Aphrodite
Banned
This is a rather tedious argument. You asserted that Britain would "rule the waves" even if France fell The burden of proof is on you and you've really offered nothing.This is 1914 Uboats have not been proven to work they would later on. Besides there is no way for them to get through the channel to the Atlantic or channel ports without going around the north of the British Isles. They already had minefield laid or being laid to shut the channel down from the North Sea.
Why is the French Fleet automatically going to say we are joining the High Seas Fleet of the Germans? Why are the French going to just automatically going to roll over and give up anything outside of France? This is 1914 not 1940 they are still wanting to fight the Germans.
Surface raider are nothing. There is nothing the Germans will have to send from the Europe or even overseas at this time that would even be a threat to shipping. Outside of the Emden in the Pacific or the Karlshure in Atlantic/African coast nothing is out running around. None of the High Seas Fleet can function outside of the North Sea because of the lack of Support for them.
Point by point:
The British fleet was really only equal to the Triple Alliance and had little nargin. To control the North Sea it qould need about 3-2 over Germany sunce defeat would spell rhe end of Britain and some ships will always need to be in port.
That leaves nithing for the Meditteranean.
The French fleet might get interned luke the German dud in 1918 or ut might not. The French bases and shipyards are falling to Germany.
Uboats might not have proven their worth but they soon will- Shipping submarines by rail was proven during the Manchurian War.
The Normandy coasts offer plenty of points to launch torpedo boat attacks on British shipping.
The problems just continue to mount from there:
Are the Americans going to continue to loan money? Will they loan to Germany as well?
With the Central Powers able to send modern ships into the open seas, the British wont be able to usd their older ships for convoy and other duties.
Haldane gave the British two to three years if Germany or the Franco Russians win without British support.
Prove him wrong.
And if he was wrong, why did Britain spend a billion pounds and millions of lives?