Abstract This paper analyzes the roles played by the British and German navies in the early 1900s. The paper claims that. by 1904, Great Britain was so concerned about German naval capabilities that it began to devote more and more of its national budget to military preparedness, in general, and expansion of its naval fleet, in particular. The paper describes Britain's modern armored warship, the 'Dreadnought', and identifies the architect behind the development of the 'Dreadnought,' Admiral Sir John Fisher. The features that made this ship unique and effective in war are outlined in the paper.
From the Paper "This is not to say that Britain was entirely unchallenged, or believed she faced no potential rivals. For much of the nineteenth century France had been the perceived danger, and during the 1870s a technological arms race had broken out between the two countries which had led to the rapid development of the ironclad warship, with the French Gloire ultimately being more than outweighed by the British Warrior. Russia, too, was seen as posing a potential threat to British supremacy, particularly in India and the East. It was increasingly believed that if Britain allowed these powers to outbuild her in naval tonnage the consequences would be disastrous."
Abstract This paper analyzes Massie's book which describes the maritime power used in the First World War. In the book, Massie focuses on one ship in particular, the Dreadnought and its maritime influence on World War I. In addition, the paper discusses many causes of the WWI, the political impact, the arms race and the effect on Europe's population.
From the Paper "Pressure was building for many years in the late 19th century. Strong feelings of nationalism fed the fires of hatred in pre-war Europe. It turned Frenchman against German and Russian against Austrian. Nationalistic speeches and writings (especially in countries like Germany) hastened the war by painting it as the best test for proof of national superiority. These general causes created an atmosphere in Europe which made war almost inevitable. The "Great War" was not caused by megalomaniacs hungry for power as in the case of Mussolini and Hitler during World War II. The origins are more complex. Some say the war was fueled by the naval race between Britain and Germany. Naval warfare had been revolutionized in 1906 when Britain launched the world's first all big-gun battleship: H.M.S. Dreadnought. Before this, battleships had been armed with an array of guns of varying caliber in main, secondary and tertiary batteries. The Dreadnought carried 8 15-inch guns, each capable of firing a 1,920-pound projectile 35,000 yards. Robert K. Massie wrote on the Dreadnought and the maritime influence on World War I. His book suitably titled: Dreadnought – Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War, focuses on these huge ships which changed naval fleets forever. With these new super-power floating war machines, war became inevitable."
Abstract The paper describes the overall reflection of the power of the British Empire in its naval forces. There are various descriptions of the many ways the Royal Navy actually contributed to the rise, reign and eventual fall of the British Empire.
From the Paper "The extraordinary power, strength, and size that made the British Empire one of the greatest the world had ever seen, was mainly due to the success of its maritime forces. From the start, Britain had three major choices in its foreign policy: immersing herself in domestic issues and the power struggle in the continental Europe, remaining away from it by isolating itself (like Japan), or turning to the rest of the world for newer opportunities. The first would leave Britain in the midst of a huge turmoil over land and religion, while the second would strip them of their keen interest in trading as a primary means of accumulating wealth. Logically, this left the third, and the navy was used to explore this option (1). To stay ahead of rivals for the sake of the Empire, the navy was at the forefront of innovations in warfare and maritime technology, which was further encouraged and financed by the Empire. These innovations helped the navy occupy a key position in the success of the British Empire that used the Royal Navy to maintain and strengthen its imperial power. The navy was instrumental not only in policing and opening trade routes, but also in protecting the Empire. All in all, the Royal Navy's innovations in ship building technology, combined with the government's willingness to use the navy for defense and expansion, were the major contributors to the rise and success of the British Empire, economically and territorially."
