100537 | GERMANY. Großadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz cast iron Medal.

100537 | GERMANY. Großadmiral Alfred Peter Friedrich von Tirpitz cast iron Medal. Issued circa 1915. World War I series (72mm, 157.70 g, 12h). By A. Löwental in Berlin.

 

Uniformed bust left; A von Tirpitz in script to right / ZIEL ERKANNT KRAFT GESPANNT (the goal is at hand, the sights are set), nude archer drawing bow left. Edge: D 102 18.

 

Zetzmann –. Mint State. Deep steel gray surfaces, practically as cast save for a few spots of light smoothing to the reverse field. Compare to a similar specimen, which realized a hammer of €400 in Höhn 90 (27 October 2018), lot 388. Very rare.

 

Tirpitz is known for his 'Tirpitz Plan,' which aimed to make the German Empire a world power on par with the British Empire through the growth of the navy and the domination of the seas. Various Fleet Acts during the early part of the 20th century increased the size of the German navy so that it was then the second largest in the world, behind only that of the Brits. His calculation was that Britain needed her navy so vitally that she could not risk engagement with Germany and possibly lose control over an empire so connected through the seas. In the end, the Tirpitz Plan created a naval arms race between the two, with Britain easily increasing her size faster than the Germans could keep up. By strategically relocating some of her fleet in home waters, it became clear that the Plan had only ensured that Britain would remain the most powerful navy rather than she being supplanted by the Germans. In 1916, over the dismal failure of his efforts, Tirpitz fell out of favor with the Kaiser and resigned his post.

 

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