German High Seas Fleet Armistice of 11 November 1918: High Seas Fleet undefeated in battle. Germany must surrender most of its ships to Allies. High Seas Fleet interned at Scapa Flow. Fleet scuttled by German naval officers on 21 June 1919 due to fear of resumption of war. During negotiations of Treaty of Versailles. Great Britain and France require Germany to relinquish control of the rest of its Navy.

German Battleship Bayern Scuttled at Scapa Flow - 21 June 1919

German Battle Cruiser Hindenburg Scuttled at Scapa Flow

Treaty of Versailles -- 1919 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson Attempts to use U.S. power to ensure peace in Europe. Germany Forced to follow military limitations and pay reparations. Wilson's “Fourteen Points” Second Point Freedom of the seas and illegality of blockades. British opposition. Self-Determination for European peoples. League of Nations: Republican U.S. Senate rejects due to isolationist sentiments. strong level of self-determination for people of central and eastern Europe -- new independent countries, Czech, Yugo, Poland, Austria and Hungary split up Also, Finland, Baltic states Turkey gives up possessions outside terr it now has fear of leading U.S. into foreign entanglements; weakens Democrat Wilson's chance in 1920 election

The British Royal Navy Several desires for the Royal Navy: Maintain naval predominance in the face of the challenge from the U.S. Navy. Avoid a naval construction race with the U.S. Navy. Destruction of the German High Seas Fleet. Opposed Wilson's principle of freedom of the seas. Advantage of dominant fleet would be relinquished. Attempted to deter the U.S. from adopting a large building program. Second of 14 points rejected by Britain - (no unilateral blockade) - Brits have strongest Navy, don’t want to give up the option Ger Fleet scuttled at Scapa flow by Ger officers

The Japanese Imperial Navy Seized German Pacific possessions early in WW I. Island groups in central Pacific. Chinese port facilities. Engaged in a major naval building program. Designed to give Japan naval dominance in the western Pacific to protect expansion. Cannot afford an arms race with U.S. Insufficient resources and capabilities.

The U.S. Navy Woodrow Wilson Opposes British rejection of Second of the Fourteen Points. Major naval building program begins - 1919. Naval Act of 1916 continued and expanded. Emphasis back on capital ships. Need for a large fleet to protect both coasts. Construction planned to rival and eclipse the Royal Navy. American people seek a “Return to Normalcy”. Do not support a Navy “second to none”. Republican Congress supports disarmament. Republican President Warren G. Harding elected in 1920. Wilson’s building program disapproved. (Stress the relation between foreign policy and naval policy.) When Brit rejects freedom of the seas, Wilson asks for a large bldg. Program holds larger Am fleet over Brits to get them to support the League of Nations but - bldg program rejected by congress and League rejected by Senate

Washington Naval Conference -- 1921-22 Issues for U.S. Security of possessions in the Pacific. Dislike of Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902. (Potential threat to U.S. interests in the Far East) End to the naval arms race. Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes Dramatic proposal for disarmament: Immediate 10-year “Holiday” on construction of new capital ships. Scrapping of ships already commissioned. Designed for appeasement of Congress. (Determined to cut military spending after WW I)

Washington Naval Conference

Five Power Naval Limitation Treaty U.S., Britain, Japan, France, Italy Capital ship tonnage ratio of 5-5-3-1.7-1.7 Limits on displacement and caliber of guns on capital ships. No limit to cruisers, destroyers, submarines Non-fortification of Pacific possessions.

Effects of the Five Power Treaty

Effects of the Five Power Treaty

Other Treaties Four-Power Pact Nine-Power Treaty U.S., Great Britain, Japan, and France. Terminates the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902. Respect Far Eastern possessions of other countries. Mutual consultation in crisis. Nine-Power Treaty U.S., Great Britain, Japan, France, Italy, China, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Guarantees “Open Door” in China. Freedom of trade for all countries. Preserved status quo Temporarily stabilized relationships in Pacific

Geneva Conference of 1927 U.S. hopes to extend 5-5-3 ratio to cruisers. Different types of ships: U.S. -- fewer, bigger cruisers. Britain -- more, smaller cruisers. Britain, France and Japan oppose limits. No agreement is reached.

London Conference of 1930 Cruisers reclassified: Heavy > 6.1” guns. Light < 6.1” guns. U.S., Britain, Japan, France, and Italy. Results: U.S.-British parity in all types of vessels. Increased Japanese ratio in cruisers and destroyers to 10:10:7. Japanese parity in submarines. France and Italy do not participate. Ban on new capital ships extended until 1936.

Hirohito Emperor of Japan World War II

Other Conferences Geneva Conference of 1932 Complete failure. Japan resists. Invasion of Manchuria. France resists. Hitler and Nazi party emerging in Germany. Second London Naval Conference of 1936 Britain already allows Germany 35% of tonnage and parity in submarines - 1935 agreement. Mild limitations on size of naval craft proposed. Italy and Japan do not sign. Effective end of naval limitations.