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Organisation

A Short History of the Imperial Navy - Part 2

Until the end of the century the Imperial Navy played only a secondary role compared with the army. From 1898, however, the fleet was expanded while the enlargement of the army was limited. This was done mainly for fiscal reasons; it was also believed that acceptable limits in terms of quantity had been reached. The military leadership wanted to focus on optimizing the quality of organization, training and equipment in the army. Thus the peacetime strength of the German army stagnated until shortly before World War I, when rearmament again began feverishly. The preference for the navy corresponded to Wilhelm II’s maritime inclinations. The central promoter of Wilhelmine naval policy, however, was Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930).

Organisation

Structure and organization as well as uniforming of the Old Army - Cavalry - The Prussian Uhlan Regiments (Guard No. 1 -3, Line No. 1 -16).

The article is dedicated to the Prussian Uhlans. These were a branch of cavalry armed with lances from the outset. Their origin lies in the 18th century, their roots are Polish. Their uniform retained elements of Polish dress even in later times, in particular the ulanka and the czapka. The Uhlans were adopted into almost all armies and were regarded as light cavalry.