“The Battleships: The Darkness of the Future (1916-1939)” delivers an intriguing exploration of the ebb and flow of global naval power during the early 20th century, charting the course from the dawn of the Treaty of Versailles through the prelude to the catastrophic second World War.
The morning the Treaty of Versailles was inked remains etched in the annals of naval history for an event unparalleled. The mighty German High Seas Fleet, second in global power only to Britain’s Royal Navy, sunk to a watery grave by its own hands. This act of defiance led to the sudden, silent dissolution of a naval force that had been a beacon of German prowess, all without the firing of a single hostile round.
Yet, the lull that followed was nothing more than the calm before the storm. A clandestine arms race began to brew, as Britain, the United States, and Japan turned their attention to creating the next generation of battleships, imbued with unprecedented size and firepower. This rising tide of militarization was seen by many as the harbinger of another global calamity.
Stepping into this volatile landscape, Charles Evan Hughes, the US Secretary of State at the time, decided to act. Determined to quell this rapidly escalating arms race, Hughes organized the Washington Conference, an ambitious attempt to limit the size and firepower of the world’s navies. The resulting agreements saw numerous battleships sent to scrap, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed that the world might revert to sanity.
A notable fallout of the Washington Agreement was the establishment of America as a naval force equal to Britain, marking a significant shift in the global naval power dynamics. Japan, however, found itself pushed to the status of a ‘second-tier’ naval power, with a fleet notably smaller than those of either Britain or the USA. This relegation sparked resentment within Japan, setting in motion clandestine plans to secretly construct new battleships.
The mid-1930s witnessed a surge in naval development as countries like Italy, Russia, and a resurgent Germany under National Socialist rule began expanding their battle fleets. Notably, Germany brazenly ignored the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, laying down the foundations for a fleet of “pocket battleships” — smaller, yet formidably powerful.
As the page of history turned to September 1st, 1939, the deafening echoes of the first shots of what would become the most devastating global conflict in history, reverberated across the world. It signaled the end of a turbulent era, awash with the silent growth of naval power, and heralded the start of an epoch of unimaginable horror.
“The Battleships: The Darkness of the Future (1916-1939)” presents an engaging journey through a transformative period in naval warfare. It offers a nuanced examination of the intricate web of political and military maneuvers that paved the way for the horrific events that followed. The narrative seamlessly blends historical fact and captivating storytelling, inviting viewers to delve deeper into a crucial chapter of our shared global history.