The Fleet Acts were four separate laws passed by the German Empire, in 1898, 1900, 1908, and 1912. These acts, championed by Kaiser Wilhelm II and his Secretary of State for the Navy, Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, committed Germany to building up a navy capable of competing with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The term German Empire commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1912 was a leap year starting on Monday. ... Wilhelm II of Prussia and Germany, Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Hohenzollern (January 27, 1859 - June 4, 1941) was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and the last King (König) of Prussia from 1888 - 1918. ... This page lists German naval ministers. ... Alfred von Tirpitz (March 19, 1849 – March 6, 1930) was a German Admiral, Minister of State and Commander of the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I from 1914 until 1916. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...

The Kaiser had long been desirous of a large naval force in order to assure Germany of what he called "a place in the sun." A large German navy could assist in German attempts to attain colonies, as well as further the country's economic and commercial interests elsewhere in the world. He was supported in his desires by Tirpitz, who himself was quite enthusiastic for an expanded fleet.

The First Fleet Act, passed in 1898, stated Germany's aim to build up a navy for defensive purposes. However, the Second Fleet Act, passed in 1900, enunciated the German intention of building up a naval force that was capable of competing with that of Britain. It set a 17-year timetable for the construction of battleships, submarines, cruisers, and other types of naval vessels. By 1914, Germany possessed the second-largest navy in the world, with strength of 40% of that of the Royal Navy. This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

The expansion of the German navy set off alarm bells in Britain, which responded by beginning its own naval expansion. This expansion was overseen by Admiral Sir John Fisher, who served as First Sea Lord from 1905 to 1910. In 1906, the Royal Navy introduced the gigantic Dreadnought battleship as its newest and most formidable weapon. This action set off a naval arms race between Britain and Germany, which became a prominent source of tension between the two countries and proved to be a contributing factor in the outbreak of World War I. ... The First Sea Lord is the senior admiral and professional head of the British Royal Navy. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The sixth HMS Dreadnought of the British Royal Navy was the first battleship to have a uniform main battery, rather than having a secondary battery of similar sized guns. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of the Nations and...