ABSTRACT
The contest between Great Britain and Germany for mastery in Europe and command of the seas shaped the course and outcome of the two great wars of the first half of the twentieth century. In the period before the First World War, Winston Churchill played a leading role in directing British policy and strategy in this contest with Germany. At the Admiralty, Churchill was at the centre of political controversy with regard to naval defence. An examination of Churchill’s tenure as first lord of the Admiralty before the First World War presents an opportunity to explore the politics of defence in an open society. Winston Churchill, who was home secretary from 19 February 1910 to 24 October 1911, went to the Admiralty in the aftermath of the Agadir crisis that embroiled Europe during summer 1911. The crisis showed the imminent danger facing Britain from Germany. War, or so it seemed, could be provoked by Germany with little warning.
