The Navy Laws (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note

Germany's Navy Before the Navy Laws - Timeline & Summary

Before the Navy Laws were introduced, Germany was not known as a major naval power. Unlike countries such as Britain, which had a strong navy for centuries, Germany focused more on its army. This was because Germany was located in the centre of Europe, surrounded by other countries. For a long time, Germany’s main concern was protecting its borders against neighbouring countries like France and Russia. It invested more in soldiers, artillery and fortifications rather than in a large fleet of ships.

Germany's small empire also made a large navy unnecessary. Countries like Britain relied on their navy to protect their trade routes and colonies all around the world. Germany’s main trade and military focus was on land, not on the seas. However, this attitude started to change towards the end of the 19th century. The Kaiser wanted Germany to have a stronger presence overseas and compete with Britain, leading to a push for a larger navy. This desire for naval power would soon lead to the introduction of the Navy Laws, which aimed to expand Germany’s fleet significantly.

What were the Navy Laws?

• The Navy Laws were a series of policies from 1898 to 1912, passed by the German government

• The Navy Laws aimed to:

  • expand the size of the German navy

  • make Germany a respected naval power

• The Navy Laws also expanded Germany's army

Reasons for the Navy Laws

• There were three key reasons why the German government passed the Navy Laws:

  • the Kaiser's personal aims

  • Admiral von Tirpitz and the Navy League

  • Weltpolitik

The Kaiser's personal aims

• As a child, the Kaiser visited naval dockyards in Britain

  • He admired the Royal Navy

  • He saw how important the navy was for making Britain a world power

• The Kaiser became determined to create a navy as large and as respected as Britain's

Admiral von Tirpitz and the Navy League

• Admiral von Tirpitz was tasked to build up Germany's navy

• To achieve this, in 1898, Tirpitz created the Navy League

• The Navy League:

  • argued the benefits of naval expansion to Germany and its empire

  • increased the public's support for a large navy

  • pressured the Reichstag to pass the Navy Laws

Weltpolitik

• A large navy was key to achieving Weltpolitik

• The Navy Laws would allow Germany to:

  • establish more colonies for its empire

  • protect its existing overseas colonies

  • be recognised as a world power by other European leaders

Impact of the Navy Laws

• The Navy Laws successfully increased the size of the German navy

  • By 1914, it was the second-largest navy in the world

Positive impacts

• The Kaiser had achieved his personal aims for a large navy

• It increased patriotism in Germany

• The Reichstag supported the government's actions

Negative impacts

• The Navy Laws required a lot of money

  • The federal nature of the government made it hard to raise taxes

  • The government had to borrow money to expand the navy

  • As a result, Germany went into debt

• The Navy Laws increased tensions with Britain

  • In response to the Navy Laws, Britain created the Dreadnought in 1906

  • This caused a naval arms race between Britain and Germany, further increasing Germany's debt