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How did the Treaty of Versailles limit the German navy?
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Treaty of Versailles
The “Big Four” (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles imposed strict limitations on the German navy to prevent the nation from reviving as a significant military power. Under the terms of the treaty, the German navy was restricted to the following:
- Personnel: The navy was limited to a maximum of 15,000 men.1
- Fleet Composition: Germany was permitted to maintain only a half dozen battleships and 30 smaller ships.1
- Submarines: There was an absolute prohibition on the construction or possession of submarines.12
These measures were part of a broader Allied effort to disarm Germany following World War I. While the treaty also reduced Germany's merchant carrier fleet to roughly one-tenth of its prewar size, these naval restrictions remained a point of significant contention until they were eventually repudiated by Germany in 1935.12