Hugo von Pohl

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Hugo von Pohl (August 25, 1855 – 23 February 1916) was a German admiral who during the First World War commanded the German High Seas Fleet from 1915 until shortly before his death from illness in 1916.

Pohl was born in Breslau (Wrocław), Prussian Silesia. He entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1876 at age 21. He rose rapidly through the ranks and by 1910 he was promoted to vice admiral and commandant of the I Marine Geschwader. In April 1913 Pohl became chief of the admiralty staff. Before World War I, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

When the First World War broke out Pohl became a proponent of the U-boat arm. After the battle of Dogger Bank, Pohl replaced Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl as commander in chief of the High Seas Fleet. Two days after taking command, on February 4, 1915, Pohl gave the order to unrestricted submarine warfare against the Allies. When he became ill, he was replaced as commander of the High Seas Fleet by Reinhard Scheer on January 23, 1916.