Kriegsmarine

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kriegsmarine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the formal establishment?1935, succeeding the Reichsmarine
2. What is the notable surface vessels?Battleship Bismarck, heavy cruisers Admiral Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer
3. Why did Germany build the Kriegsmarine in the 1930s?Germany wanted to grow its navy secretly and challenge other countries, especially Britain, even though a treaty had said it could not build submarines.
4. How did the Kriegsmarine use submarines during World War II?The navy built many U‑boats, which were small submarines that attacked Allied ships and tried to cut off supplies to Britain.

Treaty of Versailles: Post-WWI treaty imposing severe restrictions on Germany's military, including its navy.
Plan Z: Ambitious German naval expansion plan aiming for parity with the Royal Navy by 1944.
Battle of the Atlantic: A protracted naval campaign fought for control of Atlantic sea lanes during WWII.
Oberkommando der Marine: The High Command of the Navy, responsible for directing Kriegsmarine operations.