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Albert
Wilhelm Heinrich Prinz von Preußen,
K.H.
(14.08.1862 - 20.04.1929)
place of birth: Potsdam, Brandenburg
Königreich Preußen:
Preußischer
Prinz, GenInsp
der Marine, Generaloberst
The
younger brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II., Prince Heinrich served
during the pre-War years as Inspector General of the Imperial Naval
Forces, attaining the rank of Grand Admiral. He likewise enjoyed a
ceremonial posting as Colonel General with the rank of Field
Marshal.
He entered the German Navy at the age of 16
and served as Chief of the Flotilla from 1906 to 1909. He also tried
his hand in politics but twice, in 1912 and in 1914, mistakenly leading
his brother to believe that their cousin King George V. would keep
England neutral if Germany went to war against the French. As
Navy Inspector General when hostilities commenced, Prince Heinrich was
selected to command Imperial Germany's Baltic Sea Fleet
(Oberbefehlshaber der Ostsee-Streitkräfte).
Under his leadership, the ill-equipped German sailors were able to keep
the far superior Russian fleet at bay up until the Russian Revolution
of 1917. At that point, Prince Heinrich in effect retired from active
military duty. Heinrich died in April 1929 in Hemmelmark,
Schleswig-Holstein.
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