Recalled to a fragmented naval command

Germany recalled Holtzendorff as head of the Imperial Admiralty Staff because it needed an officer senior enough to impose authority on the naval system. Hugo von Pohl had initially preserved the fleet because senior leaders expected a short war, then became an early advocate of unrestricted submarine warfare before moving to the High Seas Fleet after Dogger Bank. Gustav Bachmann's advocacy of unrestricted attacks and civilian bombing ended in a clash with Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Admiralty Staff, Naval Office, Naval Cabinet, and Inspector General remained separate centers of influence rather than a unified command. Tirpitz's long control of the Naval Office had further weakened the post that was supposed to coordinate naval administration and advise the Kaiser. Holtzendorff's relatively long tenure was unusual in a post that had become a revolving door, and he came close enough to exercising its intended authority to trouble naval rivals and the army command.