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{{Infobox military person
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[[Image:holtzendorff.jpg|right|frame|Henning von Holtzendorff.]]
|birth_name=Henning Rudolf Adolf Karl<br />von Holtzendorff
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'''Henning von Holtzendorff''' ([[January 9]], [[1853]] - [[June 7]], [[1919]]) was a [[Germany|German]] [[admiral]] during [[World War I]] who became famous for his memo to [[Kaiser Wilhelm II]] about unrestricted [[submarine warfare]] against the [[United Kingdom]]. He received the Pour le Mérite in 1917 and was made a Grand Admiral in 1918.
|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1853|01|09}}
|birth_place= [[Berlin]], [[Prussia]]
|death_date={{death date and age|df=yes|1919|06|07|1853|01|09}}
|death_place= [[Uckermark (district)|Uckermark district]],<br />[[Weimar Republic]]
⚫
|image= Henning von Holtzendorff.jpg
|image_size= 200px
⚫
|caption= Admiral von Holtzendorff in 1918
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{flag|Prussia}}<br />{{flag|North German Confederation}}<br />{{flag|German Empire}}
|branch= {{navy|North German Confederation}}<br />{{navy|German Empire}}
|serviceyears= 1869–1913<br />1915–1918
|rank= ''[[Großadmiral]]''
|commands= [[Kaiserliche Werft Danzig|Imperial Shipyard Danzig]]<br />[[I Battle Squadron]]<br />[[High Seas Fleet]]<br />[[German Imperial Admiralty Staff|Imperial Admiralty Staff]]
|unit= West Africa Squadron<br />[[East Asia Squadron]]<br />Baltic Sea Naval Station
|battles= [[Franco-Prussian War]]<br />[[Boxer Rebellion]]<br />[[World War I]]
|awards= [[Order of the Black Eagle]]<br />[[Pour le Mérite]] with oak leaves
|laterwork= Member of the [[Prussian House of Lords|House of Lords]]
}}


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'''Henning Rudolf Adolf Karl von Holtzendorff''' (9 January 1853 – 7 June 1919) was a German [[admiral]] during [[World War I]], who became famous for his December 1916 memo about unrestricted [[submarine warfare]] against the [[United Kingdom]]. He was a recipient of [[Order of the Black Eagle]] and the [[Pour le Mérite]] with oak leaves and was one of just six [[Grand Admiral]]s of the [[Imperial German Navy]].
He was born in [[Berlin]] and died in [[Prenzlau]].


==Biography==
Admiral Holtzendorff claimed that unrestricted submarine warfare would starve the British into submission within five months, well before the Americans could act. And even if the "disogranized and undisciplined" [[United States|Americans]] did intervene, he assured Wilhelm II, "I give your Majesty my word as an officer, that not one American will land on the Continent."
Holtzendorff was born into a noble family in [[Berlin]] on 9 January 1853. He joined the navy in 1869, served in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and afterwards as a staff officer in the West Africa Squadron. Promoted to captain in 1897; he was present during the [[Boxer Rebellion]] as commander of a cruiser in the [[East Asia Squadron]]. He served as chief of staff at the Baltic Sea Naval Station and was director of the [[Kaiserliche Werft Danzig|Imperial Shipyard at Danzig]], before becoming a Vice Admiral in 1904.<ref name=Acta>{{cite book |title=Acta Borussica: Die Protokolle des Preußischen Staatsministeriums 1817–1934/38 |volume=10 |year=1999 |publisher=Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften |location=Berlin |page=395 |language=German}}</ref> Two years later he was appointed commander of the [[I Battle Squadron]]. By 1909 he commanded the [[High Seas Fleet]], becoming a full Admiral in the next year.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tucker |first1=Spencer C. |title=The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |page=347 |isbn=978-1135506940}}</ref> In 1913 he was forced into retirement due to his opposition to rapid German naval expansion in competition with the [[British Royal Navy]].<ref name=Tucker>{{cite book |last1=Tucker |first1=Spencer C. |title=World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection |date=2014 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1851099658 |pages=767–768|author1-link=Spencer C. Tucker }}</ref> In the same year he became a member of the [[Prussian House of Lords]].<ref name=Acta/>

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[[File:holtzendorff.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Vice Admiral von Holtzendorff in 1906]]
In 1915, after [[World War I]] broke out, he was recalled to duty to serve as head of the [[German Imperial Admiralty Staff|Imperial Admiralty Staff]]. During his retirement Holtzendorff converted into a strong proponent of unrestricted submarine warfare. He published a memo in December 1916 that was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm II and approved at the [[Pless conference]] in January 1917. The belief that unrestricted submarine warfare would starve Britain and bring about its demise was predicted, with the statement that the United Kingdom will be forced to sue for peace within six months. He also stated that the risk of American intervention could be taken and ignored.<ref>Admiral von Holtzendorff to Field Marshal von Hindenburg; Memo about unrestricted submarine warfare; December 22, 1916</ref> His policy succeeded in disturbing both the Royal and the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] with Allied shipping losses over 6 million GRT in 1917. His submarines became less successful when [[Convoys in World War I|convoys]] were introduced, the US joined the war, and Britain was not compelled to surrender.<ref name=Tucker/> He did not believe the US would be able to join the war, and thought his submarines would prevent their effective deployment of forces to Europe.

Holtzendorff was promoted to the rank of [[Großadmiral]] on 31 July 1918, the sixth and final appointment to that rank in the Imperial Navy. He was retired again after quarrels about war aims with the ''[[Oberste Heeresleitung]]'' (Supreme Army Command) in August 1918 and replaced by Admiral [[Reinhard Scheer]].<ref name=Tucker/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Grossman |first1=Mark |title=World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary |year=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0816074778 |page=312}}</ref>

He was the husband of Margarethe Zitelmann and adoptive father to her widowed sister-in-law's two daughters.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Eberhardt |first1=Muriel |title=Überlebenskünsterinnen - Hermione von Preuschen |journal=Zeitschrift für Museum und Bildung |year=2005 |issue=63 |page=16|language=German}}</ref> Admiral Holtzendorff died in the [[Uckermark (district)|Uckermark district]] on 7 June 1919.<ref name=Tucker/>

==Decorations and awards==
* [[Order of the Black Eagle]] with Collar (Prussia, 19 September 1912)
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Red Eagle]] with oak leaves and swords on rings (Prussia)
* [[Order of the Crown (Prussia)|Order of the Crown]], 1st class (Prussia)
* [[Pour le Mérite]] (22 March 1917) with oak leaves (1 February 1918)
* Commander of the Royal [[House Order of Hohenzollern]] with Star and Swords
* [[Iron Cross]], 1st and 2nd class
* [[Service Award]] (Prussia)
* Commander Second Class of the [[Order of the Zähringer Lion]] (Baden)
* [[Military Merit Order (Bavaria)|Military Merit Order]], 1st class with Swords (Bavaria)
* [[Hanseatic Cross]]es of Bremen and Hamburg
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Griffon (Mecklenburg)|Order of the Griffon]] (Mecklenburg)
* Honorary Grand Cross of the [[House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis]] (Oldenburg)
* [[Friedrich August Cross]], 1st class (Oldenburg)
* Grand Cross of the House [[Order of the White Falcon]] (Weimar)
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Order of the Crown]] (Württemberg)
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of Leopold (Austria)|Order of Leopold]] (Austria)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Dirk Steffen, "The Holtzendorff Memorandum of 22 December 1916 and Germany's Declaration of Unrestricted U-boat Warfare." ''Journal of Military History'' 68.1 (2004): 215–224. [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/50680/summary excerpt]


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.gwpda.org/naval/holtzendorffmemo.htm The Holtzendorff Memo ('''English translation''') with notes]
* [http://preussenprotokolle.bbaw.de/bilder/Band%2010.pdf Acta Borussica Volume 10 Online (in '''German''')]


{{s-start}}
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*[http://www.gwpda.org/naval/holtzendorffmemo.htm Notes on the memo and translation into English]
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box|
before= [[Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)|Prinz Albert Wilhelm Heinrich von Preußen]] |
title=[[High Seas Fleet|Commander-in-Chief of the High Seas Fleet]] |
years=1909–1913 |
after=[[Friedrich von Ingenohl]]
}}
{{succession box|
before= [[Gustav Bachmann]] |
title=[[German Imperial Admiralty Staff|Chief of the Admiralty Staff]] |
years=1915–1918 |
after=[[Reinhard Scheer]]
}}
{{s-end}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Germany-mil-bio-stub}}


{{BD|1853|1919|Holtzendorff, Henning von}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holtzendorff, Henning Von}}
[[Category:German nobility]]
[[Category:1853 births]]
[[Category:1919 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Berlin]]
[[Category:German untitled nobility]]
[[Category:Naval history of Germany]]
[[Category:Naval history of Germany]]
[[Category:German military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Imperial German Navy admirals of World War I]]
[[Category:Imperial German Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Grand admirals of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:People from Berlin]]
[[Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the Province of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Members of the Prussian House of Lords]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria), 1st class]]
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[[de:Henning von Holtzendorff]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Bremen)]]
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[[it:Henning von Holtzendorff]]
[[ka:ჰენინგ ფონ ჰოლცენდორფი]]

Latest revision as of 04:07, 30 August 2023

Henning von Holtzendorff
Admiral von Holtzendorff in 1918
Birth nameHenning Rudolf Adolf Karl
von Holtzendorff
Born(1853-01-09)9 January 1853
Berlin, Prussia
Died7 June 1919(1919-06-07) (aged 66)
Uckermark district,
Weimar Republic
Allegiance Prussia
 North German Confederation
 German Empire
Service / branch North German Federal Navy
 Imperial German Navy
Years of service1869–1913
1915–1918
RankGroßadmiral
UnitWest Africa Squadron
East Asia Squadron
Baltic Sea Naval Station
CommandsImperial Shipyard Danzig
I Battle Squadron
High Seas Fleet
Imperial Admiralty Staff
Battles / warsFranco-Prussian War
Boxer Rebellion
World War I
AwardsOrder of the Black Eagle
Pour le Mérite with oak leaves
Other workMember of the House of Lords

Henning Rudolf Adolf Karl von Holtzendorff (9 January 1853 – 7 June 1919) was a German admiral during World War I, who became famous for his December 1916 memo about unrestricted submarine warfare against the United Kingdom. He was a recipient of Order of the Black Eagle and the Pour le Mérite with oak leaves and was one of just six Grand Admirals of the Imperial German Navy.

Biography

[edit]

Holtzendorff was born into a noble family in Berlin on 9 January 1853. He joined the navy in 1869, served in the Franco-Prussian War and afterwards as a staff officer in the West Africa Squadron. Promoted to captain in 1897; he was present during the Boxer Rebellion as commander of a cruiser in the East Asia Squadron. He served as chief of staff at the Baltic Sea Naval Station and was director of the Imperial Shipyard at Danzig, before becoming a Vice Admiral in 1904.[1] Two years later he was appointed commander of the I Battle Squadron. By 1909 he commanded the High Seas Fleet, becoming a full Admiral in the next year.[2] In 1913 he was forced into retirement due to his opposition to rapid German naval expansion in competition with the British Royal Navy.[3] In the same year he became a member of the Prussian House of Lords.[1]

Vice Admiral von Holtzendorff in 1906

In 1915, after World War I broke out, he was recalled to duty to serve as head of the Imperial Admiralty Staff. During his retirement Holtzendorff converted into a strong proponent of unrestricted submarine warfare. He published a memo in December 1916 that was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm II and approved at the Pless conference in January 1917. The belief that unrestricted submarine warfare would starve Britain and bring about its demise was predicted, with the statement that the United Kingdom will be forced to sue for peace within six months. He also stated that the risk of American intervention could be taken and ignored.[4] His policy succeeded in disturbing both the Royal and the Merchant Navy with Allied shipping losses over 6 million GRT in 1917. His submarines became less successful when convoys were introduced, the US joined the war, and Britain was not compelled to surrender.[3] He did not believe the US would be able to join the war, and thought his submarines would prevent their effective deployment of forces to Europe.

Holtzendorff was promoted to the rank of Großadmiral on 31 July 1918, the sixth and final appointment to that rank in the Imperial Navy. He was retired again after quarrels about war aims with the Oberste Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command) in August 1918 and replaced by Admiral Reinhard Scheer.[3][5]

He was the husband of Margarethe Zitelmann and adoptive father to her widowed sister-in-law's two daughters.[6] Admiral Holtzendorff died in the Uckermark district on 7 June 1919.[3]

Decorations and awards

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Acta Borussica: Die Protokolle des Preußischen Staatsministeriums 1817–1934/38 (in German). Vol. 10. Berlin: Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 1999. p. 395.
  2. ^ Tucker, Spencer C. (2013). The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 347. ISBN 978-1135506940.
  3. ^ a b c d Tucker, Spencer C. (2014). World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection. ABC-CLIO. pp. 767–768. ISBN 978-1851099658.
  4. ^ Admiral von Holtzendorff to Field Marshal von Hindenburg; Memo about unrestricted submarine warfare; December 22, 1916
  5. ^ Grossman, Mark (2007). World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary. Infobase Publishing. p. 312. ISBN 978-0816074778.
  6. ^ Eberhardt, Muriel (2005). "Überlebenskünsterinnen - Hermione von Preuschen". Zeitschrift für Museum und Bildung (in German) (63): 16.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Dirk Steffen, "The Holtzendorff Memorandum of 22 December 1916 and Germany's Declaration of Unrestricted U-boat Warfare." Journal of Military History 68.1 (2004): 215–224. excerpt
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief of the High Seas Fleet
1909–1913 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Admiralty Staff
1915–1918 		Succeeded by
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