Figure 1.--Here is a young Reichmarine recruit during 1928. Note the naval standards and the ships in the background, probably destroyers.

The Versailles Peace Treaty placed extensive restraints on the Germany Navy. Both the public and military circles after the War assessed the role of the Germany Navy in the War. Many as a result wondered if Germany should have a navy at all, even the small force allowed by the Versailles Treaty. Imperial Germany had devoted sizeable resources to naval construction, yet the Germany Navy did not assist significantly in the German war effort. In fact, it might be argued that the Imperial Navy's U-boats by bringing the United States into the war, sealed the fate of Imperial Germany. Naval mutinies (1917 and 18) help to precipitate revolution in Germany that hekped bring an end to the War. Sailors mutinied in Kiel at the end of the War, preventing a finally sally by the fleet. Sailors on board of three ships from the Third Navy Squadron refused to raise anchor (October 1918). Under the terms of the Armistice, the High Seas fleet had to be turned over to the Allies. The Germans scuttled many if the vessels at Scapa Flow rather than turn them over to the British (1919). The mutinies and support for left-wing groups did nothing to improve the Reich masrine's tarnished image. The much reduced Reichmarine under the terms of the Versailles Treaty was not only a skeleton force with a small number of obselete vessels, but it had little popular support. The Weimar Republic’s admirals, however, continued to accept the political thesis of Tirpitz’s belief in sea power and that a powerful navy was a needed instrument of power politics and a symbol of Germany’s position in the world. Admiral Adolf von Trotha support the right-wing Kapp Putsch to overthrow the Weimar Republic (March 1920). This strengthened attitudes at Weimar that Germany should simply do away with its navy. And the Reichmarine engaged in rearmament efforts that were even more blatent than what the Army's efforts. The problem for the Reich marine was that it was very difficult to hide naval construction, especially the construction of big ships. Much of their activities in violation of the Versailles Treaty emerged in the Lohmann scandal (1927). A controversy over the the Reichmarine's new 10,000-ton “pocket battleship” (Panzerschiff) caused further difficulties. The Reichmarine was a military force with little public support that essentially existed for its own national vision which had little support in the Weimar state. The German Navy survived in part because of the work of a new commander--Grand Admiral Raeder (1928). The austere Admiral Eric Raeder (1876-1960) was a practicing Christian and apolitcal figure. He set about building a highly professional, non-political officer corps. This made a difference in the Weimar years when the loyalty of both the Reichmarine and Reichwehr was highly questionable. Raeder did not diagree with the Tirpitz thesis, but he did insist that the Reichmrine stay out of plotics and maintain a pristine public image. Among the many cashiered figures was a young Reinhard Heydrich (1904-42)--one of the most evil figures in the NAZI heirarchy and World War II. Raeder set out creating public support for expanding the fleet beyond the very limited role in Germany’s coastal defense.

Created: 7:46 AM 5/15/2011
Last updated: 10:38 PM 5/15/2011