ABSTRACT

Naval construction fared considerably worse under another very gifted general, the later Chancellor, Leo von Caprivi, who headed the Admiralty from 1883 to 1888. Comprehensive plans for construction, however, had already been proposed during the Prussian constitutional struggle. They were not accepted by the Prussian House of Representatives and hence their importance is confined to their reflection of current Prussian naval thinking and to their anticipation of subsequent plans. In 1867 the Prussian navy became an institution of the North German Confederation and in 1871 of the German Empire. During the Bismarckian wars the navy played only a modest part. Coastal defense, involving possible offensive activity, and protection of Prusso-Zollverein interests overseas were the twin responsibilities of the Prussian navy. Albrecht von Stosch presented a plan of naval construction to the Reichstag in 1873 which was viewed as the guide for German naval development until 1897 when Tirpitz tried to link his first navy law to it.