| Imperial Fleet Reichsflotte (RF) | |
|---|---|
 Ships of the Reichsflotte in 1849 | |
| Active | 1848–1852 |
| Disbanded | 2 April 1852 |
| Country |  German Empire (1848/1849) German Confederation |
| Allegiance | Provisorische Zentralgewalt |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | 39 ships |
| H/Q | Brake, Oldenburg |
| Engagements | Schleswig War (1848–1851) |
| Commanders | |
| Navy Minister | August Jochmus |
| Rear Admiral | Karl Brommy |
| Insignia | |
| War Ensign (1848–1852) | .svg) |
| Naval Jack (1848–1852) |  |
The Reichsflotte (German: [ˈʁaɪçsˌflɔtə], Imperial Fleet) was the first navy for all of Germany, established by the revolutionary German Empire to provide a naval force in the First Schleswig War against Denmark. The decision was made on 14 June 1848 by the Frankfurt Parliament,[1] which is considered by the modern German Navy as its birthday.[2]
In December 1849 the imperial government was replaced by a federal commission. In 1851 the German Confederation was fully re-established. The German states such as Prussia, Hanover and Austria had a quarrel regarding the ships and the costs to sustain a fleet. In 1852 the Confederation decided to dissolve the fleet and sell the ships.[3]
- ^ Günter Wollstein: Das ‚Großdeutschland‘ der Paulskirche. Nationale Ziele in der bürgerlichen Revolution 1848/1849. Droste Verlag, Düsseldorf 1977, p. 262/263.
- ^ Website of the German Navy, retrieval on 29 May 2016.
- ^ Walther Hubatsch: Forschungsstand und Ergebnis. In: derselbe (Hrsg.): Die erste deutsche Flotte 1848-1853, E. S. Mittler und Sohn, Herford / Bonn 1981, p. 79-94, here p. 90/91.