This book thoroughly explores and analyses naval policy during the period of austerity that followed the First World War. During this post-war period, as the Royal Navy identified Japan its likely opponent in a future naval war, the British Government was forced to "tighten its belt" and cut back on naval expenditure in the interests of "National Economy". G.H. Bennett draws connections between the early 20th century and the present day, showing how the same kind of connections exist between naval and foreign policy, the provision of ships for the Royal Navy, business and regional prosperity and employment.
The Royal Navy in the Age of Austerity 1919-22 engages with a series of important historiographical debates relating to the history of the Royal Navy, the failures of British Defence policy in the inter-war period and the evolution of British foreign policy after 1919, together with more mundane debates about British economic, industrial, social and political history in the aftermath of the First World War. It will be of great interest to scholars and students of British naval history.
This groundbreaking book catches the nuanced interplay between naval, diplomatic, and imperial factors centering on the Anglo-Japanese Naval Alliance of 1919-21. Previously ignored Whitehall battles concerning the proposed G-3 battle cruiser programme and their real importance in the run-up to the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-1922 receive significant attention. Bennett vigorously asserts the hitherto underrated success of the 1921 Pax-Anglo-Americana and the agreement to build two capital ships as significant victories for the Royal Navy. Sadly, political developments in the 1930s now obscure our understanding of these very real achievements. An essential read for students and specialists of military history.
