The Royal Navy was stripped of much of its power. In the inter-war period, the Washington and London Naval Treaties imposed the scrapping of some capital ships and limitations on new construction. The introduction of convoys brought the U-boat threat under control. Unrestricted submarine warfare raised the prospect of Britain being starved into submission in 1917. The most serious danger to the British Navy and merchant fleet came from the attacks of German U-boats. During the Dardanelles Campaign against the Ottoman Empire in 1915, the Royal Navy suffered heavy losses during an attempt to break through the system of minefields and shore batteries defending the straits. The Royal Navy had established a blockade of Germany, closed off access to the English Channel, and mined the North Sea. In 1889, Parliament passed the Naval Defence Act, which formally adopted the 'two-power standard', which stipulated that the Royal Navy should maintain a number of battleships at least equal to the combined strength of the next two largest navies.ĭuring the First World War, the British advantage proved insurmountable, leading the German navy to abandon any attempt to challenge British dominance. In 1859, the fleet was estimated to number about 1000 vessels. Due to British leadership in the Industrial Revolution, unparalleled shipbuilding capacity, and financial resources, British naval warfare underwent a comprehensive transformation, brought by steam propulsion, metal ship construction, and explosive munitions. The French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars saw the Royal Navy reach a peak of efficiency, dominating the navies of all adversaries, which spent most of the war blockaded in ports.īetween 18, the Navy saw little serious action, owing to the absence of any opponent strong enough to challenge its dominance. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Royal Navy was the largest navy in the world and maintained ascendancy over its rivals through superiority in financing, tactics, training, organization, hygiene, dockyard facilities, logistical support, and warship design and construction.
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