The Influence of Dreadnoughts on the Outcome of the First World War- Part 2

Patrick Harris - 
The Kiel Canal


Dreadnoughts did not affect the outcome of the First World War due to four main reasons, the second of these being the geographic limitations of the North Sea. With the building of the Kiel Canal, the Imperial German Navy could easily maneuver between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, evading the British Fleet out of Scapa Flow, Scotland, which could be off the Danish coast in hours: “The canal, built between 1887 and 1895, initially served German military needs by eliminating the necessity for ships to travel northward around the Danish peninsula. It was enlarged between 1907 and 1914 to accommodate large naval ships.” Clarke. (2012) The Encyclopedia Britannica.Clark goes on the say that: “The canal constitutes the safest, most convenient, shortest, and cheapest route between the two seas.” Clarke. (2012) The Encyclopedia Britannica. The canal was built to allow German warships to easily maneuver out of reach of the British; this resulted in less major naval confrontations being fought, reducing the effectiveness of the dreadnought during the First World War.