Anglo German Rivalry to 1914

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Anglo- German Rivalry to 1914
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The Conventional View

• Economic Rivalry
• 1885 German economic growth 2x Britain
• 1900 Germany fast becoming largest economy in
• Europe and 2nd only to USA

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The Conventional View

• Colonial Rivalry
• Japanese Alliance
• Moroccan Crises
• British Ententes with France and Russia
• Sir Edward Grey

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The Conventional View

• Military Rivalry
• Two Power Standard
• Bismarck avoided naval building British
  sensitivity
• 1897 Weltpolitik
• 1898 / 1900 German Navy Laws (Tirpitz)
• Navy League (Britain and Germany)
• Germany already had a much larger army

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The Conventional View

• Military Rivalry
• Tirpitzs aim navy 2/3 size of Britains
• 1906 Dreadnought
• Germany responded naval race began
• By 1912, Britain would have 16, Germany 13
• 1909 RN asked Asquith for a further 8
• Germany was laying down the keels

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The Conventional View

• Military Rivalry
• Public support for navy was strong
• But Liberals were committed to spending on social
  reform
• Attempts made by Lord Haldane to end the naval
  race
• But, 1911-14, Ger built 11, Br 12.

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The Conventional View

• Explanations
• Germany Sammlungspolitik to bring together
• Flottenpolitik
• Britain Public support for Navy / Empire
• Germanophobia fuelled by press

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The Conventional View

• Conclusion
• Therefore, in 1914 Britain Germany went to war
  because.
• Colonial rivals
• Economic rivals
• Military rivals

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The Alternative View

• Economic Rivalry

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Alternative View

• Economic Rivalry

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Alternative View

• Economic Rivalry
• British wealth built on banking an finance
  Germany not a serious competitor
• German industrial growth contributed to British
  growth inter-dependence of economies
• Berlin-Baghdad Railway
• China

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Alternative view

• Colonial Rivalry

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Alternative View

• Colonial Rivalry
• Most colonial skirmishes between Britain and
  Germany were minor, e.g. Samoa
• Most skirmishes end in agreement, e.g. Morocco
• India and Egypt never affected
• Co-operation e.g. Portuguese colonies
• France and Russia major concerns

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Alternative View

• Military Rivalry
• Ratio of British-German warship tonnage

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Alternative View

• Military Rivalry (Navy 1914)

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Alternative View

• Military Rivalry (militarisation)

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Alternative View

• Military Rivalry (defence spending as of GNP)
• 1939 Germany 20
• 1984 Britain 5 SU 15

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Alternative View

• Conclusion
• Germany was a land power (1914 Ger. 761K Br.
  2.5K)
• Two Power Standard broken by USA Germany
  (1909), but not allies no prospect of being so
• Britain easily won the naval race by 1912
• Naval rivalry ends 2 years before war in 1914
• Compared to WWII / Cold War, military spending by
  all European states was very low