Britain could outbuild Germany, but a global empire dependent on maritime trade required the Royal Navy to project strength across many theaters. British pressure also forced German naval spending into direct competition with the army, a political contest the navy was unlikely to win. Queen Elizabeth had to strengthen Britain's numerical victory over Germany while remaining a measured step in the separate Anglo-American-Italian competition over battleship quality. The design served a strategy that reached beyond an individual ship's armor, guns, and speed.
Notable Point · 26:03-30:03
Global commitments and the strategy of the naval race
Britain's global trade commitments and Germany's army-first budget politics explain why Queen Elizabeth had to win without provoking the wrong kind of competition.