Reichsmarine

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Reichsmarine
Flag of Weimar Republic (jack).png
Naval jack of the Weimar Republic (1921–1933
Active 16 April 1919–31 May 1935
Country  Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
 National Socialist Germany (1933–1935)
Type German Navy
Part of Reichswehr
Commanders
Last commander Erich Raeder

The Reichsmarine or Reichs-Marine (English: Reich Navy) was the German Navy of the Reichswehr from 1919 until 1935 during the Weimar Republic and first two years of National Socialist Germany.

Names

Militärpaß of the Kaiserliche Marine and the Reichs-Marine
  • 16 April 1919 to 31 March 1921 Vorläufige Reichsmarine (Interim or provisional German Navy) as successor of the Kaiserliche Marine
  • 1 January 1921 to 31 May 1935 Reichsmarine as predecessor of the Kriegsmarine

History

On November 11th, 1918, Germany signed the armistice ending the First World War. On April 16th, 1919, before the Treaty of Versailles was enacted, Germany established a new navy – the Vorläufige Reichsmarine or Interim Imperial German Navy. Two years later on March 31st, 1921, the name was changed when Vorläufige was dropped and the navy became simply the Reichsmarine. It was at this time that the Reichsmarine – which had been founded in 1919 – became the full-fledged German navy. The Reichsmarine flag was first flown on April 11th, 1921, and the Kaiser’s flag was hoisted for the last time on December 31st, 1921. The navy that existed between 1919 and 1935 was in every way transitory, even when the term Vorläufige was removed from the title. The German navy was in every way “Interim” before 1935. The Reichsmarine would exist until May 21st, 1935, when the Kriegsmarine was officially formed. The first commander of the Vorläufige Reichsmarine was Vice-Admiral Adolf von Trotha. One of Trotha’s first and assuredly most important orders was for the scuttling of the German fleet of nearly 50 ships interned at Scapa Flow on June 21st, 1919, to prevent them from being handed over to the British. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles took place on June 28th, 1919, and the restrictions placed upon the new Vorläufige Reichsmarine was very harsh – more so as a result of the order to scuttle the German fleet a few days earlier. Although heavily regulated after June of 1919 by the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichsmarine existed none-the-less. The Vorläufige Reichsmarine attempted to carry on the grand traditions of the Kaiserliche Marine of WWI, but it was virtually impotent as a result of a total lack of modern vessels and the lingering scars of the attempted naval mutinies during the last days of WWI. The weak and almost exclusively defensive Reichsmarine existed under the following guidelines, drawn up by the navy itself; To enforce the laws of the state in German coastal areas, to control German territorial waters, to prevent piracy in German waters, to defend German coastal regions from annexation by other coastal states, to control coastal seaplanes, to perform courtesy visits, to secure against naval blockades, and to perform the various hydrographic survey, fishery protection, and oceanographic work. Naval planners wouldn’t have to wait long for the beginnings of a stronger navy though, as preparations for an increasingly powerful navy began to take place almost as soon as the Treaty restricting such things was signed. The Kriegsmarine – formed in 1935 – had its roots founded firmly in the advances of the Reichsmarine. In fact, most of the vintage WWI Reichsmarine ships would go on to become an actual part of the new Kriegsmarine, and many of the major ships of the Kriegsmarine were launched during the Reichsmarine period.[1]

Leadership (Reichswehrministerium)

Chief of the Admiralty (Chef der Admiralität)

  • Vizeadmiral Adolf von Trotha (1868–1940): 26 March 1919 to 22 March 1920 (362 days)
  • Konteradmiral William Michaelis (1871–1948): Acting (kommissarisch) 22 March 1920 to 1 September 1920 (163 days)
    • It was only through intensive efforts that the naval command, led by Rear Admiral Michaelis, managed to prevent the threatening subordination of the navy to the army command, as a result of the Kapp Putsch (supported by von Trotha), in the summer of 1920.
  • Vizeadmiral Paul Behncke (1869–1937): 1 September 1920 to 14 September 1920 (13 days)

Heads of the Naval Command (Chefs der Marineleitung)

  • Vizeadmiral Paul Behncke (1869–1937): 14 September 1920 to 1 October 1924 (4 years, 17 days)
  • Vizeadmiral Hans Zenker (1870–1932) 1 October 1924 to 30 September 1928 (3 years, 365 days)
  • Admiral Erich Raeder (1876–1960): 1 October 1928 to 1 June 1935 (6 years, 243 days)

Gallery

  • War Ensign of Germany (1919–1921)

  • War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933)

  • War Ensign and Jack (1933–1935)

External links

Rank lists

References

  1. ↑ The German Navy 1919-1935
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