By Mark Harris
Helion and Company, 2025
Reviewed by Jim Gallen
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| Russian Armored Cruiser Rurik, Launched 1908 |
Roads to the Great War readers are more familiar with its theatres and lore than most, but The First World War in the Baltic Sea: Volume 1: Essen’s triumph, 1914 to February 1915 is likely to expand the ken of even the more seasoned followers. Contrary to the customary focus on ground combat in the Eastern and Western Fronts or the Dardanelles campaign, the book chronicles naval action in waters that seemed to hold significance in the early months of the War, but became, literally and figuratively, a backwater as great battles raged elsewhere.
The author begins with an introduction to Russian and German naval policy from 1880-1914, their bases, defenses, fleets and war plans and the steps leading to mobilization and declarations of war.
The belligerents were Germany, Russia and Britain. The scene is the Baltic Sea, the northern inlet washing the shores of Russia, Germany and Sweden. Its prime significance was that its eastern reaches provide access to the Gulf of Finland, on which the then Russian capital of St. Petersburg sits, while its western extent threatened to carry Russian hordes into Germany. It was home waters for the Russian fleet, the Baltiyskiy Flot, still rebuilding from its disastrous war against Japan, while to the Germans it merited vessels that could be spared from the anticipated showdown with the Royal Navy. That notwithstanding, German command was entrusted to Prinz Heinrich, brother of the Kaiser. Russian commanders, led by Admiral Nikolay von Essen, had less memorable names and pedigrees. Vessels engaged ran the gamut from battleships, armored cruisers, protected cruisers, light cruisers to destroyers, minelayers, torpedo boats and submarines.
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| Russian Admiral Nikolay von Essen Issuing Orders |
At the commencement of the War, Russia and Germany were uncertain of the other’s plans and objectives. Russia envisioned a war in which its Navy could not escape the Baltic and that of its British ally could not get in. Russia’s goal was to protect St. Petersburg and its trade routes. Viewing Britain as its great naval rival and anticipating Russian attacks, the Germans planned light raids to keep Russian troops at bay and took care to maintain Swedish neutrality. Both sides were prepared for defensive warfare in the region, though offense was often an operation of choice. Russia employed mine fields and surface ships to defend its capital and Germany relied more heavily on mines and U-boats. After indecision in the German command, war came to the Baltic on August 18, 1915, when, after three days of mutual stalking, German cruisers escorting minelayers heading for the Gulf of Finland, engaged the Russian fleet.
Strategy was complicated by the interests of neutral Sweden, whose potential intervention on the German side was a subject of speculation. German reliance on Swedish iron ore influenced policy in this war and presaged its importance in the next. Movement of the Flot toward Swedish waters preceded an announcement of Swedish neutrality in conjunction with Norway.
By September the Russians had a better idea of German intentions and took the initiative in fleet actions. The entry of British submarines in September and October changed the Baltic narrative and gave new importance to undersea warfare. By February 1915, engagements had left the Russians with the upper hand in the Baltic. The nature of naval combat had changed. In the words of Rear Admiral Ehler Behrin written to his commander, Prinz Heinrich, in the wake of the loss of his armored cruiser Friederich Carl, “naval warfare in its current form, with submarines, torpedoes and mines has lost its poetry. However, that cannot be helped, and one must accept it.” As in other theatres, the war would go on mechanically, impersonally, unpoetically.
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| Order HERE |
This work is limited to a theatre of the war that, though possessing the possibility of decisive actions at the beginning, evolved into one mostly important for its interdiction of supplies and trade. Author Mark Harris has crafted a deeply researched volume chronicling in great detail maneuvers, actions and shifting advantages in which the text is supplemented by maps and photographs. The appendices document the organization and vessels of the opposing fleets. The subtitle identification of this as Volume I and its limited scope, 1914 to February 1915, suggests that the saga will be continued in future volumes. It is amply indexed but the scarcity of English sources is reflected in the bibliography and enhances respect for the author’s efforts. The First World War in the Baltic Sea will be attractive to Roads readers with a deep interest in naval aspects of the Great War beyond Jutland and those desiring a thorough appreciation of all segments of the War who want to leave no stone unturned. More general or casual readers may find it to be excessively detailed and esoteric.
Jim Gallen
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