Figure 1.-- The Europeans at the time of World War were engaging in a massively expensive arms race. Britain was not building a major aemy, but it was spnding massively on Dreadnooughts for the Royal Navy because of German spending on its new High Seas Fleet. Dreadnoughts were hugely expesive. Britain had no majr issues with Germany and he Royal Famiy had family ties. But Britain did have ussues with any country supressing its naval supremecy. The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and ironworks located at Leamouth Wharf. The company was founded as the Ditchburn and Mare Shipbuilding Company (1837). The yard had an impressive history. The company produced the iron work use in Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge over the Tamar (1850s). It also produced the first all-iron warship--'HMS Warrior' (1860). The United States followed with the mpore advanced 'Moinitor', but only because of the Civil War (1862). The comoany produced 144 naval and many other vessels. he last Royal Navy ship was launched (1911). The company petitioned Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, about the lack of new orders (1911). Receiving no response, the yard closed (1912). he photo shows the children of the shipyard workers in 1911 during a rally staged vappropriately in Trafalgar Square, London, to demand new orders from the Admiralty.

Britain after the defeat of Napoleon (1815) emerged as the world's most powerful nation. Britain using the Royal Navy led the way in the abolition of slavery--the first country to do so. After losing its American colonies, Britain proceed to build the world's largest empire with India at its core. The industrial revolution began in Britain (mid-18th century). Industry remained the world's leading industrial power for more than a century. Prince Albert's Great Exhibition showcased British industry (1850). British industry was eclipsed by both America and Germany (late-19th century). Britain remained a financial powerhouse. It was also a key scientific and technological center. British scientists led the world until Germany at the turn of the century emerged as the world's technological powerhouse. There was also the perversion of science. Herbert Spencer promoted social Darwinism, something Darwin never argued, which provided a supposed scientific basis for racism. Rudyard Kipling spoke of the white man's burden. These ideas developed great currency throughout Europe and America. Steam power not only brought the first railroads to Britain, but greatly improved maritime transport to the colonies. Britain had avoided most of the most severe domestic unrest of the Continent because of social reforms adopted during the Victorian era. Here Prince Albert was a leading advocate. The Revolutions of 1848 which rocked Europe were limited to the relatively modest Chartist movement in Britain. Reform bills enlarged the suffrage, lowered food prices (the Corn Laws) and gradually expanded free public education. Here Britain lagged behind America and Germany because of the continued opposition of the landed aristocracy. Britain was one of the country's where the woman's suffrage movement was the strongest, along with America. The power of Britain's monarchy had been curbed as a result of the English Civil War (1642-51) which among other inputs was a major factor in the development of democratic institutions in America--in sharp contrast to French and Spanish colonies. During the Victorian era, Britain emerged as a modern democratic nation with two competing political parties, the Conservatives and Liberals. The established church was the Anglican Church of England, but often congregations were small and lacked vitality. Many of the dissenting churches (Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quakers) had more real following. Catholics, especially Catholics in Ireland faced many barriers. Britain managed to avoid a another war with America after the War of 1812. Prince Albert was a force in keeping Britain neutral during the American Civil War. Without this the history of the 20th century would have been very different. Relations gradually improved with France despite occasional colonial flareups like Fashoda. Britain's primarily rivalry during the Late 19th century with Russia--the Great Game in Central Asia to protect India. Britain signed a naval treaty with Japan to counter the Russians. The focus on Germany only began when Kaiser Wilhelm began building build a major high seas fleet. There was no real reason for Germany to do this, except that the Kaiser aspired for the prestige of having powerful naval vessels. Unlike France and Germany, there were o real issues separating the British and Germans. Britain's primary military force was the Royal Navy. And this challenge to Britain significantly affected public opinion and Government assessments. Unlike the Continental powers, Britain maintained no large army or there was military conscription until well into World War I (1916). Britain had no participated in a continental war for a century and there was no desire to do so again. The one likely development likely to trigger involvement was German occupations of the low countries, especially Belgium with ports that could threaten Britain. But the Germans who ignored the impact of building a High Seas Fleet, also ignored British sensitivity toward the Low Countries. The German War Plan (the Schlieffen Plan) was premised on attacking France through Belgium. The German focus was on military operations, ignoring diplomacy. Bismark's concern with diplomacy was why Kaiser Wilhelm II eased him into retirement (1890). Until this point, Britain had more issues with Russia than Germany. And colonial differences with France. The Fashoda Incident almost resulted in actual combat in the Sudan (1898). The German focus on military arms over diplomacy is same dynamic which would also lead to Germany bringing America into the War (1917). It would proved to be Germany's undoing, amazingly repeated again by another disastrous Germany leader (1941). British Ambassador E. Goschen called on German Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg who expressed his astonishment that Britain would go to war over a scrap of paper -- the treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality (August 4, 1914). 【Hull】

Sources

Hull, Isabel V. A Scrap of Paper: Breaking and Making International Law during the Great War (2014).

Created: 9:01 PM 11/4/2024
Last updated: 9:01 PM 11/4/2024