The argument contrasts the strategic world of 1814 with that of 1890, when a united Germany could defend itself against French pressure. Britain's dependence on Scandinavian materials had also changed, with steam power reducing the importance of imported mast timber. Colonial competition in Africa made Helgoland useful as a bargaining chip rather than indispensable as a British outpost. Britain could therefore exchange a holding it considered relatively low-cost for wider imperial concessions, while Germany gained a strategically useful and highly visible prize.
Chapter · 7:12-10:05
Why Britain could part with Helgoland in 1890
See how German unification and colonial bargaining made the island seem expendable to Britain.