{"id":52429,"date":"2024-05-12T08:51:40","date_gmt":"2024-05-12T06:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naval-encyclopedia.com\/?page_id=52429"},"modified":"2024-05-12T08:51:40","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T06:51:40","slug":"kaiserliches-marine-1890","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dbodesign.com\/industrial-era\/kaiserliches-marine-1890.php","title":{"rendered":"Kaiserliches Marine 1890"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Imperial German Navy, Founded 1871 – c70 ships 1890.<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n

From the Unification to Whilhelm II<\/h2>\n

Towards the unification<\/h3>\n

The Kaiserliches Marine (Imperial Navy) was founded in 1870, right after the the Franco-Prussian war, immortalized in the Gallery of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France. The Deutsche Einigung (unification) was the product of Chancellor Alfred Von Bismarck, really its main artisan. The result for the unification of all former Kingdoms, part of the old “Holy Roman Empire” made of Romanized Germanic peoples in medieval times and consolidated under the Habsburg rule. Since the 15th century the Empire’s Prince-electors had chosen alternated at the head of the House of Habsburg but only the Duchy of Austria held the title of “Holy Roman Emperor”. This fragmented state was convenient for France and Sweden. At the eve of the Napoleonic Wars this was a conglomerate of some 300 political entities, a few belobging to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or Hohenzollern Kingdom of Prussia, Swiss cantons. This “Kleinstaaterei” (small-statery) was deplored by early pan-German nationalists and early attempts of unifications had to wait for the Dissolution of the Old Empire provoked by the Napoleonic wars.<\/p>\n

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\nGerman states mozaic in 1789<\/em><\/p>\n

The Invasion of the Holy Roman Empire by the First French Empire (War of the Second Coalition) already in 1798 until 1802 caused a trauma not seen since the first under Louis XIV of France. Napoleon Bonaparte forced out by the treaty of Lun\u00e9ville in 1801 and Mediatization of 1803 a greater integration by abolishing most free imperial cities to be integrated into dynastic states. W\u00fcrttemberg and Baden were the most favored by these acquisitions and were more lenient or even supportive of Napoleon. In 1806, the invasion of Prussia and its defeat at Jena-Auerstedt in 1806 (War of the Third Coalition) had its fate sealed by the Treaty of Pressburg which stated the formal dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and abdication of Emperor Francis II. The “Confederation of the Rhine” became instead a French client state, which authority was still divided between a hundred petty princes and counts as well as imperial knights with Several states promoted to kingdoms such as Bavaria, Saxony and Hanover. Francis II remained solely Emperor of Austria from 1804.<\/p>\n

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Still, there was a rapid rise of German nationalism under Napoleon from 1804 to 1814. The German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte stated:<\/p>\n

The first, original, and truly natural boundaries of states are beyond doubt their internal boundaries. Those who speak the same language are joined to each other by a multitude of invisible bonds by nature herself, long before any human art begins; they understand each other and have the power of continuing to make themselves understood more and more clearly; they belong together and are by nature one and an inseparable whole.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Gerhard von Scharnhorst<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nLong story short, the defeat of Russia encouraged many Germans to envision a Central Europe free of Napoleon’s influence and many student militias were created, such as the L\u00fctzow Free Corps, forming the basis for an insurrection. Napoleon’s 1813 campaign in the German states was returned as a War of Liberation ending in the great Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations). It was probably the largest, bloodiest of the entire Napoleonic wars, but ended as decisive defeat for Napoleon, leading to its abdication and exile to Elba, later return for the “100 days” until the decisive defeat of Waterloo, in which the late intervention of Bl\u00fccher and its battered but still eager Prussian army, turned the tides.<\/p>\n

The German unification was a complex and transformative process which occurred over several decades, culminating in 1871 with the proclamation of the German Empire. The Napoleonic Wars profoundly affected the German states with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and giving a sense of pan-german nationalism to former populations that shared the same culture and language.
\nThe Congress of Vienna<\/strong> (1814-1815) After Napoleon’s defeat redrawn the map of Europe to restore stability and established the German Confederation made of 39 consolidated German states under the leadership of Austria as was the former Holy German Empire.
\nThe Zollverein<\/strong> (Customs Union) was an Economic integration that played a crucial role in German unification. Established in 1834, it removed internal tariffs facilitated trade among member states, fostering economic cooperation and a sense of unity.
\nThe Revolutionary Movements<\/strong> of 1848-1849 (spring of nations) that swept across Europe, saw the German states fueled by demands for liberal reforms, constitutional government, and national unity ultimately failing to achieve their goals but powerfully contributed to the growth of nationalist sentiment.
\nThe Prussian Leadership<\/strong> became a driving force behind German unification, under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck and King Wilhelm I. Bismarck’s Realpolitik, characterized by pragmatic diplomacy and calculated use of military force, aimed to strengthen Prussia and marginalize Austria.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\nThe Reich after the unification in 1871<\/em><\/p>\n

The Wars of Unification<\/strong> or Schleswig-Holstein Question (1864) saw Prussia and Austria jointly defeating Denmark, gaining control of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, setting the stage for conflicts between Prussia and Austria and the Austro-Prussian War<\/strong> in 1866) or “Seven Weeks” War, saw Prussia decisively defeating Austria, which led to the dissolution of the German Confederation and exclusion of Austria from German affairs.
\nThe Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)<\/strong> was the final touch to this process, with Bismarck manipulating tensions with France to provoke a war, rallying southern German states to Prussia’s side. The war culminated in the defeat of France and the proclamation of the German Empire at the Palace of Versailles in 1871, with Wilhelm I of Prussia becoming Emperor.
\nWith the emergence of a shared German identity and the decisive input of this statesman, paved the way for German unification under Prussian hegemony. The new German Empire becale overnight a major European power and marked a significant turning point in European history, mirrored in the south by the unification if Italy prior and loss if influence of Austrian, which became the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<\/p>\n

\"\" Otto Von Bismarck<\/strong> was a towering figure in European politics in the 19th century. Born on April 1, 1815 into an aristocratic Prussian family he studied law and pursued a career in the Prussian civil service, initially serving as a diplomat. He entered politics in the 1840s, representing Prussia in the German Confederation. His tenure as Prime Minister of Prussia (1862-1890) was marked by his commitment to the idea of a united Germany under Prussian leadership. Through a combination of diplomacy and warfare, Bismarck orchestrated the unification of Germany under Prussian hegemony. He famously used the phrase “blood and iron” to describe his approach, indicating the importance of military force alongside diplomacy. He skillfully manipulated diplomatic tensions and engaged in wars, such as the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), to weaken Prussia’s rivals and strengthen its position. As Chancellor of the German Empire under Kaiser Wilhelm I he sought to consolidate the new empire’s power and maintain stability in Europe. He implemented a series of domestic policies known as the “Kulturkampf” to suppress the influence of the Catholic Church and the Social Democratic Party. He also pursued a complex system of alliances to isolate France and prevent the emergence of any threats to Germany’s security, culminating in the creation of the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy.
\nHowever his authoritarian governing style and conflicts with Wilhelm II led to his resignation in 1890. He retired to private life but remained influential in German politics until his death in 1898. His legacy as the “Iron Chancellor” and the “Founder of the German Empire” endures, with his diplomatic and political strategies shaping European history for decades to come.<\/p>\n

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\nThe unification ceremony and proclamation in Versailles by 18 January 1871.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Prussian Navy in 1860<\/h3>\n

\"\" The Prussian Navy, known as the Preu\u00dfische Marine or Prussian Naval Forces, was a relatively small and fledgling maritime force compared to the powerful navies of other European nations like Britain and France. <\/p>\n

The Prussian Navy was created in 1701 from the former Brandenburg Navy after the dissolution of Brandenburg-Prussia and personal union under the House of Hohenzollern and Frederick I from Duke to King. The Prussian Navy was actiive in many wars and merchant navy in the 18th-19th centuries, but the was Kingdom’s poor child as all efforts went to the Prussian Army. The Prussian Navy was dissolved in 1867 as Prussia joined the North German Confederation, its ships absorbed into the North German Federal Navy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The focus of Prussia’s military efforts during this period was primarily on its army, which played a central role in the wars of German unification under Otto von Bismarck’s leadership.
\nThe Prussian Navy’s fleet consisted mainly of small warships, coastal defense vessels, and a limited number of frigates and steam-powered ships. Its primary function was to protect Prussia’s coastline and support its maritime interests in the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n

During this time, Prussia did not possess a significant blue-water navy capable of engaging in large-scale naval operations or power projection beyond its immediate coastal waters. Instead, the emphasis was on coastal defense, patrolling territorial waters, and protecting trade routes.
\nHowever, the 1860s marked the beginning of a period of naval expansion and modernization in Prussia, driven by the broader trend of European naval arms race and the recognition of the importance of sea power in international affairs. This laid the groundwork for the eventual development of the German Imperial Navy following the unification of Germany in 1871.
\nIt’s important to note that while the Prussian Navy of 1860 was relatively modest, its role in safeguarding Prussia’s maritime interests and contributing to the broader military capabilities of the Prussian state cannot be overlooked, especially considering the geopolitical context of the time.<\/p>\n

The German State and the German Navy were creations of the second half of the 19th century, In 1860 Germany was still a patchwork of independent states. Only Prussia, the most powerful of these, had a navy, and even that was being created from virtually nothing. In 1864 Prussia, allied with Hapsburg Austria, the power that still dominated Germany, defeated Denmark in Schleswig-Holstein. In this war the Prussian Navy plaved a small part in the Battle of Heligoland between Danish and Austrian steam frigates. Two years later Prussia defeated Austria at Sadowa in a \u2018six weeks war\u2019 in which her fleet was not engaged. The removal of Austrian influence left Prussia free to found the North German Federation, to which her fleet was officially transterred in 1867.<\/p>\n

STRENGTH OF THE PRUSSIAN FLEET 1860<\/h4>\n

Steam corvettes:<\/strong> Arcona, Gazelle
\nSteam paddle frigates:<\/strong> Barbarossa (ex-Cunarder Britannia. Hulked “1865, torpedoed in experiments 1880); Danzig launched 185] at Danzig, burnt out 1869); Loreley (launched 1859 at Danzig, sold 1896)
\nSailing frigates:<\/strong> Gefion (ex-Eckernforde, ex-Gefion, captured from the _Danes when she grounded in 1848, broken up 1891), Thetis. built for the Royal Navy in 1846, exchanged with another vessel for two steam gunboats at the time of the Crimean War, broken up 1895)
\nSailing corvettes:<\/strong> Amazone (built 1843 and lost in a storm 1861)
\nArmed steam yacht:<\/strong> Grille (built in France 1857, later rebuilt, broken up 1920)
\nTransport:<\/strong> Mercur (built 1847, broken up 1861)
\nSchooners:<\/strong> Hela, frrauenlob {built 1853\/5, scrapped in 1871, lost in 1860)
\nSteam gunboats:<\/strong> The first of the Jager and Chamdleon class were coming into service
\nRowing and sailing gunboats:<\/strong> 42
\nUnarmed steamer:<\/strong> Royal Viktoria
\nTOTAL:<\/strong> Approximately 55 vessels mounting about 270 guns in all.<\/p>\n