Rudolph Rittmeyer

Born in Braunschweig on September 27, 1850, Rudolf Rittmeyer served in the Prussian and later Imperial German Navy, eventually reaching the rank of Konteradmiral. During his career he held a series of command and teaching posts, including work at the Marine Academy, before being placed on the retired list in 1896.

After leaving active service, he devoted himself to writing about naval warfare. His major project, Seekriege und Seekriegswesen in ihrer weltgeschichtlichen Entwicklung, was published in the early 1900s and set out to give German readers a broad history of sea warfare, especially the large conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Rittmeyer died in Hannover on February 28, 1914. His books remain of interest as examples of how a senior naval officer from the Kaiserreich interpreted the long history of maritime power and war at sea.