The Battle of Jutland

Long Term Consequences

Admiral Reinhard Scheer, Commander of the German High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland, 31st May 1916."Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that even the most successful outcome of a further battle will not force England to make peace."
Admiral Reinhard Scheer
Confidential report on the Battle of Jutland to the Kaiser, 4th July 1916.

Source 1:
"The German Fleet has assaulted its jailor, but it is still in jail."
Comment in an American newspaper
1916

Source 2:
"Our Fleet losses were, despite the luck that smiled on us, severe, and on 1st June 1916 it was clear to every knowledgeable person, that this battle must be, and would be, the only one"
'Berliner Tageblatt', a German newspaper
December 1918, after the end of the war.

Source 3:
"Will the flag-waving German people get any more of the copper, rubber and cotton their government so sorely needs? Not by a pound. Will meat and butter be cheaper in Berlin? Not by a pfennig (German penny). There is one test, and only one, of victory. Who held the field of battle at the end of the fight?"
'The Globe', a British newspaper
Four days after the Battle of Jutland.

Source 4:
"The Grand Fleet, the Germans realised once the early excitement had died down, was simply unconquerable and control of the sea would remain in British hands. Consequently, the German hopes increasingly turned to 'unrestricted' submarine warfare as the decisive weapon, with the High Seas Fleet carrying out a supporting role."
V.E Tarrant
Jutland: The German Perspective (1995).

Source 5:
"Should future operations take a favourable course, we should be able to inflict serious damage upon the enemy. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that even the most successful outcome of a further battle will not force England to make peace.... A victorious end to the war within a reasonable time can only be achieved through the defeat of the British economic life - that is, by using the U-boats against British trade.... It is my duty to advise Your Majesty that in British waters, where American interests are strong, it will be impossible to avoid incidents, however conscientious our commanding officers may be.... "
Admiral Reinhard von Scheer
Confidential report on the Battle of Jutland to the Kaiser, 4th July 1916.

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