ABSTRACT
As part of the greater world presence of Germany, the navy was called upon increasingly to play a role in international diplomacy. Coupled with the importance of its duties as a guarantor of German overseas trade interests, this meant that a large segment of the navy's resources were stationed in foreign waters on a fulltime basis. Consequently, the majority of the navy's warships were designed for long-range cruising in both shallow waters and the high seas. This meant that, by default, the navy acquired the kind of fleet needed for commerce-raiding. Furthermore, it meant that German warships, scattered as they were across the globe, could make war upon a European enemy's merchant marine at any point.
