There were many reasons for British and German relations to deteriorate or get worse between the years 1890 and 1914. Relationships in Europe were never perfect but new power in Germany and competition put a lot of unwanted stress on relationship, revenge was what many countries were after and in some ways the out break of war was the only way to seek revenge. Military power, Imperialism, economic tensions and encirclement of Germany where the main causes of relationship deterioration, these events were the build up to war and as 1914 approached British and German relationships had gone from bad to worse.
The British and German monarchies were closely related. The Kaiser Wilhelm of German was known to be impulsive and unstable and his close links to the British brought about tensions when he turned his back on his fathers pro British polices and attitudes. The Kaiser was the grandson of Queen Victoria and the nephew of Edward the VII and in the First World War was often labeled as "a family affair" but many of these monarchies fell and deteriorated during the war.
Germans at Princeton -- Weitzer - Lt. Reichenau - ...
Britains Floral Garden ~ memories from my childhoo...
Britains Floral Garden ~ memories from my childhoo...The arms race was one of the most important factors in the deterioration on Anglo- German relations. The Kaiser of Germany was envious of the British Naval fleet so he embarked on an ambitious ship building program which was designed to make the German naval size the same as the German land army. This shipbuilding program put a lot of stress on Anglo British relations as it would alter the balance of naval power that was totally unacceptable to the British. Britain had supremacy at sea throughout the world since 1805 and to be threatened by Germany was just unacceptable.
Armies and navies were greatly expanded in the nineteen hundreds it truly was an arms race...