German fleet association

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The purpose of the association consisted of waking and maintaining the understanding and interest of the German people in the meaning and the tasks of the imperial navy, to become active as well as for the members of the fleet, if the legislation and the administration of the German Reich could not ensure a sufficient welfare service.

Organization

The organization of the German fleet association extended to approximately 3,400 local committees over the whole German Reich. Except these local's groups it had still about 3,000 men of confidence in smaller localities. The total number of members amounted to in October 1908 for example 1.036.320 persons, under it 341,813 single and 694,507 members!

The German fleet association sought to reach its purposes by lectures and by the publication from magazines to:

• The fleet (Berlin 1899 FF.)
• Reports of the German fleet association (Berlin)
• Everywhere (Berlin 1899 FF.)

President

• 1919 up to its resignation 1933 were Friedrich of Lindequist, the former director/conductor of the office for colonial, president "„German fleet association/German sea-association. "“

Historical background

Building of battle fleets

After 1880 it came to a race around the allocation of the earth under the great powers and after a large economic upswing wanted also Germany "„its place at the sun "“and its requirement as "„world power "“to intersperse. With emperor Wilhelm II., who had announced 1896 the departure into world politics ("„from today on the German Reich is a world power! "“), were many politicians, journalist and industrial leader of the conviction that Germany had to give its role up as reassuring factor in the European policy and operate world politics, in order in the long term not to endanger its great power status in Europe.

Without a powerful fleet however world politics were not to be operated and thus played the building of battle fleets a crucial role on the way of the German Reich into world politics. Driving Kraft behind it was starting from 1897 the undersecretary of state of the board of admiralty, Alfred von Tirpitz. Since since 1880 all large sea powers had begun with the building of large tank ships, Germany with the planned building of capital ships quite was in the consonance with the fleet politics of other great powers. By the world-wide naval armament "„the first modern arms spiral was set in motion, their extent, cost intensity and danger potential the parallel running armament of the ground forces still exceeded "“.

The fleet law of 1898 and different fleet novellas in the following years caused a rapid German naval armament in the race with the British building of battle fleets. The costs were gigantic; in the last peace years 25% of the entire arms household were used on the building of the fleet. "„1914 stood themselves the German fleet and the English fleet in the relationship 10: 16 opposite. "“

The building of battle fleets pursued by Tirpitz should let each war with Germany become for England a real risk ("„risk fleet "“). The thought, one can force Great Britain in such a way to the side Germany, proved as large illusion with regard to foreign policy, because the forced German building of fleets promoted the readiness of Great Britain for reconciliation with France and Russia and led finally to the anti-German coalition, the Entente in such a way specified before the First World War. "„"… The fleet politics lay last beyond reasonably realistic considerations, were self purpose, irrationally and fatally. "“

Fleet association

The fleet association was created in April 1898 by representatives of economic interests (heavy industry, particularly Krupp, shipyards and banks), by politicians and specialists for public work, which had met Tirpitz in "„the press agency "“of the realm board of admiralty. A goal of the association was to make the building of the battle fleet a popular task of the entire nation on its way to the world power. Within shortest time the mobilization of a broad public for its goals endless tide of sent opened propaganda material, provided by one of Tirpitz' press agency, succeeded to the association. With it the support was helpful by the realm authorities and authorities of all kinds to down on the village level, which lent an as it were halfnational character to the association.

At the end of of 1898 had the association 78,650 members already. The number of members was actually much higher, because 64,400 associations were e.g. counted only in each case like military and Kriegervereine, Chambers of Commerce etc., which had joined closed the fleet association as korporative members, as a member. Until 1913 the number of members increased to 1,125 Mill., under it 790,000 associations as korporative members. Thus the fleet association was the member-strongest of all nationalistic federations in the empire.

On this basis the association in the course of the years developed an extremely effective form of the military lobbyism. The mobilization of the public should convince thereby the realm tag delegates of the necessity for a broad agreement to the ever more expensively becoming fleet collecting mains.

As symbol for by propaganda campaigns in broad circles the fleet enthusiasm produced the popularity at that time of the sailor suit and the collecting passion of the youth can be considered to the population to postcards with ships of the fleet.

Literature

• Heart field, Hans: The First World War, in: Dtv Weltgeschichte 1968.
• Nipperdey, Thomas: German history 1866 - 1918. Volume IITH totalitarian state before the democracy, Munich 1992
• Michael: The restless realm. Germany 1866-1918, 1983
• Ullrich, Volker: The nervous great power 1871 - 1918. Ascent and fall of the German Empire of, Frankfurt 1997
• Wehler, Hans Ulrich: German society history. Third volumes: From the "“German double revolution to the beginning of the First World War 1849-1914. Munich 1995
• Robert K. Massie: The bowls of the anger. Great Britain, Germany and the Heraufziehen of the First World War, Frankfurt/Main (S.Fi) 1993