The SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser built by the German Empire. She was constructed to counter the new armored cruisers rumored as being built by the British. Blücher was larger than preceding armored cruisers and carried heavier guns but was unable to match the size and armament of the battlecruisers which replaced armored cruisers in the British Royal Navy and - later - the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). When the Germans learned of the true details of these new British ships, called Invincible class, and that they were to be armoured with 12" battleship guns, they realized that the Invincible class was a completely new type of warship, soon to be known as battlecruisers. By the time the Germans learned of this it was too late to turn back and construction of the Blücher took place as scheduled. The ship was named after the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, the commander of the Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The First World War marked the end point of a process of German globalization that began in the 1870s. Learning Empire looks at German worldwide entanglements to recast how we interpret German imperialism, the origins of the First World War, and the rise of Nazism.

Anglo-German naval rivalry before 1914 had been expected to culminate in a cataclysmic fleet action in the North Sea once war was declared, a battle upon which the outcome of the war would depend: yet the two fleets met only once, at Jutland in 1916, and the battle was far from conclusive. ??In his own account of the war in the North Sea, first published in 1920, Admiral Scheer, the German commander at Jutland, gives his own explanation for the failure of either fleet to achieve the decisive victory expected of it, particularly the failure of his own operation plans that resulted in the battle of Jutland. ??This book is an invaluable account of one of the most important theatres of the First World War, written by one of its most senior commanders.

This volume presents complete and annotated facsimiles of the official builders’ plans for Germany’s WWI era dreadnaught battleship, SMS Helgoland. Launched in 1909, SMS Helgoland was the lead battleship in her class and represented a major improvement over the earlier Westfalen class. Helgoland featured 12-inch guns, matching those of her British counterparts, and served in the German Imperial Navy’s High Seas Fleet throughout the First World War. She fought in the Battle of Jutland, was ceded to Britain as part of the peace terms and was broken up in 1924. The official builders’ plans are now preserved by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality, this volume reproduces the complete set of documents in full color, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. Extensive captions point the reader to important features to be found in the plans, and an introduction covers the background to the design. The result is a supremely authoritative reference that will be a revelation to any warship enthusiast.

This book is the latest in a series based entirely on original draughts which depict famous warships in an unprecedented degree of detail. Using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality it reproduces complete sets in full color with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. The result is a novel form of anatomy that will be a revelation to any warship enthusiast. SMS Helgoland launched in 1909 was the name-ship of the second class of dreadnoughts designed by the Germans. She was a big advance over the earlier Westfalen class having 12-inch guns that matched those of her British opponents. She served in the High Seas Fleet throughout the war fought at Jutland and was ceded to Britain as part of the peace terms.

Quite correctly the Derfflinger class was considered to be the best battle cruisers completed up until the end of the First World War. Aesthetically they were also the most handsome. Design work was begun in October 1910 and continued until October 1912. Derfflinger had the sisterships Lützow and the near sister Hindenburg. The design represented the change to a new generation of German Großen Kreuzer. After the final design of cruiser J there were still outstanding issues for the following design. In April 1910 the General Navy Department was asked to prepare the requirements for the cruiser of 1911. The issues were primarily the number of shafts, machinery and armament. A three shaft arrangement would allow the employment of a diesel engine on the center shaft. The advantages of this were better thermal efficiency, easier transfer of fuel, saving in personnel and the price. The General Department thought the change to 30.5cm caliber was essential. The weight increase of 8 30.5cm guns over 10 28cm guns was just 36 tons and the latest English battleships were fitted with 300mm armor. If the cruisers were expected to fight in the line, the increase was mandatory. However, von Tirpitz disagreed and the matter remained unresolved.