Des Quinn and Martin Williams

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Between 1870 and 1910 the population of Germany had

risen from 24 million to 65 million.

By 1914 Germany was producing 17, 000,000 tons of

steel every year.

40% of the population worked in industry by 1910.

35% worked within agriculture by 1910.

Germany and Austria combined had 2,400,000 regular

soldiers available to fight in a war in 1914.

The population of Great Britain in 1914 was approx. 41,

500,000

By 1914 Britain was producing 7,000,000 tons of steel

every year.

Britain made £1,223 million out of foreign trade in 1914.

Britain and France combined had 1,578,000 regular

soldiers available to fight in a war in 1914.

0

5

10

15

20

Tonnes

1 2 3 4

Years

Steel Production in millions of tonnes

United Kingdom

Germany

1890 1900 1908 1913

Reginald McKenna, First Lord of the Admiralty, stated in 1909

that Germany was accelerating her ship building programme

and that the German navy was expanding at an alarming rate.

Many articles began appearing in British newspapers claiming

that Germany was deliberately preparing to destroy the

British Empire.

McKenna later became Home Secretary (1911) and was in this

role when World War One broke out in 1914. What effect do you think this type of news would have

had on the citizens of the British Empire?

Why would many people, including politicians, have

listened carefully to McKenna’s views?

What do images such as this one

from 1910 tell you about Britain’s

attitude towards her navy and the

naval race?

The Caption reads: Our Silent Navy.

Our Dreadnoughts. Sherlock Holmes (Ship’s Corporal)Image courtesy of M. Williams

“We stand in a crisis of national peril such as for two

hundred years has never threatened us in peace or

war. By an act of moral treachery, which would justify

us in armed reprisals now, a foreign power has

doubled its naval programme in secret, and has

gained a six month start in a conspiracy against our

life. We must fight before 1910, while we have a full

margin of power in our hands, or build eight

dreadnoughts now. There is no other way.”The editor of the Observer, J.L. Garvin, 1909

Think about the language used within this article. Also, consider where it appears.

Do you think that this article would spread fear amongst many people within the United Kingdom.

How?

The Naval Race

0

5

10

15

20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Years

Nu

mb

er

of

Dre

ad

no

ug

hts

b

uil

t

Number of BritishDreadnoughts

Number of GermanDreadnoughts

1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914

Type of ship Britain Germany

DreadnoughtOld battleshipsBattle-cruisersCruisersLight cruisersDestroyers and MTB’sSubmarines

18408584430078

1322573414428

Sources: John Welham, Britain and the Great War (Folens,1992) and World War One by J.M. Winter (1988)

Number of Dreadnoughts before the outbreak of war

Did Britain seem to have cause to be that worried by

Germany’s naval expansion programme before the war?

Click here to view Dreadnought Battleships

Photographs courtesy of M. Williams

The first Dreadnought to

be built was actually

named ‘H.M.S.

Dreadnought’. It was built

in a year and a day and

was ready for service at

the end of 1906.

H.M.S. Majesty

H.M.S. Malaya

END

How were Germany’s navy portrayed during the war?

Do you find this surprising after the naval scare? How do you explain this change in attitude?

Image courtesy of M. Williams