The Naval Race

What was the naval race?

The naval race was a competition between Germany and Britain to have naval supremacy. The race was 'run' between 1906 and 1914.

Why did Germany want to challenge the British navy and start the naval race?

Britain relied on its navy to keep sea routes open to its empire and protect its economic interests. Germany wanted to become a world power, and Britain saw this as a threat to its own empire.

What ships were the focus of the naval race?

In 1906 Britain launched a new battleship, HMS Dreadnought. It was the most advanced warship of the time: faster, more heavily armoured and with bigger guns than previous warships. Germany built its own dreadnoughts, which led to a naval arms race between the two countries.

Who won the naval race?

Between 1906 and 1914 Britain built 29 dreadnoughts, compared with Germany's 17.