The importance of industrialization in WW1 is often underestimated because it doesn’t define the actual military strength. But around the middle of the 19th century, the definition of a strong economy changed and became more like what we know now. It was now define by the iron, steel and coat production. This impact all the wars after this moment. Furthermore, the new weaponry were made from those materials for instance since the British were the first to industrialize their power of production was higher than everyone in Europe as we can see in the document Industry War and Power. This greatly impact the dreadnought race between Britain and Germany because even if Germany had a better steel production the head start in industrialization of Britain permitted them to win this race. This also affected the war because of this Germany wasn’t able to pass the Britain’s blockade in the North Sea. This affected World War 1 because Germany couldn’t receive any kind of the maritime supply of goods . Furthermore, Germany relied heavily on imports to feed their population and supply their war industry. So the fact that Britain took the lead in the dreadnought race greatly influence the war and this lead was due to industrialization.
Janicki, David A.”The British Blockade During World War I: The Weapon of Deprivation.” Inquiries Journal. vol.6 no. 06, 2014,http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/899/the-british-blockade-during-world-war-i-the-weapon-of-deprivation, 9 September 2017.
Charles,
I like how you made a connection between industrialization and the naval arms’ race between Germany and Britain. I did not think to look for a link between the industrial revolution and both countries’ ability to build Dreadnoughts. It makes sense from Britain’s point of view that they decided to block German access to the war fronts through the North Sea, as it put them at a great disadvantage if they needed to help their troops. To what extent do you think Weltpolitik affect Germany’s late start to industrialization? Maybe their priorities were in expanding their territory so much that they did not think to try to develop technologically? Either way, this was well thought.
Thank you for the insight,
Tidiane
Hi,
I really liked how you connected the industrial revolution and economics into the reason of why the allies, particularly Britain, were better at warfare than the Central Powers. It is really nice how you tied the subject of the head start to the industrial revolution that the British had over the Germans, and how it helped them to bleed them and ultimately defeat the Germans.
It’s interesting to think about how large of an effect industrialization has on so many aspects of the world. This definitely explains a lot about why Britain had such a great influence on the war, and how they were able to have things like an immensely large navy. I liked how you also mentioned the arm’s race between Germany and Britain, because it had such a large effect on the course of the first world war.
Hi Charles,
I too agree that making the connection between industrialization and its effect on other pre-WWI developments makes it a thoughtful choice for being historically significant. The post includes just enough information to provide some historical context. In future posts, consider incorporating specific data to show relevant detail, rather than generally referencing a document.
Hey Charles!
I have to agree, the connection you made between industrialization and the effects it had on WWI developments is very valid and clearly highlights the significance of it. I found your insight very interesting, and like some other people, I did not put so much consideration into this.