Collective Security and Internal Dissent: The Navy League's Attempts to Develop a New Policy towards British Naval Power between 1919 and the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty

Abstract

In the run-up to the First World War, the Navy League was the main focus for navalist propaganda and the supporters of British sea power. It campaigned vigorously and noisily for the maintenance of British naval supremacy until the end of the First World War. However, by the time of the Washington naval conference in late 1921, the League's polices had been radically changed. As a result, by the winter of 1921-2, the Navy League's leadership was focused on internal dissent and revolt, rather than on the impact of the Washington Naval Treaty. What happened to the Navy League between 1919 and the summer of 1922 gives an insight into not only the collapse of British navalism but also the problems facing lobbying organizations as they attempt to adapt to changing circumstances.

The Imperial Maritime League: British Navalism, Conflict, and the Radical Right, c.1907–1920

“…201 The Navy League managed to survive, but postwar efforts at naval disarmament led to discord among senior members, and a considerable diminution of its influence and profile. 202 In 1920 Horton-Smith attempted one last IML campaign, again opposing the Declaration, before abandoning agitation altogether. 203 On 2 April 1921 the league's committee, chaired by Dr Sidney Williamson, announced its decision to close 'owing to a lack of public interest'.…”