Collective Security and Internal Dissent: The Navy League's Attempts to Develop a New Policy towards British Naval Power between 1919 and the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty

Abstract

In the run-up to the First World War, the Navy League was the main focus for navalist propaganda and the supporters of British sea power. It campaigned vigorously and noisily for the maintenance of British naval supremacy until the end of the First World War. However, by the time of the Washington naval conference in late 1921, the League's polices had been radically changed. As a result, by the winter of 1921–2, the Navy League's leadership was focused on internal dissent and revolt, rather than on the impact of the Washington Naval Treaty. What happened to the Navy League between 1919 and the summer of 1922 gives an insight into not only the collapse of British navalism but also the problems facing lobbying organizations as they attempt to adapt to changing circumstances.