British fears were unwarranted.
The French Navy was larger than the German at the time of the war. Let alone during the buildup. Germany had practically zero navy in 1870, and even by 30 years later was far inferior to even Russia.
That they would ally with France to protect their naval supremacy is bizarre, they had just spent close to 30 years battling them to reach naval supremacy in the first place.
Germany needed a navy in the Baltic to control the straits and protect their shores.
“Germany’s military caste was at its inception”
As a unified state, that is.
British fears were unwarranted.Cornel
The French Navy was larger than the German at the time of the war. Let alone during the buildup.When war broke out France had 12 effective predreadnoughts, 5 semidreadnoughts, 4 dreadnoughts with another 8 building (only 3 would be completed)
Germany had 15 effective predreadnoughts, 19 dreadnoughts with another 8 building (7 would be completed)
Germany had practically zero navy in 1870, and even by 30 years later was far inferior to even Russia.in 1870 Turkey was a major naval power. 30 years later the Turkish Navy was about 3 ships that had actually been in service back than.
And yes in 1900, the German Navy about the a same size as the US Navy. But that was when both those Navies began expansion. (1908 Great White Fleet ring any bells?)
That they would ally with France to protect their naval supremacy is bizarre, they had just spent close to 30 years battling them to reach naval supremacy in the first place."Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests." - Lord Palmerston (England's Greatest Prime Minister)
Yes England had spent 30 years maintaining the Two-Power Standard (effectively a Navy equal to the combined strenght of France and Russia). It could do so by its ability to design and build ships. But unlike the French, German yards could turn out a ship almost as fast as British ones. So Germany was now the contender.
And an opportunity arose. From 1902 to 1905 France had an anti-navy Minister of the Navy, who cancelled both ship building and modernisation (France would not lay down a single battleship between 1902 and 1907). So by 1905 France was not only no longer a naval threat, they were looking for a new best friend who would look kindly on France's colonial operations. And in 1904/5 the Russia Navy was also removed from consideration.
Leading to a change in British naval policy from "Two-Power" to "Germany +60%".
Germany needed a navy in the Baltic to control the straits and protect their shores.I LOL'd. Germany needed a Navy two-third's the size of the every Ocean Royal Navy to control the Baltic?