The late Victorian Royal Navy was built for operations around the world, while the prewar fleet increasingly concentrated on Germany and the North Sea. By 1916 planners could foresee that Germany might no longer be the next principal opponent, yet they could not confidently identify who would be. France and Italy looked unlikely, the United States possessed formidable industrial potential but uncertain political appetite, and Japan and Russia were current allies with different long-term implications. That uncertainty restored the value of mobile, globally deployable forces for deterrence and presence, helping explain the later emphasis on the Admiral-class and G3 battlecruiser designs.
Notable Point · 12:04-16:13
From a worldwide fleet to a North Sea fleet
British construction shifted toward a Germany-focused North Sea war before 1914, then returned to worldwide reach as planners contemplated the postwar threat.