Why Did The Germans Destroy Their Own Fleet After WW1? | Sinking the German Battle Fleet | Timeline

Dreadnoughts were some of the most expensive war machines ever created and everyone wanted more of them. Following World War 1 German faced loosing their entire fleet, leaving their admiral with an impossible choice. What did he choose to do and how did he do it?
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[@DavidM2002]

A few years ago, I was paid a visit to the Orkney Islands and, in our favourite pub, they sold Scapa Beer. Scapa Beer's advertising slogan at the time was "Goes down faster than the German Fleet".

[@squirepraggerstope3591]

In short, the German fleet was "not deployed" immediately in 1914 for the very simple reason that it had already failed to achieve sufficient strength in capital ships to oppose the RN at all, i.a.w. the tenets of Tirpitz "Risk Theory." Britain had, in fact, already 'won' the pre-war Anglo-German naval arms race. The High Seas Fleet was consequently obliged to seek repeatedly, via one stratagem after another, to isolate and ambush only a portion of the British Grand Fleet in hope of being able to reduce Germany's overall numerical disadvantage to a point where a subsequent general engagement could be sought.

[@murrayscott9546]

Great post ! Thanks to all involved.

[@danmar007]

Another great example of how war is insane.

[@murrayscott9546]

That last cruise must have been sad and laced with bitterness.

[@model101t800]

It is completely mind blowing that in the years that followed the British salvaged the fleet and sold the steel to Germany, who then built ships and U-boats from it, the U-47 is perhaps the greatest irony, a U-boat built from remains of the battle of Jutland which sank a Battle of Jutland veteran, the Royal Oak

[@richardkeilig4062]

Great program.

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting and informative. Excellent photography of the WW-1 ships sinking. Dive crew investigation of WW-1 sunk ships. Special thanks to guest speakers separating facts from fiction.

[@JuliusC1973]

A waste of great ships. If The Kaiser wasn't willing to lose them in bettle against The Allies, why build them in the first place? The very existence of such a large Fleet is what drove The United Kingdom to see Alliances with France, Russia and Japan in the first place. Maybe World War I never takes place or is a much smaller conflict and millions fewer are killed or wounded.

[@tenin982000]

the german fleet was no match for the british. they had way more then them

[@JuliusC1973]

@@tenin982000 As they showed at The Battle of Jutland, The German Navy could fight The Royal Navy, not as a whole but groups of ships could engage the Royal Navy. The German Navy could have done a lot more during World War I than they did. The U-Boat Arm, The Submarine Service carried the war against The British far more than The Surface Fleet did.

[@SennaAugustus]

@@JuliusC1973 Jutland showed that the Surface Fleet could do nothing against the Grand Fleet. They could sink more ships, so what? Ships can be replaced, the blockade was never lifted, Britain still ruled the waves, and the only time the Germans considered coming out again was the Death Sortie.

[@katherinecollins4685]

Very interesting

[@kryts27]

Germany was not in a good geostratigic position in WW1, after the British Empire declared war on her as a result of the invasion of neutral Belgium (this was tactically to fulfill the Schlieffen Plan; an attempt to knock France out of the war early). As we know the Schlieffen Plan failed and then trench warfare ensued on land. At sea, Germany's geostrategic position was even worse as she was bottled up in the Baltic Sea and could not freely sail the North Sea because Britain was there. At that time, Britain was the largest sea power in the world. Somehow the Kaiser's political think tanks missed this geostrategic impasse risk by firstly building up a modern dreadnought navy (clearly to challenge the British and in the "prestige" of being a growing colonial power, particularly in Africa and in East Asia) and by declaring war against Russia and France in support of the ailing Austria-Hungarian Empire. The British may have remained usefully neutral in a general European war, had the Kaiser's powerful navy had not been there.

[@baraahhamdi8533]

i can't blame german for being furious and raging WW2

[@fluffygutts2240]

Artefacts from the fleet are on display at the Scapa Flow museum. Pop by and say hello, I'll pop the kettle on!

[@lynnwood7205]

Both the British and the French Empires were financially exhausted. It was only the collapse of the German monarchy before the Armistice was signed that allowed Britain and France to pose as victors.

[@cameronmaden6268]

So was the German empire they just printed currency and confiscated and decirculated gold to hide the fact

[@chrisparnham]

Germany, Russia and the Austro-Hungarians were even more financially exhausted they were also losing the war and facing a revolution or had had one. Before the end, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and surrendered when the Italians refused to stop advancing. This followed the collapse of Bulgaria and was followed by the Ottoman Empire capitulation. Germany's high command informed their government that the military situation facing Germany was hopeless the Kaiser abdicated and fled. Germany surrendered. Nobody had to pose as victors Britain and France were victorious and carved up most of the remains between themselves. It was a terrible and pointless war costing millions of lives and enormous amounts of money. That was reason enough that a lot of politicians and most of their people thought a war on this scale could never happen again and we all know how that unfortunately turned out.

[@xCeLProDucTionZz]

Either way Germany was doomed to fail when Britain entered the war eventually Germany would if starved ran out of gas or oil war with Britain in 1914 was suicidal for any country

[@user-yy9hk9od9u]

It was a matter of pride and so they don't become target practice for the Brits.

[@asullivan4047]

That makes sense!!!

[@kryts27]

By scuttling the Grand Fleet of the Kaisherlich Marine, the Germans harmed least their principal opponent; the British Royal Navy. As the ownership of the vessels of the Grand Fleet were being squabbled over in Versailles, giving several German dreadnoughts to the French, Italians or Americans was not in the interest of the Royal Navy. So by scuttling their ships, the German sailors got the Royal Navy, more or less, off the hook.

[@thomasjamison2050]

One could consider the battleship fleets of Britain and Germany as being 'too big to fail.'

[@greggweber9967]

14:40 For Germany, it could be expressed as a victory for a smaller navy to maneuver a large navy to do so little during the war. Sure, there were battles. Same with the British. To both, their fleets were a force in being. An earlier less potent Mutual Assured Distruction.

[@landsea7332]

For legitimate scholars who study the topic , Jutland is considered a tactical victory for the German Fleet , but as the naval blockaid of Germany continued , its considered a strategic victory for the Royal Navy . .

[@Scott-jf1nh]

It was the special design of the Diesel engines. That was the secret

[@mikebar42]

That's why they sunk their ships?... I thought all ships were diesel back then.. ⛽

[@jeffbybee5207]

Diesels were not very large or completely refined yet from destroyers on up most ships were steam turbine with only some of the oldest still have triple expansion steam engines

[@moomixgaming9986]

Wow, this guy really took his toys and went home.

[@russelltatum262]

Kaiser 's ghost fleet.

[@asullivan4047]

Deep down under into King 👑 Neptune land 🐙🐙

[@botanicagravez]

Wow

[@robynw6307]

At least as POWs, the german crews would have been fed. This clearly wasn't happening when they were on board ship if they had to trade for food. People in glass houses.......

[@GeorgeOrwell-yz6zx]

It would be cool if they could raise the ships and create a museum of them

[@SiegfriedDerDrachentoter]

Raising ships is crazy expensive

[@tenin982000]

that would be a terrible idea. ecosystems claimed them not to mention the damage of rust.

[@jamesross1799]

To destroy them and prevent us the british using them id have thought.

[@clvrswine]

Lame. Please use capitals, and basic language rules when commenting. "id" of thought is just lazy and "us" can mean the United States. Lazy.

[@teridacktaljones4553]

🐼

[@frankh.5378]

Is the question rhetorical? Isn't it obvious that losers of the war has to disband or decommission their military?

[@danrooc]

Not really. It all depends on the agreed peace terms. E.g. France didn't surredender her fleet to Prussia in 1871.

[@SennaAugustus]

No, the most common practice was to not waste perfectly good ships, and distribute them to other countries like Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and the US in this case.

[@danrooc]

@@SennaAugustus Except for 1918 against Germany, what other case makes "common" such practice?

[@paulgraystone4919]

are not some of the metal of those ships, is a store of rare metal created when the background radiation level was much lower than todays metals or the near future! ( in the 70s I lived an worked in Orphir and isle of Flotta )

[@clvrswine]

*If you are asking a question, use a question mark! Yes, English matters. Don't comment if you can't make sense.

[@paulgraystone4919]

@@clvrswine if u dont understand my info, u should go an find a second brain cell for ur self!

[@bubbastard]

Long story short: poor losers.

[@dougvarley3303]

Annoying background music!

[@WestSideGorilla1980]

Rage quit

[@ChrisPBacon3000]

It's takes an hour to tell me why? Cut to the chase.

[@adamdudley8736]

You can just skip forward.. or you can sit back and learn something

[@tenin982000]

so impatient and forget how videos work or you can simply google it lol

[@ChrisPBacon3000]

@@adamdudley8736 It's called a life.

[@asullivan4047]

Keeps the episode more suspenseful.

[@dominicdmello7531]

It wasn't a British victory in either war. It was the entry of the Americans with their industrial might and numbers that won both wars. And I'm not American.

[@stanpolchinski8956]

waste of my time. spoken german in tiny type on my hand held cell are not readable - legible. garbage!

[@europa3962]

I'm German American and you are half coreect. Americans entered into the battle in April of 1918. They were on the field less than 7 months when Germany settled for the armistice. It was German exhaustion and the blockade by the German people that decided the war. America had little impact from a military perspective and more from an industrial capacity.

[@xCeLProDucTionZz]

Pretty much every historian agreeds Britain navy was too superior for any country to block a navy blockade America joining the war just speed things up people don’t realise just how overwhelming powerful the Royal Navy was during ww1 its home fleet alone was bigger then the entire German navy and all of her fleets was bigger then Germany and American navy combined this is why hilter intentionally avoided a war with uk as it knew it was a war it could not win proven by Britain joining the war millions starving in Germany same for world war 2 America just speeding things ups sovients alone would of beaten hilter

[@cantbyou3086]

Lazy editor, voice over translators, dyslexia is real.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

What an ultra tyranny committed by the British against the surrounded German Empire Navy.what an ultra glory practiced by Germany naval crews....

[@lavernejones1973]

Jesus is Alive he loved I saw you heard a loud voice that you couldn't see get white look up to heaven God bless

[@Floody77]

Wtf are you talking about ????!!!!

[@kobushauman3310]

Jesus is the Messiah the Lord God and His Holy Ghost 🙌🏿✝️🧎🏽

[@DavidM2002]

I has a guy named Jesus who cuts my grass. Same guy ya think ???

[@robertspray7472]

@@DavidM2002same guy that works on my car? Good dude.

[@j_sexy]

Wilson was a terrible president

[@clvrswine]

Not using a period at the end of a sentence is terrible.

[@j_sexy]

@@clvrswine your mother must be very proud that her baby grew up to join the KZbin grammar gestapo...........

[@LeanneFowler-ms5xc]

I beg to differ with you on that.

[@LeanneFowler-ms5xc]

I beg to differ with you on that. Thanks very much.

[@LeanneFowler-ms5xc]

I beg to differ with you on that.

[@israel_started_it_ALL_in_1948]

Human waste is appalling. We don't deserve this planet

[@asullivan4047]

The planet doesn't appreciate it's humanoids. How about planet appreciation day for it's humanoids.

[@willboudreau1187]

Lack of English translator, down arrow, skip and move on.