Kagero 25 - The Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen

After the defeat of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles limited the tonnage of the German navy to 144,000 tons. Germany was allowed to build new ships, under the provisions of the Treaty, only to replace the units decommissioned. In 1921, the law establishing REICHSMARINE was passed. As part of the fleet left to Germany, units were modernized and new ones were built to replace the obsolete ones. The construction of light cruisers was a priority. The first cruiser to be built was EMDEN, intended to replace the antiquated, still 19th century cruiser NIOBE. In 1930, in connection with the disarmament conference in Geneva, Germany demanded equal rights in the expansion of the navy. The request was not complied with and REISCHMARINE developed a "redevelopment plan". Within a few years it assumed the construction of new warships, also submarines banned by the Treaty of Versailles.