CLEP Western Civ II

Answer: B - The British were increasingly concerned about the rapid development of the German navy in the early 20th century. British naval superiority had been unchallenged since the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. With Germany's rapid industrialization and colonial expansion, it built a navy significant enough for Britain to perceive as a threat. The Germans maintained that, like the British, they needed an extensive navy to support their colonial empire, but the British interpreted this as a direct threat to their world dominance.