Tirpitz was born in Küstrin (now Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland) in the Province of Brandenburg, Prussia. He joined the Prussian Navy in 1865 and saw action in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. After the war, he held various staff positions and commands and rose through the ranks.
In 1897, Tirpitz was appointed State Secretary of the Imperial Navy, succeeding Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann. He immediately set about implementing his ambitious plans to expand the German Navy, believing that a strong navy was essential for Germany's national security and economic prosperity.
Under Tirpitz's leadership, the German Navy grew rapidly. The number of battleships and cruisers increased, and new types of warships, such as submarines and destroyers, were introduced. Tirpitz also oversaw the construction of a network of naval bases and dockyards.
Tirpitz's naval expansion program put a strain on Germany's resources and caused tension with Britain, which felt threatened by the growth of the German Navy. In 1906, Britain launched the Dreadnought, a revolutionary new type of battleship that rendered all existing battleships obsolete. Tirpitz responded by ordering the construction of a new class of battleships, the Nassau class, which were armed with more powerful guns and thicker armor than the Dreadnought.
The Anglo-German naval arms race continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The German Navy, under Tirpitz's command, played a significant role in the war, but was ultimately defeated by the Royal Navy.
After the war, Tirpitz retired from the navy and entered politics. He served as a member of the Reichstag from 1924 to 1928 and was a vocal critic of the Weimar Republic. Tirpitz died in Ebenhausen, Bavaria, in 1930.
Tirpitz remains a controversial figure. He is admired by some for his foresight and determination in building up the German Navy, but he is also criticized for his role in the Anglo-German naval arms race and the outbreak of World War I.