The German navy’s experiences under the Third Reich are explored in depth in this comprehensive history (originally published in 1990) of the Kriegsmarine. The author draws on a wide range of sources to illuminate for the first time the crucial relationship between the naval officer corps, one of the traditional elites of Germany and the National Socialist Party. The book begins by describing the navy’s frustrating experiences in the First World War, when inactivity on the part of the surface fleet and poor communication with the other armed services led to a revolutionary atmosphere by 1918. It then analyses the navy’s often troubled relationship with the parties of the Weimar Republic and the admirals’ fear of subversion by the Germany Communist Party which contributed to their changing relationship with National Socialism before 1933.

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