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| A Sea-Change. Tory chorus (to Winston). "You've made me love you; I didn't want to do it." Cartoon from Punch magazine, 14th January 1914, referring to the approbation of Churchill's erstwhile Conservative Party colleagues to his proposals for funding the navy; and invoking the song You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) popularised in a 1913 Al Jolson recording. |
Agadir incident in 1911. Germany sends a gunboat to Morocco to protect german interests. Germany signals she is bent on war. British Committee of Imperial Defence commands a review of national war plans. Serious disagrement arouse between the Admiralty and the War Office. Prime Minister appoints Winston Spencer Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty.
Reforms:
- Royal Navy from coal to oil.
- Government joint ownership of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
- Naval Air Service.
Approach:
- Association with Adm. Sir John Fisher.
- One fourth of his tenure afloat in the official yacht.
- Visits to every naval installation, dockyard, and the most important ships.
- Keeping sense of proportion.
- Fight against traditional criticism and resistance to change.
Goal:
- Bring the Royal Navy to the level of instant readiness and wartime strength.
Areas:
- Increasing gun power.
- Reorganization of fleets.
- Development of response and war plans.
- Formation of a Naval War Staff.
- Changes in the high command of the fleet and the Admiralty Board.
- Coordination of army and navy war plans.
Source:
- Higgins, Maria. (1974). Winston S. Churchill's Legacy to the Royal Navy, 1911-1915. Naval War College Review: Vol. 27: No. 6, Article 8.
