Risking Strategic Prioritization for the UK and USA

Fitting for the sovereign of the seas, Queen Victoria’s 1897 Diamond Jubilee climaxed in a display of naval power. At the Spithead Review on June 26, an armada of 165 warships saluted Prince Edward. Against these brave proceedings, Rudyard Kipling struck a discordant note. “Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire,” his Recessional prophesied. Naval intelligence confirmed his forebodings. 92 years after Trafalgar in 1805, British naval mastery was ebbing. In 1883, the British fleet possessed as many battleships as all others combined. By 1897, the ratio was 2:1 against it. Strategic insolvency threatened: British squadrons were too few, too far apart, and facing too many adversaries to protect vital interests, a situation greatly exacerbated by Germany’s pursuit of a battle fleet in the North Sea.