Georg von Müller's diary depicts Pohl using his new command and the aftermath of Dogger Bank to sell the blockade as decisive action. Müller regarded it as personal ambition and believed the Kaiser was being pressured, while Tirpitz did not publicly challenge his former protégé. Open opposition to Pohl in front of Wilhelm would have advertised Tirpitz's loss of control over his own political network. The diary passage exposes how court politics and institutional rivalry could constrain debate over a policy with international consequences.
Chapter · 25:50-28:08
Securing the Kaiser's approval after Dogger Bank
Aboard the damaged Seydlitz, Pohl presented the U-boat blockade directly to the Kaiser while rival naval leaders were constrained by court and patronage politics.