Imperial German admiral who was the architect of his country's pre-War naval buildup.  Began his career in 1865 as a naval officer and rose rapidly to the rank of rear admiral. He thereafter became Germany's first "Grand Admiral" and commander of the Germany Navy. 

As Secretary of the Navy (1897-1916) he decided the fate of the Empire depended on countering Britain's navy, which thus lead to his long-range plans to build up the navy with cruisers and battleships (Navy Bill of 1900). The German fleet cost too much money to risk during the war, and its minor presence in combat  (Battle of Jutland, 1916) provided inconclusive results. 

Also a strong advocate of unrestricted submarine warfare, he nonetheless proved to be a less than adequate leader during the war. After the war ended, he became a member of the Reichstag (1924-28) and the leader of the right-wing Fatherland Party. Tirpitz was married to Maria Auguste Lipke. He died on 6 March 1930 Ebenhausen near Munich.