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German Economic Growth

After the Franco-Prussian war and the unification of the Prussian states into the German nation, the German economy was boosted and a period of rapid industrialisation followed. The population was young, ever growing and increasingly interested in politics. Military control was growing and it was not just the economy which was expanding; colonial aspirations and imperialism also grew in this period.

1

Military Spending

Between the years 1870 and 1914 military spending by the European powers grew by an enormous 300%. This funding was used to develop new and more powerful weapons, such as howitzers, mortars and machine guns. Extensive railroads were also built. These were intended to make the process of mobilisation as fast as possible. It was also significant that Conscription became widely adopted. Conscription meant the compulsory calling up of troops to serve in the army, whether they wanted to or not.

2

British Naval Build Up

The British naval policy called the “Two Power Standard” meant Britain would maintain a fleet which could fight any two navies in the world at once. Britain was initially unconcerned by the German naval build up under Wilhelm II. However, in 1900 Germany intended to double her fleet by the year 1916 and this caused Britain to be worried. Britain therefore introduced the “Dreadnought” battleship and created the North Sea Fleet in order to protect herself from German aggression.

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German Naval Build Up

Wilhelm II, as well as Admiral Tirpitz, saw Germany’s future prowess and glory as being on the seas. They therefore passed a series of Naval Laws in 1898 and 1900 to create a powerful German Battle Fleet. The naval build up actually had a positive impact on the German economy. However, the policy was interpreted by Britain as nothing short of a desire for world domination.

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Battle Of The Dreadnoughts

Admiral John Fisher, leader of the British Royal Navy, began building imposing battle ships known as “Dreadnoughts”. These were designed to be able to out-gun and out-race all existing battle ships. They were kitted out with armour plating, 12 inch guns with a range of 32km and had a top speed of 21 knots. Germany responded to the creation of these super-warships by building their own Dreadnoughts. Britain could not allow herself to be outgunned by Germany, so she increased the pace of her ship building programme. By 1914 Britain had 21 Dreadnoughts; Germany had 17.

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Tirpitz & Fisher

Admiral Alfred Von Tirpitz was the German Grand Admiral from 1891 and Secretary of the Navy 1897 – 1916. He had a strong sense of militarism and was an ardent (fierce) supporter of the German Battle Fleet. His counterpart in Britain was Admiral John Fisher, who was responsible for strengthening the British Royal Navy and creating the Dreadnought battleships.

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