a clear statement of naval needs, whereas before the navy had grown piecemeal. It set out the programme for seven years ahead, which neither the Reichstag nor the navy should change. It defined a change in German foreign policy so as to justify the existence of the fleet: Great Britain up to this point had been friendly, now it

6417-496: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Tirpitz . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tirpitz&oldid=1217839031 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Ship disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

6510-417: The sea and its chokehold on Germany's economy. The one great engagement at sea, the Battle of Jutland , ended in a narrow German tactical victory but a strategic failure. As the High Seas Fleet's limitations became increasingly apparent during the war, Tirpitz became an outspoken advocate for unrestricted submarine warfare , a policy which would ultimately bring Germany into conflict with the United States. By

6603-443: The size of the British fleet as at least that of the next two largest fleets combined. There was now a new player, but her fleet was similar in size to the other two possible threats, Russia and France, and a number of battleships were already under construction. The second naval law, however, caused serious alarm: eight King Edward VII -class battleships were ordered in response. It was the regularity and efficiency with which Germany

6696-574: The spring of 1918 alone, the sum of the initially uncovered expenses averaged 142,000 marks per month. In addition to the support from the Pan-German League, the Fatherland Party also received additional support from a number of nationalist organizations and pressure groups . Among them were the German Eastern Marches Society , German Navy League , German Colonial Society , German Anti-Semitic Organization and

6789-492: The theoretical danger period extended itself to beyond the start of the Great War. As a reward for the successful bill Tirpitz was ennobled with the hereditary article von before his name in 1900. Tirpitz noted the difficulties in his relationship with the Kaiser. Wilhelm respected him as the only man who had succeeded in persuading the Reichstag to start and then increase a world class navy, but he remained unpredictable. He

6882-521: The time of Nelson and began to look for allies against the growing threat from Germany. Ships were withdrawn from around the world and brought back to British waters, while construction of new ships increased. Tirpitz's design to achieve world power status through naval power, while at the same time addressing domestic issues, is referred to as the Tirpitz Plan . Politically, the Tirpitz Plan

6975-461: The war. These positions continued to receive support from the Fatherland Party. Internally, there were calls for a coup d'etat against the German government, led by Hindenburg and Ludendorff, even against the Emperor if necessary. Though the Tirpitz plan was not implemented, the very fact it was mooted showed the extent of military dissatisfaction with the existing leadership and the strength of

7068-492: Was a short-lived far-right political party active in the German Empire during the last phase of World War I . It rejected the Reichstag Peace Resolution of July 1917, which called for a negotiated peace without annexations. The Fatherland Party is considered the first attempt at reconciliation and cooperation between the traditional right , characteristic of the Wilhelmine Period , and militant nationalists of

7161-520: Was also a powerful influence in its détente and Entente Cordiale with the French. By forcing the British to come to terms with its most traditional opponent, Tirpitz scuttled his own policy. Britain was no longer at risk from France, and the Japanese destruction of the Russian fleet removed that nation as a naval threat. In the space of a few years, Germany was faced with virtually the whole strength of

7254-542: Was also easier to obtain equipment and supplies there, which were of better quality than available at home. At this time the British Royal Navy was pleased to assist that of Prussia in its development and Prussian officers had considerable respect for their British counterparts. Unification of Germany in 1871 again meant a change of name, to the German Imperial Navy . On 25 May 1872 Tirpitz

7347-413: Was an answer which appealed to the Kaiser, and nine months later he was transferred to Berlin to work on a new strategy for creating a high seas fleet. Tirpitz appointed a staff of officers he had known from his time with the torpedo boats and collected together all sorts of vessels as stand-in battleships to conduct exercises to test out tactics. On 1 December 1892 he made a presentation of his findings to

7440-548: Was as likely to miss a target as to hit it. On 17 September 1881 he became Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain). From developing torpedoes, Tirpitz moved on to developing torpedo boats to deliver them. The State Secretary for the Navy, Leo von Caprivi , was a distant relation, and Tirpitz now worked with him on the development of tactics. Caprivi envisioned that the boats would be used defensively against their most likely enemy, France, but Tirpitz set about developing plans to attack

7533-642: Was elevated to the Prussian nobility, becoming von Tirpitz. He had four children: Max, Wolfgang, Ilse (born 1885) and Margot (born 1888). His son, Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang von Tirpitz, was taken prisoner of war after the sinking of SMS  Mainz in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. Ilse married diplomat Ulrich von Hassell who was executed in 1944 as an anti-Hitler activist. Their daughter Fey von Hassell  [ de ] and her young sons were then taken as hostages. She wrote of

7626-531: Was explicitly founded as a party and not a movement, members reflected the typical picture of high Wilhelmine society in contrast to the lower class organizations of the Weimar Republic, which sociologically reached the lower-middle class, soldiers, and the youth." The Fatherland Party represented pan-German , national liberal , conservative , nationalist , populist , antisemitic and völkisch political circles, united in their opposition against

7719-635: Was fanatical about the navy, but would come up with wild ideas for improvements, which Tirpitz had to deflect to maintain his objectives. Each summer Tirpitz would go to St Blasien with his aides to work on naval plans, then in September he would travel to the Kaiser's retreat at Rominten , where Tirpitz found he would be more relaxed and willing to listen to a well argued explanation. Three supplementary naval bills ( Novelles ) were passed, in June 1906, April 1908 and June 1912. The first followed German diplomatic defeats over Morocco , and added six large cruisers to

7812-634: Was felt that replacing him before the bill had completed approval through the Reichstag would be a mistake. Instead, Tirpitz was placed in charge of the German East Asia Squadron in the Far East but with a promise of appointment as secretary at a suitable moment. The cruiser squadron operated from British facilities in Hong Kong which were far from satisfactory as the German ships always took second place for available docks. Tirpitz

7905-522: Was instructed to find a suitable site for a new port, selecting four possible sites. Although he initially favoured the bay at Kiautschou/Tsingtao , others in the naval establishment advocated a different location and even Tirpitz wavered on his commitment in his final report. A "lease" on the land was acquired in 1898 after it was fortuitously occupied by German forces. On 12 March 1896 the Reichstag cut back Hollmann's appropriation of 70 million marks to 58 million, and Hollman offered his resignation. Tirpitz

7998-531: Was marked by the Fleet Acts of 1898, 1900, 1908 and 1912. By 1914, they had given Germany the second-largest naval force in the world (roughly 40% smaller than the Royal Navy). It included seventeen modern dreadnoughts , five battlecruisers , twenty-five cruisers and twenty pre-dreadnought battleships as well as over forty submarines . Although including fairly unrealistic targets, the expansion programme

8091-480: Was now building ships, which were seen to be as good as any in the world, which raised concern. Information about the design of the new battleships suggested they were only intended to operate within a short range of a home base and not to stay at sea for extended periods. They seemed designed only for operations in the North Sea . The result was that Britain abandoned its policy of isolation which had held force since

8184-572: Was officially an enemy. The Kaiser agreed to the plan and Tirpitz retired to St Blasien in the Black Forest with a team of naval specialists to draft a naval bill for presentation to the Reichstag. Information about the plan leaked out to Admiral Knorr , head of the Naval High Command . Tirpitz agreed to a joint committee to discuss changes in the navy, but then arranged that it never receive any information. Similarly, he arranged

8277-543: Was posted to a sailing ship patrolling the English Channel . In 1866 Prussia became part of the North German Confederation , the navy officially became that of the confederation and Tirpitz joined the new institution on 24 June 1869. On 22 September 1869 he had obtained the rank of Unterleutnant zur See (sub-lieutenant) and served on board the ironclad SMS  König Wilhelm . During

8370-559: Was promoted to Leutnant zur See (lieutenant at sea) and on 18 November 1875 to Kapitänleutnant (captain-lieutenant). In 1877 he was chosen to visit the Whitehead Torpedo development works at Fiume and afterwards was placed in charge of the German torpedo section, later renamed the Torpedo Inspectorate. By 1879 a working device had been produced, but even under demonstration conditions Tirpitz reckoned it

8463-454: Was sufficient to alarm the British, starting a costly naval arms race and pushing the British into closer ties with the French. Tirpitz believed that the development of maritime power would advance Germany's economic interests and so serve as a "palliative against educated and uneducated Social Democrats". Tirpitz developed a "risk theory" whereby, if the German Imperial Navy reached a certain level of strength relative to Britain's Royal Navy,

8556-557: Was summoned home and offered the post of secretary of the Imperial Navy office ( Reichsmarineamt ). He went home the long way, touring the United States on the way and arriving in Berlin 6 June 1897. He was pessimistic of his chances of succeeding with the Reichstag. On 15 June Tirpitz presented a memorandum on the makeup and purpose of the German fleet to the Kaiser. This defined the principal enemy as Great Britain, and

8649-595: Was the daughter of a doctor. Tirpitz grew up in Frankfurt (Oder) . He recorded in his memoirs that as a child he was a mediocre pupil. Tirpitz spoke English fluently and was sufficiently at home in Britain that he sent his two daughters Ilse and Margot to Cheltenham Ladies' College . On 18 November 1884 he married Maria Augusta Lipke (born 11 October 1860 in Schwetz, West Prussia, died after 1941). On 12 June 1900 he

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