Reinhold von Werner
Encyclopedia
Reinhold von Werner was a Prussian
and later Imperial German
naval officer in the 19th century, eventually reaching the rank of Vice Admiral
. He commanded warships during the three wars of German unification
, the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War
, and the Franco-Prussian War
in 1864, 1866, and 1870–1871, respectively, and during a naval intervention during a revolution in Spain in 1873. His actions off Spain, considered extreme by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
, resulted in his court-martial
. He was promoted two years after the intervention in Spain, but was forced into retirement after a major feud with Albrecht von Stosch
three years later. Werner wrote numerous books during and after his naval career, and also founded a periodical on maritime topics. He was ennobled in 1901 and died in February 1909.
, Prussia
in what is now Saxony-Anhalt
. He served for several years in the merchant marine in the 1830s and 1840s, during which he made several voyages to the East Indies
. While in the merchant marine, he was given the nickname Schweizer (Swiss), as his North German shipmates found his accent to be particularly foreign compared to their native Plattdeutsch.
(Imperial Fleet), which had been organized the year before. In 1852, he transferred to the Preussische Marine
(Prussian Navy), at the age of 22. The Preussische Marine accepted only ten applicants to the officer corps that year. Werner was the only officer in the first group who was directly commissioned as a lieutenant; the other nine became officer cadets. He was promoted to the rank of Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant) in 1856. While commanding the warship Elbe, he participated in a naval expedition to the Far East
in 1859–1862.
against Danish naval forces. Werner fought with distinction at the Battle of Jasmund, under the command of Eduard von Jachmann
; Werner's ship, , was badly damaged during the engagement and her crew suffered 13 casualties. The Danes successfully blocked the Prussian attempt to break through the Danish blockade, however, and forced them to return to Swinemünde. Werner and the rest of the fleet stationed there remained in port for the rest of the war.
At the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War
in the summer of 1866, Werner was given command of a small squadron in the North Sea consisting of the ironclad warship
and a flotilla of small steam gunboats. Werner used the force to launch several troop landings against the Kingdom of Hanover
, an ally of Austria. Werner led most of the landings himself; his activities forced the surrender of several Hanoverian coastal batteries and several cities, including Emden
and Stade
. On 15 June, Werner and his squadron assisted 13,500 men commanded by General Edwin von Manteuffel
in their crossing of the Elbe river and assault of the city of Hanover
.
After the Austro-Prussian War, Werner was given command of the dock facilities in Danzig, a position he held until 1873. In 1870, the Franco-Prussian War
broke out, during which Werner was given command of the new ironclad . The two other broadside ironclads, and , suffered from chronic engine problems which prevented Admiral Jachmann from using the force offensively. Nevertheless, Werner sortied from Wilhelmshaven several times to trade shots with the blockading French fleet. Directly after the war with France, Werner pledged his support to General Albrecht von Stosch
, who had been proposed as the new commander of the German fleet. In the fall of 1872, Werner commanded a training cruise to South America; his squadron consisted of Friedrich Carl, , , and . While on the cruise, Werner received orders to return most of the squadron to Europe to participate in an international intervention in Spain. Only Albatross remained in the Americas.
was beset with the Cantonal Revolution
. Werner commanded the ironclad Friedrich Carl (his flagship
) and a pair of unarmored vessels on a naval intervention mission. The ships joined a British squadron that had been patrolling the southern Spanish coast. Admiral Werner, the senior commander in the group, was given command of the Anglo-German force. A rebel faction of the Spanish Navy
had seized four of the country's seven ironclads. Werner's squadron blockaded two rebel ironclads in the port of Cartagena
after they had bombarded a coastal town. While steaming off Alicante
, Friedrich Carl encountered the rebel armed steamer Vigilante, seized the vessel, and returned it to the Spanish national government.
Werner ordered Friedrich Carl and the British ironclad to attack two of the rebel ships—Vitoria
and Almansa—without authorization from London or Berlin. The rebel vessels had attempted to extort the port of Almería
. In the brief engagement, the Anglo-German force overwhelmed the rebels and seized both ships, which were subsequently turned over to the Spanish government. A captured rebel leader was briefly held on board Friedrich Carl. The rebels considered declaring war on Germany over the affair, but eventually decided against it. A captured rebel leader was briefly held on board Friedrich Carl. Admiral Werner's blockade eventually forced the rebels to surrender, after which Friedrich Carl returned to Germany. Upon being informed of Werner's actions, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
relieved him of command. Bismarck ordered a court-martial for Werner on the charge of exceeding his orders. Bismarck also prohibited the Imperial Navy from conducting "gunboat diplomacy
" in the future. Werner's career as a sea-going captain was effectively ended despite support from Kaiser Wilhelm I and his grandson, Wilhelm II; he held only shore commands for the remainder of his career. He commanded the imperial dockyard in Wilhelmshaven for a year before being transferred to Kiel as the commander of the Baltic station. Werner partly blamed Stosch, who had agreed with Bismarck in his assessment of Werner's activities, for his disgrace. This marked the beginning of a long and public feud between the two officers.
, later the architect of the German High Seas Fleet
, characterized Stosch's policies as more befitting an infantry regiment than an armored warship, which was a "complicated microcosm of technology." Stosch fought back against his critics, and targeted Werner in particular, who Stosch felt was primarily responsible for allowing the investigation to become a forum for officers opposed to Stosch. In addition to revenge for the handling of the investigation, Stosch sought to force Werner from the navy to remove one of only two officers senior in rank to Batsch, his protege. Despite his popularity, particularly with Kaiser Wilhelm I and his son, Werner was unable to resist Stosch's efforts to force his ouster. On 15 October 1878, he requested retirement. In 1898, the navy nominated him to be promoted to Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral).
, which was concerned with topics relating to seamanship and coast guard activities. He was elevated to the nobility in 1901 and granted the right to use "von
" in his name, and died on 26 February 1909.
Prussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
and later Imperial German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
naval officer in the 19th century, eventually reaching the rank of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
. He commanded warships during the three wars of German unification
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
, the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, and the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in 1864, 1866, and 1870–1871, respectively, and during a naval intervention during a revolution in Spain in 1873. His actions off Spain, considered extreme by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
, resulted in his court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
. He was promoted two years after the intervention in Spain, but was forced into retirement after a major feud with Albrecht von Stosch
Albrecht von Stosch
Albrecht von Stosch was a German General der Infanterie and Admiral who served as first Chief of the newly created Imperial German admiralty from 1872 to 1883....
three years later. Werner wrote numerous books during and after his naval career, and also founded a periodical on maritime topics. He was ennobled in 1901 and died in February 1909.
Early life
Reinhold Werner was born on 10 May 1825 in the town of WeferlingenWeferlingen
Weferlingen is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen....
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in what is now Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. He served for several years in the merchant marine in the 1830s and 1840s, during which he made several voyages to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. While in the merchant marine, he was given the nickname Schweizer (Swiss), as his North German shipmates found his accent to be particularly foreign compared to their native Plattdeutsch.
Naval career
In 1849, Werner became an officer in the German ReichsflotteReichsflotte
The Reichsflotte was the first all-German Navy. It was founded on 14 June 1848 during the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states by the Frankfurt Parliament to provide a naval force in the First Schleswig War against Denmark.-History:...
(Imperial Fleet), which had been organized the year before. In 1852, he transferred to the Preussische Marine
Prussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
(Prussian Navy), at the age of 22. The Preussische Marine accepted only ten applicants to the officer corps that year. Werner was the only officer in the first group who was directly commissioned as a lieutenant; the other nine became officer cadets. He was promoted to the rank of Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant) in 1856. While commanding the warship Elbe, he participated in a naval expedition to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
in 1859–1862.
Wars of German Unification
During the Second Schleswig War of 1864, Werner commanded a corvetteCorvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
against Danish naval forces. Werner fought with distinction at the Battle of Jasmund, under the command of Eduard von Jachmann
Eduard von Jachmann
Eduard Karl Emanuel von Jachmann was a German vice admiral .Jachmann was born in Danzig and attended grammar school in Marienwerder. He started sea travelling with a trip to the West Indies . From 1844 to 1848, he served on the corvette Amazone in the Mediterranean and at the American coast...
; Werner's ship, , was badly damaged during the engagement and her crew suffered 13 casualties. The Danes successfully blocked the Prussian attempt to break through the Danish blockade, however, and forced them to return to Swinemünde. Werner and the rest of the fleet stationed there remained in port for the rest of the war.
At the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
in the summer of 1866, Werner was given command of a small squadron in the North Sea consisting of the ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
and a flotilla of small steam gunboats. Werner used the force to launch several troop landings against the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
, an ally of Austria. Werner led most of the landings himself; his activities forced the surrender of several Hanoverian coastal batteries and several cities, including Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
and Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
. On 15 June, Werner and his squadron assisted 13,500 men commanded by General Edwin von Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel was a German Generalfeldmarschall noted for his victories in the Franco-Prussian War....
in their crossing of the Elbe river and assault of the city of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
.
After the Austro-Prussian War, Werner was given command of the dock facilities in Danzig, a position he held until 1873. In 1870, the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
broke out, during which Werner was given command of the new ironclad . The two other broadside ironclads, and , suffered from chronic engine problems which prevented Admiral Jachmann from using the force offensively. Nevertheless, Werner sortied from Wilhelmshaven several times to trade shots with the blockading French fleet. Directly after the war with France, Werner pledged his support to General Albrecht von Stosch
Albrecht von Stosch
Albrecht von Stosch was a German General der Infanterie and Admiral who served as first Chief of the newly created Imperial German admiralty from 1872 to 1883....
, who had been proposed as the new commander of the German fleet. In the fall of 1872, Werner commanded a training cruise to South America; his squadron consisted of Friedrich Carl, , , and . While on the cruise, Werner received orders to return most of the squadron to Europe to participate in an international intervention in Spain. Only Albatross remained in the Americas.
Intervention in Spain
In early 1873, the First Spanish RepublicFirst Spanish Republic
The First Spanish Republic was the political regime that existed in Spain between the parliamentary proclamation on 11 February 1873 and 29 December 1874 when General Arsenio Martínez-Campos's pronunciamento marked the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain...
was beset with the Cantonal Revolution
Cantonal Revolution
The Cantonal Revolution was a cantonalist uprising that took place during the First Spanish Republic, starting on July 12 of 1873 in Cartagena...
. Werner commanded the ironclad Friedrich Carl (his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
) and a pair of unarmored vessels on a naval intervention mission. The ships joined a British squadron that had been patrolling the southern Spanish coast. Admiral Werner, the senior commander in the group, was given command of the Anglo-German force. A rebel faction of the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
had seized four of the country's seven ironclads. Werner's squadron blockaded two rebel ironclads in the port of Cartagena
Cartagena
-Colombia:*Cartagena, Colombia, a city in the Bolivar Region, the largest city bearing this name*Cartagena de Chairá, Colombia-Other:*Cartagena *Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety*FC Cartagena, a football club based in Cartagena, Spain-See also:...
after they had bombarded a coastal town. While steaming off Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Friedrich Carl encountered the rebel armed steamer Vigilante, seized the vessel, and returned it to the Spanish national government.
Werner ordered Friedrich Carl and the British ironclad to attack two of the rebel ships—Vitoria
Spanish ironclad Vitoria
The Spanish ironclad Vitoria was an iron-hulled armored frigate bought from England during the 1860s.-External links:*...
and Almansa—without authorization from London or Berlin. The rebel vessels had attempted to extort the port of Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
. In the brief engagement, the Anglo-German force overwhelmed the rebels and seized both ships, which were subsequently turned over to the Spanish government. A captured rebel leader was briefly held on board Friedrich Carl. The rebels considered declaring war on Germany over the affair, but eventually decided against it. A captured rebel leader was briefly held on board Friedrich Carl. Admiral Werner's blockade eventually forced the rebels to surrender, after which Friedrich Carl returned to Germany. Upon being informed of Werner's actions, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
relieved him of command. Bismarck ordered a court-martial for Werner on the charge of exceeding his orders. Bismarck also prohibited the Imperial Navy from conducting "gunboat diplomacy
Gunboat diplomacy
In international politics, gunboat diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare, should terms not be agreeable to the superior force....
" in the future. Werner's career as a sea-going captain was effectively ended despite support from Kaiser Wilhelm I and his grandson, Wilhelm II; he held only shore commands for the remainder of his career. He commanded the imperial dockyard in Wilhelmshaven for a year before being transferred to Kiel as the commander of the Baltic station. Werner partly blamed Stosch, who had agreed with Bismarck in his assessment of Werner's activities, for his disgrace. This marked the beginning of a long and public feud between the two officers.
Forced retirement
In 1875, Werner was promoted to Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral). In the aftermath of the accidental collision between and , which resulted in the loss of the latter, Werner and Stosch argued, a disagreement that ultimately resulted in Werner's forced retirement. Werner, then the chief of the Baltic station, presided over a commission that investigated the handling of the incident by Konteradmiral Batsch, a protege of Stosch. The investigation heavily criticized Batsch as well as Stosch's policies. Many naval officers—including Batsch—felt Stosch's policies were more appropriate for the Army than the Navy. Alfred von TirpitzAlfred 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...
, later the architect of the German High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
, characterized Stosch's policies as more befitting an infantry regiment than an armored warship, which was a "complicated microcosm of technology." Stosch fought back against his critics, and targeted Werner in particular, who Stosch felt was primarily responsible for allowing the investigation to become a forum for officers opposed to Stosch. In addition to revenge for the handling of the investigation, Stosch sought to force Werner from the navy to remove one of only two officers senior in rank to Batsch, his protege. Despite his popularity, particularly with Kaiser Wilhelm I and his son, Werner was unable to resist Stosch's efforts to force his ouster. On 15 October 1878, he requested retirement. In 1898, the navy nominated him to be promoted to Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral).
Later life
After leaving the navy, Werner became an author and ardent supporter of German naval expansion. He continued his feud with Stosch, going so far as to ally himself with Otto von Bismarck, who had sought Werner's imprisonment five years earlier for his conduct off Spain. He also joined the rightist Free Union for Naval Lectures, founded on 16 November 1899; the Union conducted a series of public lectures on the importance of the navy throughout Germany. Werner had begun writing in the 1860s, while still in the navy. He wrote a series of books, including accounts of the German expedition to the Far East in 1859–1862 and the development and expansion of the German fleet. In 1864, he founded the periodical Hansa in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, which was concerned with topics relating to seamanship and coast guard activities. He was elevated to the nobility in 1901 and granted the right to use "von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
" in his name, and died on 26 February 1909.