Chapter Summaries

After the German Navy won a crushing victory over the British fleet, Wilhelm II and his ministers celebrated Germany becoming the new overlord of the seas. Oscar learned the details of the battle’s limited German losses and urged continued caution as the navy resumed its blockade of Britain.

• Wilhelm II, Tirpitz, and the ministers celebrated the German Navy’s victory over Britain, while Falkenhayn announced that the Imperial Army would attack on the Western Front within a week.
• Oscar asked von Pohl about the naval battle’s results and the Imperial Navy’s losses.
• Von Pohl reported that Germany had sunk twenty-two British battleships, five battlecruisers, and many smaller ships, while losing one battleship, seven light cruisers, and fifteen destroyers.
• Wilhelm II and Tirpitz praised the victory, and Oscar warned that damaged British capital ships could be repaired within two months.
• Von Pohl said Scheer had ordered the High Seas Fleet to resume the blockade and monitor Britain in case its navy put to sea.

After the Royal Navy suffered a crushing defeat to the German Navy, Admiral John Jellicoe and Vice Admiral David Beatty faced the loss of British command of the seas and sent word to London. Churchill waited anxiously for news of the battle and hoped the fleets had at least destroyed each other.

• The Battleship Vengeance and Resolution were left badly damaged, and Admiral John Jellicoe and Vice Admiral David Beatty accepted that the British fleet had been defeated.
• Admiral John Jellicoe feared Britain would lose its colonies and face a German attack, while Vice Admiral David Beatty said the politicians would have to decide whether to accept Germany's terms or continue the war.
• A staff officer asked permission to send a Telegram, and Admiral John Jellicoe ordered him to inform London of the defeat.
• Churchill waited in his London office for news, hoping the Royal Navy had defeated the Germans or at least fought them to mutual destruction.

Churchill received news that the Royal Navy had suffered a catastrophic defeat, losing most of its capital ships and elite sailors to the German Navy. He concluded that Britain had no chance of recovering control of the seas and feared the British Empire would collapse if it lost the war.

• Churchill received a Telegram from Grand Fleet Headquarters and sensed from his secretary's panic that the news was dire.
• Churchill read that the Royal Navy had lost twenty-two Battleships and five Battlecruisers, with several more capital ships heavily damaged.
• Churchill learned that only seven Battleships and one Battlecruiser remained, and most of them needed months of repairs.
• Churchill discovered that Britain had sunk only one German Battleship, a casualty ratio of twenty-seven to one.
• Churchill despaired that the Royal Navy could not recover and that the British Empire would likely cease to exist after defeat.

After the Royal Navy’s crushing defeat, Churchill reported the losses to Prime Minister Asquith, who feared Britain could no longer win the war. Asquith summoned the Cabinet to decide how to preserve the British Empire’s core interests.

• Churchill read the telegram and rushed to the Prime Minister’s residence at midnight.
• Churchill told Asquith that Britain had lost the naval battle, and Asquith asked about the damage on both sides.
• Churchill reported that the Germans had sunk twenty-two British Battleships and five Battlecruisers, while Britain had sunk only one German Battleship.
• Asquith lamented that the British Empire was finished, but Churchill agreed the defeat had left Britain in crisis.
• Asquith absolved Churchill and the Royal Navy of personal blame, then ordered the other Cabinet members summoned to discuss what to do next.

After the Royal Navy suffered a crushing defeat, Churchill told the British Cabinet that Britain could no longer follow its plan to regain naval supremacy. The ministers debated seeking peace with Germany to protect the homeland, while Churchill insisted they could negotiate over Germany’s harsh terms.

• Prime Minister Asquith summoned the Cabinet to hear Churchill report the naval battle’s outcome.
• Churchill said the Royal Navy had lost twenty-two Battleships and five Battlecruisers, while sinking only one German Battleship.
• Richard Haldane questioned how Britain could continue the war, and Churchill said the Royal Navy had fought hard but was outmatched by Germany.
• Churchill rejected the earlier plan to send Britain’s remaining Pre-dreadnoughts against the German fleet.
• Sir Edward Grey proposed peace talks to keep the British homeland from being invaded, and several ministers supported considering negotiations.
• Churchill urged the Cabinet to bargain over Germany’s harsh terms rather than accept defeat.

Churchill argued against seeking peace with Germany and proposed repairing the Royal Navy’s surviving ships to raid German trade and force a second decisive naval battle. The chapter ended with him promising that other methods could restore the navy’s strength, though he did not explain them.

• Churchill warned the ministers that peace talks would encourage Germany to demand more and argued that the Anglo-French forces might withstand a German attack.
• Richard Haldane estimated the Allies had only a fifty percent chance of holding back Germany, while Sir Edward Grey warned that battlefield defeats would harden German demands.
• Churchill said the Royal Navy could repair seven Battleships and one Battlecruiser and send them to raid German maritime transport routes.
• Richard Haldane and Sir Edward Grey doubted that commerce raiding could defeat Germany or that the weakened Royal Navy could fight another decisive battle.
• Churchill said other methods could restore the Royal Navy’s strength and make a second decisive battle possible.

Churchill proposed buying the United States’ active-service Capital Ships to restore Britain’s Royal Navy and continue the war against Germany. Prime Minister Asquith approved contacting the Americans and accepted that Britain might trade unimportant colonies if necessary.

• Churchill told the Cabinet that Britain could not rebuild its fleet in time and proposed purchasing warships from another country.
• Churchill identified the United States as the only possible seller and argued that it could trade its twelve active-service Capital Ships for funds and strategic advantage.
• Lewis Vernon Harcourt supported Churchill’s reasoning that the United States had reasons to oppose German dominance and help Britain.
• Prime Minister Asquith ordered the government to contact the Americans, while Lloyd George warned that the cost and conditions might be unacceptable.
• Churchill proposed exchanging unimportant colonies for warships if Britain lacked funds, and Asquith accepted that defeating Germany took priority.

With Britain facing defeat by Germany, Churchill proposed buying American warships and combining British, French, and Italian fleets to challenge the German Navy. Asquith and the Cabinet agreed to pursue the plan, leaving its success dependent on winning support from the other nations.

• Asquith told Churchill that Britain could trade only its least valuable colonies for American warships and must protect its core possessions.
• Richard Haldane and the Colonial Secretary questioned whether American battleships could close the gap with Germany.
• Churchill argued that American ships would perform well against German battleships and proposed adding the French and Italian navies to Britain’s fleet.
• Churchill laid out a plan for a combined force of up to thirty-six Capital Ships to face Germany.
• Asquith and the Cabinet agreed to try Churchill’s plan despite doubts about persuading the Americans, French, and Italians.

Churchill secretly sailed to the United States to seek American battleships for Britain, while Secretary Daniels confirmed Germany’s decisive victory over the British fleet. Daniels warned President Woodrow Wilson that the United States should remain neutral, leaving the American government shocked by Germany’s overwhelming power.

• Churchill left Britain aboard a destroyer to negotiate directly with the United States for warships.
• American intelligence gathered details of the naval battle and reported that Germany had won decisively.
• Daniels verified the reports and concluded that the United States was not strong enough to risk war with Germany.
• Daniels went to the White House and urged Wilson to keep the United States neutral.
• Daniels told Wilson that Germany had sunk twenty-two British battleships and five battlecruisers at little cost, and Wilson was stunned.

After Germany’s overwhelming naval victory over Britain, President Woodrow Wilson and his cabinet assessed the likelihood of German victory and the risks to the United States. They decided that America should preserve strict neutrality and stop assisting Britain.

• President Woodrow Wilson learned that Germany had sunk twenty-two British battleships and five battlecruisers while losing only one battleship, and agreed with Minister Daniels that the United States should not provoke Germany.
• Minister Daniels told Wilson that the American Navy was expanding, and Wilson called a cabinet meeting to discuss the consequences of Britain’s defeat.
• The cabinet began its meeting without Secretary of State Bryan, who was meeting with the British ambassador.
• Secretary of War Garrison assessed that Germany was likely to defeat the Anglo-French forces, while Vice President Marshall argued that Britain and France could not sustain the war after the British Navy’s defeat.
• Vice President Marshall urged strict neutrality and an end to American aid for Britain, and Wilson and the cabinet agreed.

President Wilson and his Cabinet decided to strengthen the Republic of America's military and maintain strict neutrality as Germany appeared close to winning the war. They learned that Churchill would secretly visit in three days, leaving them uncertain about Britain's intentions.

• President Wilson told his Cabinet that the Republic of America needed to strengthen both its army and navy after the war exposed its military weakness.
• Redfield warned that Germany's growing influence in South America threatened American interests, and Wilson insisted the United States could not lose the region.
• Daniels proposed accelerating naval construction, while Garrison outlined plans to expand and better equip the army.
• Wilson declared that the United States would remain neutral rather than provoke Germany or interfere in the war.
• Bryan reported that Churchill would make a secret visit to the United States in three days, prompting Wilson and the Cabinet to speculate that Britain wanted American support.

Churchill secretly met with Bryan and Daniels in Washington after Britain’s defeat by Germany and asked the United States to sell Britain its twelve active Capital Ships. Bryan refused, leaving Churchill’s attempt to secure American naval aid unsuccessful.

• Churchill arrived secretly at Naval Base Norfolk on March 25 and was taken under American security to Washington.
• Churchill told Bryan and Daniels that Britain had suffered a crushing naval defeat and could no longer contend with Germany.
• Bryan stated that the United States would remain neutral and would not join the Allied Powers.
• Churchill clarified that Britain sought American assistance by purchasing warships, not by forcing the United States into the war.
• Churchill requested all twelve Capital Ships in active service with the American Navy.
• Bryan rejected the request, saying the United States needed its warships to protect its own interests.

Churchill tried to persuade Bryan and Minister Daniels to sell Britain twelve American Capital Ships, arguing that the sale would benefit the United States and help the Allies resist Germany. Bryan said he would consult the President, leaving Churchill hopeful but without an answer.

• Churchill argued that Germany could not threaten the United States and that selling Britain warships would strengthen the American Navy while draining Germany’s power.
• Daniels questioned whether twelve ships could help Britain overcome Germany, and Churchill described plans to combine British, French, and Italian fleets.
• Churchill explained that the Allies hoped to break Germany’s blockade and keep Britain in the war, even if their fleets could only fight Germany to mutual destruction.
• Churchill humbled himself to appeal for American help, and Bryan said he would report the request to the President before answering.

President Wilson considered Britain's request to buy the Republic of America's twelve active Capital Ships and agreed that the sale would benefit the United States by funding naval expansion and prolonging the war against Germany. He ordered his officials to demand high prices and British naval technology in exchange.

• President Wilson was surprised when Bryan told him Britain had formally requested the Republic of America's twelve active Capital Ships.
• Daniels argued that selling the ships was safe and advantageous, citing America's distance from Germany, the money the sale would raise, and the prospect of the Allied Powers weakening Germany.
• Bryan supported selling the warships so Britain would keep fighting Germany, and Wilson agreed that the war should continue.
• Wilson ordered his officials to demand the highest possible prices, and Daniels proposed specific prices for Capital Ships, Armored Cruisers, Light Cruisers, and destroyers.
• Daniels demanded that Britain transfer its 381mm Main Gun and Steam Turbine technologies to the United States for free, and Wilson supported the demand.

Churchill negotiated with Bryan and Daniels to buy American warships for Britain as the British Empire’s position worsened. He accepted the Americans’ reduced prices, agreeing to pay 1.07 billion dollars for the fleet.

• Churchill met Bryan and Daniels, who told him that the President had agreed in principle to sell American capital ships to Britain.
• Churchill requested twelve capital ships, six armored cruisers, twenty light cruisers, and fifty destroyers.
• Daniels quoted prices Churchill called outrageous, while Bryan and Daniels refused to lower them at first.
• Churchill and Daniels bargained until Daniels agreed to a final price of fifty million dollars per battleship, twenty million per armored cruiser, ten million per light cruiser, and three million per destroyer.
• Churchill accepted the deal, committing Britain to pay 1.07 billion dollars for the warships.

Churchill negotiated with Bryan and Daniels over the British Empire’s $1.07 billion ship purchase, agreeing to transfer British naval technologies and proposing Caribbean colonies as payment. The chapter ended with Churchill offering the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Grenada, while the American representatives weighed their value.

• Daniels requested Britain’s 381mm Main Gun and Steam Turbine technologies, and Churchill agreed to transfer them after Bryan and Daniels demanded them for free.
• Churchill asked for an American loan to fund the ship purchase, but Bryan rejected the request and Daniels suggested payment in gold or other precious metals.
• Churchill proposed transferring British colonies to settle the $1.07 billion payment, surprising Bryan and Daniels.
• Bryan rejected the Bahamas and Jamaica as insufficient compensation, so Churchill added Grenada to the offer.

Churchill, Bryan, and Minister Daniels negotiated a secret exchange in which Britain would trade Caribbean colonies and naval technology for American warships. After President Woodrow Wilson demanded two additional colonies, Britain accepted the terms, and the two countries finalized the deal.

• Bryan and Minister Daniels reported Churchill’s proposal to President Woodrow Wilson, who agreed to accept colonies but demanded Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda as well.
• Minister Daniels proposed that Britain could reclaim the two additional colonies if it defeated Germany, and President Woodrow Wilson approved the plan.
• Prime Minister Asquith accepted the American terms after learning Britain had no viable alternative to securing the warships.
• Churchill accepted the expanded demands after consulting Britain, and Britain and the United States secretly agreed to exchange five Caribbean colonies, valued at 1.07 Billion Dollars, for a fleet and naval technologies.
• The United States required Britain to remove the warships within one month and keep the transaction secret until the fleet reached Britain.

As German forces threatened Paris and Russia withdrew from the war, French leaders debated Britain’s request for naval support against Germany. President Raymond Poincaré approved sending France’s entire main fleet to join the British in a decisive battle, leaving the French Navy at risk of ruin if it lost.

• Raymond Poincaré asked French officials whether they should accept Britain’s request for naval cooperation.
• René Viviani and Victor Gagnoul supported joining Britain, while Alexander Millerand and Théophile Delcassé voiced doubts about the odds of victory.
• Raymond Poincaré and René Viviani insisted France had to keep fighting rather than accept defeat or make peace with Germany.
• Raymond Poincaré signed an order forming a joint fleet with Britain and committing ten French Capital Ships, fifteen Light Cruisers, and thirty destroyers.

After Germany’s naval victory, Wilhelm II and the German generals turned their attention to defeating the Anglo-French forces on the Western Front. Oscar’s military influence and claim to the throne had grown so strong that even Wilhelm II would likely choose him over Crown Prince Wilhelm.

• Germans celebrated the Navy’s victory and expected the war to end soon, while Italy found itself threatened by returning Austro-Hungarian forces and unable to secure British or French aid.
• Wilhelm II gathered senior generals and Oscar at General Staff Headquarters and urged the Army to defeat the Anglo-French forces and crush France.
• Wilhelm II questioned whether Germany’s 1.8 million Western Front troops could defeat more than three million British and French soldiers, and von Falkenhayn cited the 8th Army Corps’ victory over Russia as proof that numbers did not decide battles.
• The generals admired Oscar for commanding the 8th Army Corps, and his control over the Navy and several Army corps made his succession more secure than Crown Prince Wilhelm’s.

Wilhelm II and his commanders prepared for a decisive Western Front offensive, expanding the German Army and appointing Oscar to lead the campaign. The attack was set to begin within three days, with the goal of defeating the Anglo-French Allied Forces and taking Paris within a month.

• von Falkenhayn asked Wilhelm II to form two additional army corps as reserves for the Western Front campaign.
• Oscar argued that the new corps would strengthen the Western Front and that Germany would need more troops to fight Britain and hold occupied territories.
• Wilhelm II approved the formation of the 11th Army Corps and the 12th Army Corps, adding more than four hundred thousand soldiers.
• von Falkenhayn reported that the army was ready to attack within three days, and Wilhelm II set the goal of defeating the Allies and occupying Paris within a month.
• Wilhelm II appointed Oscar commander of the Western Front campaign and ordered the commanders to obey him.