Distant but Close Observers: The officers of the Argentine navy and the First World War

Abstract

This article identifies and analyses the observations, readings, and opinions that Argentine navy officers made about the First World War. It reveals that, although they did not directly take part in war operations, they were active observers of the conflict. These men carried out an intensive intellectual dialogue in books and articles, pointing out the technological acceleration promoted by the war and the obsolescence of Argentina’s naval forces. For that reason, they emphasized that without an appropriate modernization plan, the navy would not be capable of defending the country if the war reached its territorial waters and shores.