The Arms Race

LO – Identify key features of the arms race

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaRCzkTMolQ

As you know, before World War One began in 1914, many countries were ‘nationalistic’ and wanted to prove they were the best and strongest nation in the world. They did this partly by building up huge empires, especially Britain and France, but another way to prove you were the best was by having the biggest army and the strongest ships (navy). When two or more countries start competing over who has the biggest or strongest armed forces it’s called an ‘arms race’.

• By 1900, Britain was starting to get worried about the growing power and empire of Europe’s newest country, Germany. Germany was building up their navy and Britain was suspicious about why.• In 1906, Britain launched its new battleship, the HMS Dreadnought (the

name means ‘Fear Nothing’). Its guns were so big they could fire a shell (a big bullet) the weight of a car for almost ten miles! It was also the fastest type of battleship in the world.• At first Britain only built a few Dreadnoughts but when Germany

announced they would build four, the British people started saying “We want eight and we won’t wait!”. By 1914, Britain had 29 Dreadnoughts and Germany had 17.

• Between 1870 – 1914, European countries increased the money their spent on their armies by 300%. Many of them introduced conscription, which is when young men over the age of 18 years old are forced to join the army for a few years.• Britain had a small well very well trained army. Britain is an island so

the British navy (warships) was far more important to them. Britain needed a powerful navy to defend its huge empire. A popular song at the time was “Rule Britannia! Britannia Rules the Waves!

• Source A - “You English are mad! Mad, mad, mad…. Germany is a growing empire…..her horizons stretch far away.” – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in an interview for a British newspaper in 1908.

1. What is an ‘arms race’?2. What happened to army spending 1870-1914?3. Why did Britain need a strong navy?4. What was the name of the new battleships and why were

they so impressive?5. Why did Britain make more of these battleships?6. How many did Britain and Germany have in 1914?7. Look at Source B. Which country had the biggest army?8. Read Source A. How do you think the British felt reading

that interview in 1908?9. How do you think this arms race made war more likely?10.How many examples of nationalism are mentioned on this

sheet?

HMS New Zealand was launched in 1911, the ship was funded by the government of New Zealand as a gift to Great Britain. The ship cost £1.7 million(equivalent to $265 million in 2013)The ship was sold for scrap metal in 1922. The people of New Zealand did not finish paying for the ship until 1934