Before the First World War, Anglo-German competition over ship numbers formed part of a wider international contest over naval design. Britain, Italy, the United States, Japan, and occasionally Austria-Hungary competed over engineering and capability. Germany placed less emphasis on pushing the engineering limits because the navy wanted to contain costs and avoid a political fight with the army. The army's stronger political position constrained what naval leaders could demand. A later German building programme would likewise have prompted competing foreign programmes.
Notable Point · 31:12-32:12
The naval race before 1914 combined ship numbers and design competition
Competition over fleet size was only one part of the pre-1914 naval race, alongside international design rivalry and domestic limits on German naval spending.