Germany Before the First World War 1890 - 1914 HU68389

Germany Before the First World War 1890 - 1914
Construction of the Kiel Canal, 1887 - 1895. In a lavishly decorated ceremonial arena, Kaiser Wilhelm I lays the foundation stone at the start of construction, 3 June 1887.

The Kiel Canal, a 61 mile long waterway linking the North Sea at Brunsbüttel, Germany to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau, Germany was source of international tension from its inception. Its construction allowed the increasingly powerful German Imperial Navy to move rapidly from its Baltic ports to open sea without travelling through the waters of other countries. During 1907 - 1914, it was enlarged to accommodate the larger warships then being constructed with the intention of enabling the Imperial Germany Navy to surpass the power of the British Royal Navy. The consequent escalation of tension between Germany and Britain contributed to the outbreak of the First World War.