The Naval Race That Started WWI
February 8, 2026
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21:49Now PlayingThe Naval Race That Started WWI
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Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on modern warfare and naval warfare continues with a video on the Anglo-German naval race prior to the Great War. From Trafalgar’s legacy to the launch of HMS Dreadnought, this video breaks down how sea power shaped the modern world—and why Germany’s attempt to challenge Britain at sea helped push Europe toward catastrophe. We begin with the 19th-century revolution in warship technology: ironclads, steam propulsion, heavier guns, and the rise of the “pre-dreadnought” battleship. Then we meet the ideas that fueled the rivalry, especially Alfred Thayer Mahan’s argument that national greatness depended on decisive fleet battles and maritime supremacy. With Kaiser Wilhelm II determined to make Germany a world power, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz arrives with his “risk theory”: build a fleet strong enough that Britain can’t win without crippling losses. The result is a sequence of Naval Laws that steadily expands Germany’s battleships and cruisers—until Britain responds with the Two-Power Standard, diplomatic realignment, and Admiral “Jacky” Fisher’s sweeping reforms. When Dreadnought launches, the race escalates into panic, propaganda, and political crisis, before attempted diplomacy fails and both powers march toward World War.
How Dreadnought Made Fleets Obsolete
Battle of Tsingtao
Battle of Jutland
Battle of Coronel
Battle of Falklands
Eastern Front of WW2 WeekbyWeek
Eastern Front Podcast
Pacific War
Modern Warfare
Video: Leif Sick
Script: Craig Watson
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Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#Documentary #Navalwarfare #greatwar
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