German Imperial Admiralty Staff
Encyclopedia
The German Imperial Admiralty Staff was a military institution established in 1899 under the direct authority and command of the German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II for managing the German Imperial Navy. The Staff continued until the end of the German Empire
in 1918.
This reorganization suited the Kaiser, who wanted to maintain direct control of his ships. A disadvantage was that it split apart the integrated military command structure, which before had balanced the importance of the navy within overall defense considerations. It suited Tirpitz
, because it removed the influence of the admiralty staff from naval planning, but it left him the possibility, in wartime, to reorganise command around himself. Wilhelm II, however, never agreed to relinquish direct control of his fleet.
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1918.
History
The German Imperial Naval High Command (Kaiserliches Oberkommando der Marine) was, on 14 March 1899, replaced by an Admiralty Staff responsible for planning, officer training, and naval intelligence. In time of war the Admiralty Staff was to assume overall command of the Imperial Navy, although in peace-time it acted only in an advisory capacity. Direct control of the various elements of the Fleet was subordinated to officers commanding those elements, accountable to the Kaiser.This reorganization suited the Kaiser, who wanted to maintain direct control of his ships. A disadvantage was that it split apart the integrated military command structure, which before had balanced the importance of the navy within overall defense considerations. It suited Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz was a German Admiral, Secretary of State of the German Imperial Naval Office, the powerful administrative branch of the German Imperial Navy from 1897 until 1916. Prussia never had a major navy, nor did the other German states before the German Empire was formed in 1871...
, because it removed the influence of the admiralty staff from naval planning, but it left him the possibility, in wartime, to reorganise command around himself. Wilhelm II, however, never agreed to relinquish direct control of his fleet.
Chiefs of the Admiralty Staff
(Chefs des Admiralstabs der Kaiserlichen Marine)- Admiral Felix von BendemannFelix von BendemannFelix von Bendemann was an Admiral of the German Imperial Navy .Bendemann was born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony. He was the son of the painter Eduard Julius Friedrich Bendemann and Lida Schadow, who was the daughter of the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow...
(1848-1915) --- 14. März 1899 bis 31. Dez. 1899 - Vice-Admiral Otto von DiederichsOtto von DiederichsErnst Otto von Diederichs was an Admiral of the German Imperial Navy, serving in the predecessor Prussian Navy and the Navy of the North German Confederation.-Education, war and peace:Diederichs entered the Prussian...
(1843-1918) --- 1. Jan. 1900 bis 19. Aug. 1902 - Vice-Admiral Wilhelm Büchsel (1848-1920) --- 20. Aug. 1902 bis 28. Jan. 1908
- Admiral Ferd. Graf von Baudissin (1852-1921) --- 29. Jan. 1908 bis 5. Sep. 1909
- Admiral Max von Fischel (1850-1929) --- 6. Sep. 1909 bis 11. März 1911
- Vice-Admiral August von HeeringenAugust von HeeringenAugust von Heeringen was a Prussian admiral of the German Empire. He headed the Imperial Navy News Office and served as the Chief of the German Naval General Staff 12 March 1911 - 31 March 1913, and was present at the famous War Council of 8 December, 1912.He worked with leaders of the German...
(1855-1927) --- 12. März 1911 bis 31. März 1913 - Admiral Hugo von PohlHugo von PohlHugo von Pohl was a German admiral who during the First World War commanded the German High Seas Fleet from 1915 until shortly before his death from illness in 1916....
(1855-1916) --- 1. Apr. 1913 bis 1. Feb. 1915 - Vice-Admiral Gustav Bachmann (1860-1943) --- 2. Feb. 1915 bis 3. Sep. 1915
- Admiral Henning von HoltzendorffHenning von HoltzendorffHenning von Holtzendorff was a German admiral during World War I who became famous for his Dec 1916 memo to Kaiser Wilhelm II about unrestricted submarine warfare against the United Kingdom...
(1853-1919) --- 4. Sep. 1915 bis 10. Aug. 1918 - Admiral Reinhard ScheerReinhard ScheerReinhard Scheer was an Admiral in the German Kaiserliche Marine. Scheer joined the navy in 1879 as an officer cadet; he progressed through the ranks, commanding cruisers and battleships, as well as major staff positions on land. At the outbreak of World War I, Scheer was the commander of the II...
(1863-1928) --- 11. Aug. 1918 bis 14. Nov. 1918