Introduction

The building of the German navy would affect the attitude of other naval Powers towards Germany. The growth of the German navy, the change in the relationship of the Powers, made the ‘two-Power standard’ an unsuitable measure. The foreign policy of Germany was one of the causes of the agreement; the German navy had as yet little to do with the matter. The German Foreign Office, against the judgement of the Emperor, used the Moroccan question to test, and, if possible, to break, the Anglo-French entente. The language used by the large body of naval enthusiasts in Germany, the wording of the introduction to the Navy Law of 1900, the debates in the Reichstag contradicted the view that the German navy was not a menace to Great Britain. Public opinion in Great Britain was less submissive to authority and less ready to listen to official propaganda than public opinion in Germany; there was also less interest in foreign politics.