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{{More citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}}
| native_name                   = 
| image                         = War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).svg
| image_size                    = 
| alt                           = 
| caption                       = Naval ensign
| dates                         = 1 January 1921 – 31 May 1935
| disbanded                     = 
| country                       = [[Weimar Republic]] - [[Nazi Germany]]
| allegiance                    = 
| branch                        = 
| type                          = Navy
| role                          = 
| size                          = 
| command_structure             = {{lang|de|[[Reichswehr]]}}
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| anniversaries                 = 
| equipment                     = 
| equipment_label               = 
| battles                       = 
| website                       = <!-- Commanders -->
| commander1                    = [[Erich Raeder]]
| commander1_label              = Last commander
| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = 
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The '''{{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}}''' ({{literally|[[Reich]] Navy}})  was the name of the [[German Navy]] during the [[Weimar Republic]] and first two years of [[Nazi Germany]]. It was the naval branch of the {{lang|de|[[Reichswehr]]}}, existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' (War Navy), a branch of the ''[[Wehrmacht]]''; a change implemented by [[Adolf Hitler]]. Many of the administrative and organizational tenets of the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} were then carried over into the organization of the ''Kriegsmarine''.

==''Vorläufige Reichsmarine''==
The {{lang|de|Vorläufige Reichsmarine}} ({{literally|Provisional [[Reich]] Navy}}) was formed after the end of [[World War I]] from the [[Imperial German Navy]].

The provisions of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] restricted the German Navy to 15,000 men and no [[submarine]]s, while the fleet was limited to six [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s, six [[light cruiser]]s, twelve [[destroyer]]s, and twelve [[torpedo boat]]s. Replacements for the outdated battleships were restricted to a maximum size of 10,000 tons.

==''Reichsmarine''==
The {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} was considered the armed naval force of the {{lang|de|Reichswehrministerium}} ([[Ministry of the Reichswehr]]) which was headed by a civilian minister appointed by the Weimar government. The senior most naval officer was known until 1920 as the {{lang|de|Chef der Admiralität}} (Chief of the Admiralty), after which the title changed to {{lang|de|Chef der Marineleitung}} (Chief of the Naval Command).<ref>Naval department of Germany, "Rangliste der deutschen Reichsmarine", University of Michigan Library (2010), p. 34</ref>

===Naval headquarters===
[[Image:Red Castle by the Sea 1929.jpg|265x265px|thumb|The [[Mürwik Naval School]] in 1929]]
The naval commander oversaw a headquarters office known as the {{lang|de|Marinekommandiertenabteilung}} which was headquartered in [[Berlin]]. The Naval Command also maintained a headquarters intelligence office {{lang|de|Marinenachrichtenoffizier}}) and a naval archives. Internal to the naval headquarters five offices known as the:

* {{lang|de|Marinekommandoamt}} (A) – Operations
* {{lang|de|Allgemeine Marineamt}} (B) – General Administration
* {{lang|de|Marineverwaltungsamt}} (C) – Personnel and Administration
* {{lang|de|Marinewaffenamt}} (''MWa'') – Naval Weapons Department
* {{lang|de|Marinekonstruktionsamt}} (K) – Naval Construction Office

The following officers served as head of the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} from 1918 to 1935

===Chief of the Admiralty (''Chef der Admiralität'')===
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder          = y
| showimage          = y
| officeholder_title = ''Chefs der Admiralität''
| showtermlenght     = y
| showparty          = n
| showdefencebranch  = n
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 1
| image             = Admiraal Adolf von Trotha.jpg
| military_rank     = {{Lang|de|[[Vizeadmiral]]}}
| officeholder      = [[Adolf von Trotha]]
| officeholder_sort = Trotha, Adolf
| born_year         = 1868
| died_year         = 1940
| term_start        = 26 March 1919
| term_end          = 22 March 1920
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1919|03|26|1920|03|22}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = -
| image             = 
| military_rank     = {{Lang|de|[[Konteradmiral]]}}
| officeholder      = [[William Michaelis]]
| officeholder_sort = Michaelis, William
| born_year         = 1871
| died_year         = 1948
| term_start        = 22 March 1920
| term_end          = 1 September 1920
| acting            = y
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1920|03|22|1920|09|01}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 2
| image             = Paul Behncke (1866-1937) (cropped).jpg
| military_rank     = {{Lang|de|Vizeadmiral}}
| officeholder      = [[Paul Behncke]]
| officeholder_sort = Behncke, Paul
| born_year         = 1869
| died_year         = 1937
| term_start        = 1 September 1920
| term_end          = 14 September 1920
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1920|09|01|1920|09|14}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}

===Heads of the Naval Command (''Chefs der Marineleitung'')===
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder          = y
| showimage          = y
| officeholder_title = ''Chefs der Marineleitung''
| showtermlenght     = y
| showparty          = n
| showdefencebranch  = n
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 1
| image             = Paul Behncke.jpg
| military_rank     = {{Lang|de|Vizeadmiral}}
| officeholder      = [[Paul Behncke]]
| officeholder_sort = Behncke, Paul
| born_year         = 1869
| died_year         = 1937
| term_start        = 14 September 1920
| term_end          = 1 October 1924 
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1920|09|14|1924|10|01}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 2
| image             = Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13764, Hans Zenker (cropped).jpg
| military_rank     = {{Lang|de|Vizeadmiral}}
| officeholder      = [[Hans Zenker]]
| officeholder_sort = Zenker, Hans
| born_year         = 1870
| died_year         = 1932
| term_start        = 1 October 1924 
| term_end          = 30 September 1928
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1924|10|01|1928|09|30}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 3
| image             = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1987-080-30A, Erich Raeder.jpg
| military_rank     = ''Admiral''
| officeholder      = [[Erich Raeder]]
| officeholder_sort = Raeder, Erich
| officeholder_note = 
| born_year         = 1876
| died_year         = 1960
| term_start        = 1 October 1928
| term_end          = 1 June 1935
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1928|10|01|1935|06|01}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}

===Fleet command===
The fleet command of the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} ({{lang|de|Flottenkommando}}) was headquartered at Kiel and consisted of a flag staff and fleet commander embarked on board the flagship of the German fleet. During the 1920s, the German flagship was the battleship {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein||2}} with two naval officers serving as fleet commander, {{Lang|de|Vizeadmiral}} [[Hans Zenker]] and Konrad Mommsen, between 1923 and 1927. The fleet commander position was then left vacant, but the flag staff remained.

The purpose of the fleet command was to oversee the four major type commanders of German naval vessels. These commands were in turn responsible for the administration of various German ship classes to include equipment development, vessel deployments, and personnel assignment. Once at sea, operational control of the vessels switched to the commanders of the two main Naval Sea Stations. The four type commands were:

* {{lang|de|Befehlshaber der Linienschiffe}} – [[Commander of Ships of the Line]], headquartered at Kiel, flagship in 1933 was the cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Deutschland||2}}
* {{lang|de|Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte}} – Commander of Reconnaissance Craft, flagship was the cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Königsberg||2}} headquartered at Kiel
* {{lang|de|Führer der Torpedoboote}} – Leader of Torpedo-boats, headquartered at [[Świnoujście|Swinemünde]] overseeing four [[flotilla]]s of torpedo boats
* {{lang|de|Führer der Minsensuchboote}} – Leader of Minesweepers, headquartered at Kiel commanding two [[M-class minesweeper (Germany)|minesweeper]] flotillas and one {{lang|de|Räumbooten}} ("[[R boat]]") mine auxiliary unit.

===Naval sea stations===
The {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} did not maintain traditional at-sea fleets, but instead assigned two geographical areas (known as {{lang|de|Marinestation}}) which oversaw all vessels operationally deployed in the [[North Sea|North]] and [[Baltic Sea]]s. Each naval station maintained a headquarters staff, general naval inspectorate, training department, artillery arsenal inspector, as well as a medical command unit. The naval stations also served as a senior officer for the commanders of the various German navy ports.<ref>Waldeyer-Hartz, H. Ein Mann: Das Leben des Admirals Ludwig v. Schröder. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag (1934), pg. 47</ref>

====Naval stations of the ''Reichsmarine''====
* {{lang|de|[[Marinestation der Nordsee]]}} (North Sea naval station) – headquartered at [[Wilhelmshaven]], overseeing the ports of [[Cuxhaven]] and [[Borkum]]
* {{lang|de|[[Marinestation der Ostsee]]}} (Baltic Sea naval station) – headquartered at [[Kiel]], overseeing the ports of [[Świnoujście|Swinemünde]] and [[Baltiysk|Pillau]]

===Ships and equipment===
The Treaty of Versailles limited the size and armament of the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} and prevented it from introducing new technologies. The restrictions were intended to prevent the German Navy from becoming a threat to the Allied powers. On the other hand, the Allies had made certain that the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} would be in the foreseeable future the strongest power in the Baltic Sea, in order to serve as a counterweight against the new [[Soviet Union]], which was viewed with distrust by the Allies.

Germany was only allowed six pre-dreadnought battleships (plus two in reserve), six cruisers (plus two in reserve), twelve destroyers (plus four in reserve), and twelve torpedo boats (plus four in reserve). The {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} tried to meet the arms restrictions with secret armament and technical innovations such as the introduction of the [[Deutschland-class cruiser|pocket battleship]].

====List of ''Reichsmarine'' ships====
{{incomplete list|date=October 2022}}
[[Image:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-63-33, Kriegsschiffe der Reichsmarine in Kiellinie.jpg|295x295px|thumb|Ships of the {{Lang|de|Reichsmarine}} on maneuvers in 1929 with a {{sclass|Königsberg|cruiser (1927)|0}} cruiser on the right]]
* {{sclass|Deutschland|battleship|2}}s
** {{SMS|Hannover}} (1907–1944)
** {{SMS|Schlesien}} (1908–1945)
** {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein}} (1908–1944)
* {{sclass|Braunschweig|battleship|2}}s
** {{SMS|Braunschweig}} (1904–1932)
** {{SMS|Elsass}} (1904–1936)
** {{SMS|Hessen}} (1905–1960)
** {{SMS|Preussen}} (1905–1931)
** {{SMS|Lothringen}} (1906–1931)
* {{sclass|Bremen|cruiser|2}}s
** {{SMS|Hamburg}} (1904–1927)
** {{SMS|Berlin}} (1906–1929)
* {{sclass|Gazelle|cruiser|2}}<nowiki/>s (3,033 tons, 10 × 105 mm guns)
** {{SMS|Niobe}} (1900–1925)
** {{SMS|Nymphe}} (1900–1931)
** {{SMS|Thetis}} (1901–1929)
** {{SMS|Amazone}} (1901–1931)
** {{SMS|Medusa}} (1901–1945)
** {{SMS|Arcona|1902|6}} (1903–1945)
* [[German cruiser Emden|''Emden''-class cruiser]] (6,000 tons, 8 × 150 mm guns)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Emden||2}} (1925–1945)
* {{sclass|Königsberg|cruiser (1927)|0}} cruisers (7,200 tons, 9 × 150 mm guns)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Königsberg||2}} (1929–1940)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Karlsruhe||2}} (1929–1940)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Köln||2}} (1930–1945)
* {{sclass|Leipzig|cruiser|2}}<nowiki/>s (8,000 tons, 9 × 150 mm guns)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Leipzig||2}} (1931–1946)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Nürnberg||2}} (1935–1945)
* {{sclass|Deutschland|cruiser|2}}<nowiki/>s (10,800 tons, 6 × 280 mm guns)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Deutschland||2}} (1933–1948)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Scheer||2}} (1934–1945)
** {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}} (1936–1939)
* [[Type 23 torpedo boat]]s (923 tons, 3 × 105 mm guns)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Möwe||2}} (1926–1944)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Falke||2}} (1928–1944)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Greif||2}} (1927–1944)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Kondor||2}} (1928–1944)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Albatros||2}} (1928–1940)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Seeadler||2}} (1927–1942)
* [[Type 24 torpedo boat]]s (933 tons, 3 × 105 mm guns)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Wolf||2}} (1928–1941)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Iltis||2}} (1928–1942)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Jaguar||2}} (1929–1944)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Leopard||2}} (1929–1940)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Luchs||2}} (1929–1940)
** {{ship|German torpedo boat|Tiger|1928|2}} (1929–1939)
* Type 1934 Destroyers (2,223 tons, 5 x 127 mm guns)
** Z1 Leberrecht Maass (1937-1940)
** Z2 Georg Thiele (1937-1940)
** Z3 Max Schultz (1937-1940)
** Z4 Richard Beitzen (1937-1949)
* Survey ship
** {{ship|German survey ship|Meteor||2}} (1924–1945)
* Radio-controlled target ship
** {{ship|SMS|Zähringen||2}} (1902–1945)

==See also==
{{Portal|Germany}}
* [[NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw]]

==References==
<references />

{{German Navies}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1920s in Germany]]
[[Category:1930s in Germany]]
[[Category:1919 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:1935 disestablishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Military of Nazi Germany]]
[[Category:Military of the Weimar Republic]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1919]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1935]]
[[Category:Naval history of Germany]]
[[Category:Reichsmarine| ]]

==External links==
* [https://www.feldgrau.com/ww1-german-reichsmarine/ The German Navy 1919-1935 (Vorläufige Reichsmarine)]