Alfred von Tirpitz

Alfred von Tirpitz (1849-1930), German admiral, born in Küstrin (now Kostrzyn, Poland). He joined the Prussian navy in 1865 and from 1897 to 1916 was secretary of state for the German imperial navy. Largely through his efforts, a German navy was created second only to that of Britain. In World War I, Tirpitz was an advocate of unrestricted submarine warfare, which led to the sinking of many neutral as well as belligerent ships. The destruction of the British passenger ship Lusitania on May 7, 1915, caused such worldwide indignation that Tirpitz was forced to resign his office in the following year. He remained inactive until 1924, when he became a member of the German Reichstag (lower house of the legislature), an office he held for the next four years.