High Water: The Pre-1914 Period

Abstract

This chapter provides a history of the pre-1914 period in British shipping. It determines and summarises the four factors that led to British domination of the ocean as the extent of their colonial activity; the speed of industrialisation; population growth; and the advantages of establishing trade routes, posts, and ports earlier than other nations. It then explores the extent of the British dominance in relation to the rest of the world; world trade in relation to British trade; national shipping policies; navigation laws; and the response of the rest of the world to the Navigation Acts. It concludes that Britain retained dominance in this period but saw an increase in world competition, particularly from Germany and Japan, and that British trade grew at a slower pace than world trade, which meant shipowners needed to keep their vessels larger and faster than those of upcoming rivals.