Alfred von Tirpitz

See also: Tirpitz

Alfred von Tirpitz (Küstrin, March 19th 1849 - Ebenhausen, March 6th 1930) was a soldier and German politician. With the title of large-admiral ( deutscher Großadmiral ), it is at the origin of the fleet of German war which takes part in the First World War.

Alfred Tirpitz is born in Küstrin, a locality of the Brandebourg, it is the son of an adviser at the Prussian court of justice: Rudolf Tirpitz (1811-1905). It however grows with Frankfurt-on-Oder, in the east of Berlin. In 1865, in the 16 years age, it incorporates the Prussian navy then is used at the Naval college as Kiel. It leaves Sous-lieutenant in 1869 there, then is named lieutenant (1872), Lieutenant (1875) and Lieutenant commander (1881).

Tirpitz marries Maria Auguste Lipke (1860-1941) on November 18th, 1884 in Berlin.

The Lord High Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz is regarded as the founder of the fleet of German open sea. He fits in the Neue Kurs (new course) German: once the finished unification, it acts from now on to be interested in the German power outside its borders. The goal was to create a fleet which could be a threat in the event of war and which could be used as a basis for the Weltpolitik launched as from 1890. Thus it came to the arms race germano-British. Dissensions with Guillaume II on the use of the fleet to the war carried out towards the resignation of the Lord High Admiral of the military service.

The Tirpitz plan, instrument of the Weltpolitik

The project is accepted by the Reichstag

December 6th, 1897 with the Reichstag, Bernhard von Bülow, secretary of foreign affairs, declares that Germany wants a place with the sun . As Guillaume II wished it, the German presence in world territorial water became urgent, one needed a fleet worthy of this name. The business is entrusted to Tirpitz. In December 1895 already, it had been named as expert for a study on the construction of a fleet of war. In spring 1897, he becomes Secretary of State to the Navy. The goal of the admiral is clear: to convince the Reichstag to grant to him the budgetary means of its project. For that, its mission is to inform the people of the need for such measurements; the ministry for the Navy becomes a hearth of propaganda. In March 1898, the Reichstag votes 400 million marks for the construction of 16 large warships, coastguard and several ten of cruisers. At that time, the sea became an important stake of power in Europe, and Germany aspires to becoming a maritime great power. The Great Britain reinforces, only as from 1889, its fleet by large boats.

" A world politics for task, a world power for goal, and instrument, the flotte" (Guillaume II)

In June 1900, the deputies vote a new law which makes it possible to increase manpower of the Fleet: 6000 men (1875), 35.073 (1903) and up to 80.000 (1914). The day before the First World War, the German fleet is the second of the world. The work of Tirpitz, the influence of the maritime capacity in the History , is a central reference for all the maritime powers to this time. It estimates at 20 years the time necessary to adapt the North Sea whereas Bülow rather thinks of reinforcing peace. However, the chancellor received the order to satisfy all the requirements so that the Tirpitz plan can be carried out: years 1880 at the years 1900, Germany keeps away from the international conflicts until the fleet is ready. In parallel, Germany marks the beginning of the second European Industrial revolution as from the years 1880, the country knows increasing demographic problems and the need for opening new markets for an industrial expansion.

Germany, country colonialist: the role of Tirpitz

The reign of Guillaume II will be very favorable to Weltpolitik (world politics) while attaching to its name of the colonies: the Cameroun and the Togo (1884), German African South-west (current Namibia, 1884) and German Eastern Africa (current Tanzania, 1885) for the African example. Kaiser hesitates between building a fleet of cruisers, which would allow a German presence on all the seas of the world or a fleet of war to seize the North Sea with depends on Great Britain. Tirpitz on its side, writes a new work entitled: Allgemeine Gesichtspunkte EIB der Feststellung unserer Fleet nach Schiftsklassen und Schiftstypen (general points of view on the establishment of our fleet according to the types of boats). Reich also is interested in the Asia, in this part of the world, Germany is the last arrival, here like elsewhere. From 1884, it is established in New Guinea, then in the Bismarck archipelago: it becomes a power of the Pacific. It is in Tirpitz that returns the initiative of a German installation in China. November 14th, 1897, a counter is founded in bay of Kiao-Tchéou (Tsing CAT), it explains: " If the German trade were to cease being an intermediary carrying the English and Chinese productions, and if he wanted to throw German products on the Chinese market, it needed with him as with our squadron its own Hong-Kong" (Tirpitz, Memories ). This possession becomes thus a base for the fleet of war but also an economic and cultural center. At the top of its glory, Tirpitz is anobli by Kaiser on June 12th, 1900: Alfred Tirpitz becomes Alfred von Tirpitz.

The alarm clock of Great Britain and end of the Tirpitz plan

Von Tirpitz dedicates at the same time a hatred and a major admiration for the British neighbor. For him, the strategy of the cruisers is useless and does not put the German power ahead. It is necessary on the contrary to develop a fleet of war and not to take account of the diplomacy (contrary to Bismarck) to fight the British: i.e. to send 2 squadrons of 8 vessels until 1905. Between 1898 and 1918 the fleet is built, in vain. For Great Britain, it is out of the question to attack Germany, but rather to establish alliances: with France (1904) and Russia (1906). A sharp feeling anti-German develops. In 1906, the British fleet is renewed and reinforced. Germany quickly realizes that the Tirpitz plan is only one illusion. In 1911, von Tirpitz is named Lord High Admiral d' Allemagne. During the first world war, in spite of a fleet of 300 vessels, that remains insufficient. As from 1915, the tensions go up between Kaiser and the Admiral. This last resigns of its post of Secretary of State to the Marine on March 15th, 1916. In 1917, it founds with Wolfgang Kapp the nationalist party Vaterlands partei . It is a question of not recognizing the Diktat of the winners: with its apogee in 1918-1919, the party counts 1,250 million members. From 1924, von Tirpitz is elected appointed DNVP ( Deutschnationalen Volkspartei ). The following year, it supports the candidature of Paul von Hindenburg for the presidency of the Republic. He dies in Ebenhausen, in the suburbs of Munich, on March 6th, 1930, 80 years old and is buried with the cemetery Waldfriedhof in Munich.

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