To Fight or Not to Fight: Britains Dilemma and the Great War - Essay Example

Rachel Clausen Academia Research 14 December 2005 To Fight or Not to Fight: Britain's Dilemma and the Great War Like any issue in World history, Britain's entrance into World War I has many causes, all as valid as each other. The land scramble following the Balkan Wars, a sense of and simultaneous need for nationalism, British hubris, and Germany's inability to remain content with their minor role on the European playing field all contributed to Britain's necessity to entering World War I. The zeitgeist in Europe preceding World War I gave Britain a sense of invincibility. It also gave her a sense of paranoia regarding the other superpowers. Britain had no desire to share her empire with other European countries, especially countries like France who had been long enemies of the British Empire. If Britain wanted to remain a major world player, she had no choice but to participate in the largest and most major conflict the world had ever seen. Britain's navel supremacy had firmly placed her among the superpowers of Europe, but by 1905, Germany's naval superiority over France and Russia gave Britain reason to distrust her continental neighbour1. After Germany's unification, Kaiser Wilhelm sought to make Germany's navy join its army as the best in the world. "[Kaiser] Wilhelm undertook the creation of a German navy capable of threatening Britain's century-old naval mastery"2. While Germany presented a competitor for the British fleet, but Britain did not fear the German fleet expansion. Though these two formidable fleets stood together in the Crisis of 1914, the knowledge that Germany had Clausen 2 such impressive sea power must have had a psychological effect, no matter how small, on the British pride who had dominated the naval world for so long. Germany planted the seed of distrust, however, three years earlier in Morocco. After the French sent troops into Morocco without the consent of its allies, Germany sent in a naval ship, the Panther to Agadir3. The sending of naval ships served as an insult to Britain, who felt she supplied the alliance with naval might. "Germany had deployed sea power beyond the purlieus of its immediate geographical waters; this was a direct threat to the premier navy in the world"4. Germany appeared to be testing the waters within the alliance to see how much the other countries would allow before retaliation. They would not have to wait long. If Germany had used her established prowess in land combat, Britain would not have reacted as strongly as they did, but it seems deliberate on the part of the Germans to send a message to Britain that her days as the dominant superpower in the alliance would not last. Germany had sent a signal to Britain that had clearly gone to the heart of British Naval pride. After Germany sent her ship to Morocco, prominent politician David Lloyd George warned that Britain needed retain her supremacy within the superpowers at all costs. "'I am also bound to say this-that I believe it is essential in the highest interest, not merely of this country, but of the world, that Britain should at all hazards maintain her place and her prestige amongst the Great Powers of the world'"5. This fatal statement encapsulates the attitude in Britain during this time period. British pride could not allow her to remain neutral or silent. The Industrial Revolution had turned Britain into a proud Clausen 3 nation that knew its navy had no equal. For Germany to suggest otherwise forced Britain into a position where she could not allow Germany's challenge to go unanswered. A smaller, but equally significant incident that caused Britain to suspect German intentions involved only one man. Winston Churchill suggested an armistice on the naval arms race, presumably as a show of good faith to the Germans. His attempt to ease the tension between the two nations served only to increase his distrust of the Germans. They did not reply to his proposal and in the end Churchill did not pursue the matter; rather, he saw it as a warning sign that the days of peaceful co-rule between Germany, France and England was about to end6. As much as the Germans may have expected Britain's outrage at them sending a naval ship to deal with the conflict in Morocco, they did not anticipate that Britain would back France in the Moroccan incident. Britain's alliance with France proved stronger than Germany had anticipated, and the loss of British support in that incident caused a current of tension that would soon boil over. When Britain stated clearly that if Germany fought at Austria-Hungary's side and it came to war with France, Britain would support their French allies7. This appears to have been the final nail in the coffin of diplomatic relations with Germany. Britain had shown her intent to side with France in maintaining the status quo that they had worked so hard to establish8. Germany sought to improve their position within the Alliance and to become stronger than its allies. As Germany moved one step closer to war, Britain had no choice but to go along with it. Clausen 4 Nothing unites a country as well as fighting a common enemy. By the summer of 1914, the schism between Britain's upper class and its working class, as well as the women's suffrage movement, amongst other conflicts, had caused an almost civil war-like situation9. The last thing Britain needed to do was to get involved in a conflict with Germany or France. Of course, the unifying ability of war made getting involved in the war a solution to the internal conflict. The increasing anti-German rhetoric sprouted by the media only served to embolden the government to declare war and use a short conflict with a British victory to unify divided Britain. "Appealing to popular fears and prejudices in order to win circulation, the press seems to have exacerbated hatred and divisions among Europeans"10 The press had already cultivated an environment of hatred and distrust within the British public and the government capitalised on this fear when declaring war. The combination of the need to unify the country with an existing distrust of the Germans made Britain's entrance into World War I as inevitable as it was tragic. Whenever superpowers attempt to cooperate, discord and distrust hover dangerously in the forefront of the government's mind. Hierarchy comes as naturally to governments as milking does to dairy farmers. Europe pre-World War I is no exception. While everything seemed harmonious between the European nations, fissures in the accords between the nations began to appear in the usual places. Long-fought wars and old rivalries made for a distrustful marketplace. Britain grew distrustful of imported goods from Germany. French accents aroused suspicion in Berlin to the point where Clausen 5 twenty-eight people were killed in a witch-hunt that multiplied the tension in Europe11. Deep-seated rivalries and xenophobia contributed to the citizens of Europe growing suspicion of their neighbours. The zeitgeist in England following the Industrial Revolution included pride and a feeling of intense superiority over continental Europe. Britain did not fear going to war with Germany or Austria-Hungary because they thought any war they fought would be short-lived with a guaranteed victory. This hubris contributed to England joining the war, and perhaps also to it staying in the war for so long. Only four days after England entered the Great War, the London Economist wrote that World War I was "'perhaps the greatest tragedy of human history'"12. Though her entrance into the Great War may have been a catastrophe, to stay out of the war would have had a detrimental effect on Britain's place in the world as a major power. During a time period where the competition between European nations had reached a near fever pitch, Britain had no choice but to assert her dominance over her rivals and enemies, both old and new. After the French Revolution, the Balkan Wars, and Britain's own violent and harsh Industrial Revolution, the mood of the time had a definite feeling of aggression. "As A.J.P. Taylor writes: "Men's minds seem to have been on edgein a way they had not bee before, as though they had become unconsciously weary of peace and security'"13 On a continent where every country had fought each other scores of times, the thought of peace seemed unnatural. A war seemed inevitable, but Europe could not have prepared Clausen 6 itself for the magnitude of the war they were about to create. No doubt if any country had known how long, bloody, and ultimately tragic World War I would have become, they would have sent diplomats and not generals. With the unclaimed land area of the world diminishing and the Superpowers ever-scrambling for a bigger piece of the pie, clashes became inevitable. "The British Empire was the wealthiest, most powerful, and largest of the Great Powers. It controlled over a quarter of the land surface and a quarter of the population of the globe, and its navy dominated the world ocean that occupies more than 70 percent of the planet"14. With such competition, the newly founded Germany had to take major risks if it wanted to achieve the power and success of its island neighbour. With such a challenging environment, Germany's decision to claim its portion of the world seems inevitable. The tactics they used to attempt this feat surprised all of Europe. Britain no doubt thought such a newly formed nation could not possibly defeat the might of the greatest empire on earth. This may have been the case if the enemies of Germany had unified, but in squabbling and centuries of war and distrust made unification impossible. The conflict in Northern Africa acted as yet another catalyst for Britain's involvement in World War I. "Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. These countries competed for economic expansion in Africa"15. France's actions in Morocco and Germany and Britain's subsequent responses to those actions show the desire for Clausen 7 each superpower to control as much territory as possible. Their desire to expand not only their economic base, but their strategic bases as well became apparent in the North African scuffle. Though not the main cause of World War I, Germany's desire to become a more important part of European politics and power served as a catalyst to the already agitated Europe. Though Germany and Britain had enjoyed a brief period of cooperation, Germany's desire to become the number one naval force in the world could not be tolerated by Britain. Due to their long history with each other, Britain and Germany's historical paths remained inextricably linked despite their diplomatic efforts. The actions of Germany had a direct impact on Britain's decision to enter the war. Both countries had objectives that could all be obtained through military victory. "For Germany, new economic advantages and the restoration of the European balance which had changed with the weakening of the Triple Alliance and the tightening of the Triple Entente and for England, the destruction of the German naval danger and of Prussian militarism"16. These goals, though potentially achievable through smaller skirmishes and possibly diplomacy over time, Germany's impatience to return to its former greatness gave the situation an air of urgency that only provoked Britain into entering into the war. Germany's naval expansion coupled with its invasion of Belgium provided the final encouragement that Britain needed to enter World War I17. Like spelunkers tied at the waist, England was obliged to defend her allies when enemies attacked. Clausen 8 Though inevitable, Britain's entrance into World War I took provoking by Germany as well as internal catalysts. The desire for more and more land, a desire for nationalism and unity within Britain coupled with pride cultivated after a long peacetime and status as the foremost naval power in the world as well as Germany's desire to obtain more power and control all contributed to Britain entering World War I. The success of the Industrial Revolution in Britain preceding World War I gave The British a sense of invincibility. Britain had no desire to co-rule the world or share her hard earned status with other European countries, especially countries like France who had been long enemies of the British Empire and Germany, who had only just unified and become legitimate. If Britain wanted to hold onto her power, she would have to enter the greatest conflict the world had ever seen, and in doing so would diminish the power and unity she had fought so hard to maintain. Clausen 9 WORKS CITED Fromkin, David, Europe's Last Summer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Strachan, Hew, The First World War. New York: The Penguin Group, 2003. Strachan, Hew, The First World War: Volume I: To Arms. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001. Taylor, A.J.P. Struggle for Mastery in Europe: 1848-1918. London: Oxford University Press, 1954. Websites: Web accessed: 14/12/2005. Karpilovsky, Suzanne, Maria Fogel and Olivia Kobelt, "The Great War: Causes", Pleasant Valley High School, Pico, CA, 1996, < http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/bsilva/projects/great_war/causes.htm> Web accessed: 14/12/2005. Lee, Dwight E., The Outbreak of the First World War: Who Was Responsible. (Boston: D.C. Heath, 1958) 16. Accessed online through Questia on 14/12/2005. < http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=714887>. Access date: 14/12/2005. Wikipedia, "World War I", Wikipedia, 24 April, 2004, . Read More