Revisited 9: The Anglo-German Naval Arms Race - War Plans
Summary
This episode explores pre-WWI naval war plans, detailing how the Royal Navy shifted its primary threat focus from France and Russia to Germany after 1904. It examines the evolution of battlecruiser roles, the debate over close versus distant blockades, and the strategic implications of emerging technologies like torpedoes and submarines. The discussion highlights how the British adoption of a distant blockade inadvertently thwarted German attrition strategies, while also addressing misconceptions regarding invasion threats and the limited pre-war focus on unrestricted submarine warfare.
Topics discussed
Sponsorship: Silicon Valley Bank and 1st Citizens Bank
Introduction to Episode 9: Anglo-German Naval Arms Race
Overview of Naval War Planning and Key Functions
The Royal Navy's Four Primary Functions
Shift in Threat Perception from France/Russia to Germany
Evolution of War Plan Germany (W1) and Aggressive Tactics
Challenges in Planning Amidst Changing Fleets and Politics
Battlecruisers: Original Concept and Role as Cruiser Hunters
German Battlecruisers and the Shift to Scouting Roles
Queen Elizabeth Class and Reorganization of Battlecruiser Roles
Invasion Threats: Navy vs Army Perspectives and German Views
Sponsorship: Silicon Valley Bank and 1st Citizens Bank
Commerce Protection: Convoy Systems and Merchant Ship Safety
Auxiliary Cruisers and German Ocean Liner Conversion Plans
Coal Logistics and the Limits of German Commerce Raiding
Submarine Threats: Pre-War Assumptions and Countermeasures
Close Blockade Strategy and the Torpedo Threat
Mines, Attrition, and the Fisher-Beresford Feud
Transition to Distant Blockade and Strategic Implications
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