The German Navy gained an important supporter in the new Emperor. It was William himself who announced a new foreign and naval policy in 1896, declaring that “Germany’s future lies at sea”. Seeking to drum up support for the ambitious and expensive expansion of the German fleet, William was involved in a government programme of propaganda, designed to spread popular enthusiasm for the navy. One byproduct of these efforts was the widespread popularity of dressing children in sailor suits.

Advancing to become one of the largest and most modern fleets in the early 20th century, the German Navy threatened the dominance of the British Royal Navy. The resulting naval arms race played a significant role in intensifying political tensions in Europe and contributed to the increasing political isolation of the German Empire.

The progress of the First World War revealed the largely ineffective nature of the expensive new German fleet. Nevertheless, some of the measures involved in the new naval policy had a positive long-term effect: The 98-kilometre Kiel Canal, built in 1895 to establish a strategic connection between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, is currently the busiest artificial sea route in the world and contributes to German prosperity.