A Reichsmarine rear admiral's memorandum developed around 1920 emphasised coastal-defence ships rather than immediate naval expansion. German army planning assumed a future attempt to recover Polish territory, and the navy expected to support that conflict. France was treated as Poland's likely ally and therefore as the principal naval opponent, while Britain was repeatedly assumed to remain neutral. Those opponent assumptions shaped cruiser requirements long before Plan Z redirected German planning toward a struggle with the Royal Navy.
Notable Point · 39:22-41:49
A coastal fleet for war with Poland and France
An early Reichsmarine memorandum planned for coastal defence and support to a war against Poland, while assuming France would intervene and Britain would remain neutral.