The German Navy did not seriously expect to fight France while Britain remained outside the war. France concentrated heavily on its army while Britain supplied much of the alliance's maritime weight. German fleet planning therefore had to measure itself against an Anglo-French combination rather than a French naval opponent in isolation. Force planning followed expected coalitions and strategic roles as well as the individual fleets each country possessed.
Notable Point · 4:51:12-4:51:49
The Anglo-French division behind German naval planning
German naval planning assumed that a war with France would also bring in Britain because the allies divided military effort between French land power and British maritime strength.