Battleships

Battleships were a significant portion of navies until the creation of aircraft carriers. Battleships became a prominent figure with the creation of the HMS Dreadnaught. This ship became the lead ship of the Dreadnaught class, believed to be the preeminent warship. Nations believed the more and larger battleships one possessed, the stronger they would ultimately be.

This belief led to a naval arms race between Great Britain and the German Empire in the lead up to the Great War. King George V and Kaiser Wilhelm II refused to let the other get the better, with Great Britain ordering two for everyone one Germany did. In order to gain the upper hand, Germany combined their battleship fleet with that of the Kingdom of Holland. As a result, both nations nearly went bankrupt, leading to negotiations.

Battleships began to prove their merit during the Great War, where the combined Dutch and German fleets holding off the British blockade. During the negotiations of the Great Treaty, Great Britain was forced to limit the number of battleships they could operate. However, much like their aircraft carriers, Great Britain began to construct past their allotted limit only to sell them to their allies. German sent an ultimatum that Great Britain ignored, leading to the declaration of the Anglo-German War. In the Battle of Jutland, battleships, including that of the Bismarck, proved to be obsolete against newer tactics.