Sailor Suits: Germany--Political Connotations


Figure 1.--Were there political connotations to the popularity of the sailor suit? We believe that there were, although admittely this is a diificult proposition to make with any certainty. We note that Kaiser Wilhelm grew up wearing sailor suits and seeing his cousins wearing sailor suits. We also wonder about the political connotations were of average German boys wearing sailor suits.

Were there political connotations to the popularity of the sailor suit? We believe that there were, although admittely this is a diificult proposition to make with any certainty. We note that Kaiser Wilhelm grew up wearing sailor suits and seeing his cousins wearing sailor suits. We know that he was impressed with fleet reviews as a child when he visited England with his mother. This must have affected his thinking and world outlook. To what cextent it affected his thinking can not be proved with any certainty, but it must have been a factor. The new Imperial Navy, the Kriegsmarina was an institution of the new united Germany. With Wilhelm II's decession to build a High Seas Fleet, Germany substantially increased the size and importance of the Kriegsmarina. In the early 20th century, not country with aspirations of national grandueur was without a navy with big-gun battleships (dreadnouhts). Even virtually land-locked countries like Russia and Austria-Hungary built them. Not country had greater national aspirations and feelings of being agrieved than Kaiser Wilhelm II's Germany. And the new navy felt to many German's a necessary step for true great power status. As such, the sailor suit was viewed as a sign of German Nationality and pride. The politicial connotations of the boys' sailor suit may have been a part of the social background that prepared the ground work for the calamity of World War I. Fashion is generally viewed by HBC as a reflection of larger historical an societal trends. We remained convinced that this is essentially the case. It is interestng however, to reflect on the impact of the boys' sailor suit in the years leaing up to World War I.

Building the German Empire

Chancellor Bismark and the Kaiser Wilhelm I used the army as the uniting military organization for the German Empire. Every German state had its own army. The Germans in the Franco-Prussian War had an army that was a coalition of the armies of the German states. Of course the Prussian Army was the largest, but states like Bavaria had not inconsequential armies. Gradually one united imperial army was created in Germany. After unification, some Germans viewed the Prussians which dominated the new Imperial Army with mixed emotions. This was especially true of the more liberal minded and the Socialists. Gradually the German Army became a respected national institution. The new Imperial Navy, the Kriegsmarina was an institution of the new united Germany. With Wilhelm II's decession to build a High Seas Fleet, Germany substantially increased the size and importance of the Kriegsmarina. In the early 20th century, not country with aspirations of national grandueur was without a navy with big-gun battleships (dreadnouhts). Even virtually land-locked countries like Russia and Austria-Hungary built them. Not country had greater national aspirations and feelings of being agrieved than Kaiser Wilhelm II's Germany. And the new navy felt to many German's a necessary step for true great power status. As such, the sailor suit was viewed as a sign of German Nationality and pride. The German princes were commonly dressed in sailor suits. HBC is not sure if this was a conscious political decission or just reflected the Kaiser's pride in his new navy and a reflection of popular fashion. Of course Wilhelm II's mother was an English princess, daughter of Queen Elizabeth. The future Wilhelm II as a boy wore sailor suits, perhaps not as much as his English cousins or his children and grandchildren. (Be sure to have a look at the HBC royal pages.) One HBC reader believes that these trends help expalain why the sailor suit was so common in Germany. This enfatuation with building a navy had dire consequences for Germay and the Kaiser

Road to World War I

The political connotations of the boys' sailor suit may have been a part of the social background that prepared the ground work for the calamity of World War I. Fashion is generally viewed by HBC as a reflection of larger historical an societal trends. We remained convinced that this is essentially the case. It is interestng however, to reflect on the impact of the boys' sailor suit in the years leaing up to World War I. It certainly reflected the temper of the times, but there is reason to believe that the sailor suit was a factor in leading the great European powers to war.








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Created: 7:25 PM 4/12/2006
Last updated: 7:25 PM 4/12/2006