Des Quinn and Martin Williams Press ‘ESC’ at any time to stop the presentation

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 % worked within agriculture by 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 Britain and France combined had 1,578,000 regular soldiers available to fight in a war in 1914.

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 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?

Type of shipBritainGermany Dreadnought Old battleships Battle-cruisers Cruisers Light cruisers Destroyers and MTB’s Submarines 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 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