Dreadnought: Introduction (Part 1)

Introduction: Sea Power of Britain (Part 1)

Hey there! Peter here! I am currently reading the book about the naval competition between Britain and Germany before the second world war. I am reading this because I thought that this book will help me understand the conflict of the 'Great War' better. Here is the introduction (summed up):

From the early 18th to early 20th century the British Empire ruled 1/4 of the globe with the help of... its navy. Britain has the strongest navy at that time with no major competition. Its ships are the best in the world. The most famous type of British ships are called 'Ship of the Line'. However, how did the British become this powerful?

HMS Victory, British flagship that belonged to famous Admiral Horatio Nelson.

The British became more powerful than ever after its glorious victory at Trafalgar against the Spanish and French. Nelson's victory at Trafalgar opened a gateway for the British naval supremacy to dominate the globe. Britain had the largest navy in the world. With the help of its navy, the British empire had the population of 372 million people and 11 million square miles. From Canada to Australia, the British ruled it all, giving the empire the name of 'The sun never sets'. And again, all this land were won through its sea power. The world respected British Empire as a 'sea empire' with British ships sailing all over the globe.

The British Empire

Soon, the new country of Germany will challenge its naval supremacy...