The Founding of the Army League

Abstract Wilhelmine Germans, one might argue, took their army for granted. To some extent, this was to be expected given the army’s historic role as the nation’s first and only line of defense. Periodic setbacks aside, the army somehow always managed to assume its responsibility to the nation and secure the necessary funding to maintain itself. Germans were accustomed to periodic increases in indirect taxes to provide for their army’s upkeep. In 1898, however, the army found its unique position threatened by the building of a German battlefleet. Under the vigilant guidance of Admiral Alfred v. Tirpitz, the navy emerged as a rival to the army.