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At the end of the 1870-1 Franco-Prussian war, the French Navy began
to reconstruct its fleet, replacing old generation warships with
steam-powered and iron-hulled men-of-war. However, the process was
slow and erratic since priority was initially given to the Army.
Additionally, the establishment of the Third Republic led to a long
period of political and economic instability which affected naval
and shipbuilding policy. French naval yards and private shipyards
were committed to build a fleet of ironclads, cruisers and minor
vessels and led France to become the second European naval power,
at least quantitatively. The rise of the Jeune cole' (Young School)
strategic naval concept in the early 1880s then changed
shipbuilding priorities, and emphasis was given to coastal torpedo
boats and cruisers while the construction of battleships was
slowed. As a consequence, the French Navy implemented the
dreadnought concept later than other European naval powers, namely
Great Britain and Germany. The 1904 Entente Cordiale contributed to
yet further radical changes to foreign, naval and shipbuilding
policies, so that at the outbreak of World War One the French fleet
was populated with limited dreadnoughts, many obsolete armoured
cruisers, an impressive array of torpedo boats and a fleet of
submarines whose efficiency was however questionable. The book
provides a complete overview of the French Navy from the
establishment of the Third Republic to the end of World War One.
French foreign and naval policy, shipyards and industrial
organisation, technological innovations, operations and
shipbuilding programmes are all described in the first part of the
volume, while the second and larger part is focused on the
different categories of warships, including their qualitative and
quantitative evolution during the period of 1871-1918 and their
employment during the Great War. A chapter is also dedicated to
naval aviation. Superbly illustrated with rare and carefully
selected photographs, this major new reference book paints a clear
and detailed overview of the French navy during this era and will
stand as a vital companion to French Warships in the Age of Steam
1859-1914 published by Seaforth.
The fast and formidably-armed battlescruisers of Great Britain and
Germany that were developed before and during the First World War
are, in this new book, compared and contrasted in a way, and at a
level of detail that has never been attempted before. The authors
begin by looking at the relationship and rivalry between Great
Britain and Germany and at how foreign policy, strategic and
tactical considerations, economic, industrial and technological
developments, and naval policies led to the instigation of the
battlecruiser programmes in both countries. Chapters are then
devoted to the development of the type in each country, at their
design and construction, protection, propulsion plants, weapons,
fire control, and communication systems, focussing particularly on
the innovative aspects of the designs and on their strengths and
weaknesses. These ships eventually clashed in the North Sea at
Dogger Bank, in January 1915, and while neither side suffered
losses, the differences in their design and handling were apparent,
differences that would be more starkly highlighted a year later at
Jutland when three British ships were destroyed.These actions, and
others they took part in, are described and assessed by the authors
who then conclude by analysing their strengths and limitations.
This is a major new work for naval enthusiasts everywhere.
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