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The Novelle of 1908: Necessities and Choices in the Anglo-German Naval Arms Race

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

J. Steinberg
J. Steinberg
Affiliation:
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
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Extract

THE Novelle of 1908, or to use its full title, ‘A Law to amend paragraph 2 of the Law concerning the German Fleet of 14 June 1900’, was not a very large piece of legislation. The entire text read as follows:

‘With the exception of ships destroyed, battleships and cruisers shall be replaced after 20 years. Active life extends from the year of appropriation of the first instalment on the ship to be replaced to the appropriation of the first instalment of the replacement ship. For the period 1908–1917, construction of replacement ships will follow the plan in Appendix B.’

Type
Research Article
Information
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 21 , December 1971 , pp. 25 - 43
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1971

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References

1 Verhandlungen des Reichstages. Stenographische Berichte Bd. 232, XII Legislaturperiode, I Session, 132. Sitzung, p. 436.

2 Ibid., 60. Sitzung, p. 1868. 28 November 1907.

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25 Der Bayerische Kurier, Munich, 5 February 1907.

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33 Kapt.z. See von Trotha to Tirpitz, 7 June 1906, Tirpitz MS., ‘Entwicklung der Marine-Frühjahr 1906’.

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38 Tirpitz, ‘Notiz an K., A. und W.’, 7 September 1906, Tirpitz MS., Ibid.

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40 Ktr.-Admiral von Heeringen, ‘Denkschrift’ A.V.a.43, 23 February 1907, ganz geheim, Tirpitz MS., Ibid

41 Tirpitz, ‘Zum Immediatvortrag’ (pencil notes), 9 March 1907, ganz geheim, Tirpitz MS., Ibid.

42 J. Steinberg, Yesterday’s Deterrent, pp. 145–46.

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52 Capelle to Tirpitz, 18 August 1907, Ibid.

53 Memorandum by Sir C. Hardinge, 19 August 1907, BD, vi, no. 25, pp. 43–46; also Mr Cartwright to Sir Edward Grey, 17 August 1907, Ibid., no. 24, p. 42.

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62 Ibid., Tabelle 3, p. 101, column 9.

63 Ibid., Tabelle 3, p. 101, columns 1–4.

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67 Kaiser’s marginal comments on ‘Denkschrift zum Immediatvortrag betreffend Kiellegung der Schiffe’, cited in note 32 above.