Editing Reinhard Scheer (section)

{{Short description|German admiral (1863–1928)}}
{{Redirect|Admiral Scheer|the warship|German cruiser Admiral Scheer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Reinhard Scheer
| image         = Almirante Reinhard Scheer.jpg
| image_size    =
| caption       = Reinhard Scheer
| nickname      =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1863|09|30|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Obernkirchen]], [[Electorate of Hesse]]
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1928|11|26|1863|09|30|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Marktredwitz]], [[Weimar Republic]]
| placeofburial =
| allegiance    = {{flag|German Empire}}
| branch        = {{navy|German Empire}}
| serviceyears  = 1879–1918
| rank          = [[Admiral (Germany)|Admiral]]
| unit          =
| commands      = {{SMS|Gazelle}}<br>{{SMS|Elsass}}<br>[[II Battle Squadron]]<br>[[III Battle Squadron]]<br>[[High Seas Fleet]]<br>[[Seekriegsleitung|Chief of Naval Staff]]
| battles       = {{Tree list}}
* [[World War I]]
** [[Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft|Lowestoft raid]]
** [[Battle of Jutland]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| awards        = See [[#Decorations and awards|below]]
| relations     =
| laterwork     =
}}

'''Carl Friedrich Heinrich Reinhard Scheer''' (30 September 1863 – 26 November 1928) was an [[Admiral (Germany)|Admiral]] in the [[Imperial German Navy]] (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Scheer joined the navy in 1879 as an officer cadet and progressed through the ranks, commanding [[cruiser]]s and [[battleship]]s, as well as senior staff positions on land. At the outbreak of [[World War I]], Scheer was the commander of the [[II Battle Squadron]] of the [[High Seas Fleet]]. He then took command of the [[III Battle Squadron]], which consisted of the newest and most powerful battleships in the navy. In January 1916, he was promoted to Admiral and given control of the High Seas Fleet. Scheer led the German fleet at the [[Battle of Jutland]] on 31 May – 1 June 1916, one of the largest naval battles in history.

Following the battle, Scheer joined those calling for [[unrestricted submarine warfare]] against the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]], a move the [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser]] eventually permitted. In August 1918, Scheer was promoted to the Chief of Naval Staff; Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]] replaced him as commander of the fleet. Together they planned a final battle against the British [[Grand Fleet]], but war-weary sailors [[Wilhelmshaven mutiny|mutinied]] at the news and the operation was abandoned. Scheer retired after the end of the war.

A strict disciplinarian, Scheer was popularly known in the Navy as the "man with the iron mask" due to his severe appearance.<ref name=Herwig139/> In 1919, Scheer wrote his memoirs; a year later they were translated and published in English. He wrote his autobiography in 1925. Scheer died at [[Marktredwitz]]. He is buried in the municipal cemetery at [[Weimar]]. The admiral was commemorated in the renascent ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' by the [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Scheer||2}}, built in the 1930s.