Britain

• The first country to have an Industrial Revolution, which made them the richest country.
• They traded a wide range of goods, brought in from the British Empire, which was expansive, and goods that could only be made in industrialised Britain.
• Through Victoria's marriage to Albert, the royal family had ties to monarchies all over Europe.
• Queen Victoria - 'Grandmother of Europe'
• Monarchy was largely symbolic
• Despite money and power, Britain was a divided nation economically. The upper and middle class consisted of about 30% of the population, while the working class made up 70%
• There were signs that Britain's status as an economic leader were under threat.

  USA - Making more goods than Britain and Germany.

  Germany - higher production of coal, iron and chemicals.

  Canada (+ others) were buying less from Britain
• Statistics in 1914:

  • population - 41 million
  • army - 710,000
  • battleships - 122
  • submarines - 64
  • air force - 110 fighter/bomber planes, 6 airships
  • colonies - 56
  • pop. of colonies - 400 million
  • coal production - 300 milion tonnes
  • steel production - 11 million tonnes