Protection of the Seas Act 1897: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
==Background==
It was passed under the [[Conservative Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Conservative]] government of [[Sir Richard Hollins]]. Though Hollins was not personally in favour of the act, he recognised that naval reform was a popular topic and gave his party freedom to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscience_vote vote on conscience]. Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill almost unanimously. A passionate speech by the [[Phillip, 7th Viscount Acton|Viscount Acton]] saw the House of Nobles vote in favour of the act by a majority of 191. The [[Labour Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Labour]] and [[Socialist Party of Vionna-Frankenlisch|Socialist]] parties both voted mostly in favour of the bill on the grounds that it would provide important jobs in the shipbuilding industry. King Richard II personally spoke passionately in favour of the act. Several historians theorise that the original bill was written, at least in part, by the King or his advisors.
The act was passed under the [[Conservative Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Conservative]] government of [[Sir Richard Hollins]]. Though Hollins had other concerns, he recognised that naval expansion was a popular topic and gave his party freedom to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscience_vote vote on conscience]. Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill almost unanimously. A passionate speech by Admiral the [[Phillip, 7th Viscount Acton|Viscount Acton]] saw the House of Nobles vote in favour of the act by a majority of 191. The [[Labour Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Labour]] and [[Socialist Party of Vionna-Frankenlisch|Socialist]] parties both voted mostly in favour of the bill under union pressure on the grounds that it would provide important jobs in the shipbuilding industry. King Richard II personally spoke passionately for naval expansion, including in a public speech on August 20th - one of the few times the King ever spoke from the balcony of Imperial Palace. The original bill was written by King Richard and a committee from the Ministry of Defence, one of very few times in Imperial history that the monarch was appointed to chair a parliamentary committee.


==Naval Expansion==
==Naval Expansion==
Line 76: Line 76:
! Cost
! Cost
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Imperial (1899)|Imperial]]
| ''[[HMNS Imperial (1899)|Imperial]]''
| [[Imperial-class pre-dreadnought battleship|Imperial-class Battleship]]
| [[Imperial-class pre-dreadnought battleship|Imperial-class Battleship]]
| [[J.M Loughton and Sons]], [[City of Brumley|Brumley]]
| [[J.M Loughton and Sons]], [[City of Brumley|Brumley]]
Line 84: Line 84:
| L881,000
| L881,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Invincible (1899)|Invincible]]
| ''[[HMNS Invincible (1899)|Invincible]]''
| Imperial-class Battleship
| Imperial-class Battleship
| J.M Loughton and Sons, Brumley
| J.M Loughton and Sons, Brumley
Line 92: Line 92:
| L901,000
| L901,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Inflexible (1899)|Inflexible]]
| ''[[HMNS Inflexible (1899)|Inflexible]]''
| Imperial-class Battleship
| Imperial-class Battleship
| [[Briceport Dockyard]]
| [[Briceport Dockyard]]
Line 100: Line 100:
| L900,000
| L900,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNs Indefatigable (1900)|Indefatigable]]
| ''[[HMNS Indefatigable (1900)|Indefatigable]]''
| Imperial-class Battleship
| Imperial-class Battleship
| [[Frankenlisch Dockyard]]
| [[Frankenlisch Dockyard]]
Line 108: Line 108:
| L900,000
| L900,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Invulnerable (1900)|Invulnerable]]
| ''[[HMNS Invulnerable (1900)|Invulnerable]]''
| Imperial-class Battleship
| Imperial-class Battleship
| [[Phillip Simmonds Ltd]], [[City Briceport|Briceport]]
| [[Phillip Simmonds Ltd]], [[City Briceport|Briceport]]
Line 116: Line 116:
| L924,000
| L924,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Intolerant (1899)|Intolerant]]
| ''[[HMNS Intolerant (1899)|Intolerant]]''
| Imperial-class Battleship
| Imperial-class Battleship
| [[Vista Ironworks]], [[City of Vladimirska|Vladimirska]]
| [[Vista Ironworks]], [[City of Vladimirska|Vladimirska]]
Line 124: Line 124:
| L896,000
| L896,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Marienberg (1901)|Marienberg]]
| ''[[HMNS Marienberg (1901)|Marienberg]]''
| [[Marienberg-class pre-dreadnought battleship|Marienberg-class Battleship]]
| [[Marienberg-class pre-dreadnought battleship|Marienberg-class Battleship]]
| [[Fredericksburgh Dockyard]]
| [[Fredericksburgh Dockyard]]
Line 132: Line 132:
| L649,000
| L649,000
|-
|-
| [[HMNS Passero (1900)|Passero]]
| ''[[HMNS Passero (1900)|Passero]]''
| Marienberg-class Battleship
| Marienberg-class Battleship
| [[John Benton and Co.]], [[City of Julianopolis|Julianopolis]]
| [[John Benton and Co.]], [[City of Julianopolis|Julianopolis]]
Line 140: Line 140:
| L654,000
| L654,000
|}
|}
'''Cruisers'''
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffffff;"
! style="font-family:serif !important;;" | Ship
! Class
! Builder
! Laid Down
! Launched
! Completed
! Cost
|-
| ''[[HMNS Edrington (1899)|Edrington]]''
| [[Prince-class armoured cruiser|Prince-class Cruiser]]
| [[Fairfax Dockyard]]
| 3rd December 1897
| October 1898
| 4th June 1899
| L510,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Vladimirska (1899)|Vladimirska]]''
| Prince-class Cruiser
| [[John Heatheridge and Sons|Heatheridge]], [[City of Fredericksburgh|Fredericksburgh]]
| 3rd December 1897
| November 1898
| 19th June 1899
| L498,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Agrea (1900)|Agrea]]''
| Prince-class Cruiser
| Heatheridge, Fredericksburgh
| 19th December 1897
| January 1899
| 5th August 1900
| L507,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Brehm (1900)|Brehm]]''
| Prince-class Cruiser
| [[Brumley Dockyard]]
| 7th December 1897
| February 1899
| 27th August 1900
| L514,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Filantropolis (1899)|Filantropolis]]''
| Prince-class Cruiser
| [[T.P Damon Ltd]], Frankenlisch
| 6th December 1897
| December 1898
| 7th May 1899
| L489,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Andersborg (1899)|Andersborg]]''
| Prince-class Cruiser
| [[Merton and Sons]], [[Luxington, Brumley|Luxington]]
| 3rd December 1897
| December 1898
| 5th July 1899
| L499,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Simon II|Simon II]]''
| [[Archbishop-class protected cruiser|Archbishop-class Cruiser]]
| Brumley Dockyard
| 11th January 1898
| August 1899
| 12th June 1900
| L380,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Theodore IV|Theodore IV]]''
| Archbishop-class Cruiser
| [[Featherstone Brothers Steelworks|Featherstone Brothers]], [[Valksland]]
| February 1898
| August 1899
| 19th July 1900
| L391,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Matthew I|Matthew I]]''
| Archbishop-class Cruiser
| Featherstone Brothers, Valksland
| February 1898
| August 1899
| 5th May 1900
| L390,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Nicholas II|Nicholas II]]''
| Archbishop-class Cruiser
| [[Penchester Dockyard]]
| 15th December 1897
| May 1899
| 14th September 1900
| L394,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Orion (1901)|Orion]]''
| [[Orion-class protected cruiser|Orion-class Cruiser]]
| Vista Ironworks, Vladimirska
| 20th March 1898
| October 1899
| 1st January 1901
| L340,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Acheron (1900)|Acheron]]''
| Orion-class Cruiser
| [[Vladimirska Dockyard]]
| 17th March 1898
| July 1899
| 23rd October 1900
| L341,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Cathay (1901)|Cathay]]''
| Orion-class Cruiser
| [[Estelle Shipbuilders]], [[City of Breem|Breem]]
| 4th April 1898
| December 1899
| 5th February 1901
| L338,000
|-
| ''[[HMNS Arcologia (1900)|Arcologia]]''
| Orion-class Cruiser
| Estelle Shipbuilders, Breem
| 1st March 1898
| August 1899
| 9th November 1900
| L342,000
|}
==Naval Reform==
==Naval Reform==


==Rationale==
==Rationale==
A variety of military, political, and economic factors influenced the writing and passage of the bill. First amongst these was the increasing naval threat of the other powers which, until recently, had lagged behind Vionna-Frankenlisch in naval power but were beginning to prove a larger threat. Chief amongst these threats was [[Kingdom of Caledonia|Caledonia]], to the south of Prodava, a kingdom which had proven it could stand up to the [[Imperial Navy (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Imperial Navy]] during the [[Okkamidur Affair]] and was Vionna-Frankenlisch's closest rival geographically. Caledonian battleships, in particular, had proven their strength during that short conflict and the Imperial Navy's own battleships were of outdated, often eccentric, designs. As a result of the Act, the swift construction of eight new battleships put Vionna-Frankenlisch immediately ahead of Caledonia, which could not match the Empire due to a smaller industrial base. The vast shipbuilding industry of Vionna-Frankenlisch proved itself once more able to out-produce its opponents.
Somewhat unusually for pro-military legislation, the bill recieved significant support from the [[Labour Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Labour Party]] and the [[Socialist Party of Vionna-Frankenlisch]], mostly on the grounds of creating jobs. Both parties received significant support from the working-class men who worked at the builders and from their unions and the opportunity to give these supporters work overshadowed any pacifism. The [[Liberal Party (Vionna-Frankenlisch)|Liberal Party]] did not support the bill and the majority of its members voted against or abstained. This opposition was not sufficient to hinder progress of the bill and it passed without Liberal support.
Politically, naval reform was popular amongst the military and Conservative voters, most of whom supported the military and the Empire, were almost always in favour of strengthening the Imperial Navy, often seen as the nation's pride. Though there was some opposition on the basis of cost, some believing the money could be better spent on welfare or relief, this did not have a huge effect on the debate.


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==

Latest revision as of 04:16, 2 June 2024

Protection of the Seas Act
VF Kingdom Arms.png
Parliament of Vionna-Frankenlisch
Territorial extentVionna-Frankenlisch and the Empire
Enacted byHouse of Commons
Date passed24th August 1897
Enacted byHouse of Nobles
Date passed27th August 1897
Date assented to28th August 1897
Date of Royal Assent28th August 1897
Date commenced28th August 1897

The Protection of the Seas Act was a piece of legislation passed by the Parliament of Vionna-Frankenlisch in August 1897 with the intention of increasing Vionna-Frankenlisch's naval strength and introducing standardisation to Imperial Navy units. Passed during the brief reign of King Richard II with his support, the act provided 15 million Lucans for the expansion of the Grand Fleet and funding was granted for the establishment of an official Imperial Navy Acquisition Board to replace several outdated Imperial Navy and Ministry of Defence organisations.

Background

The act was passed under the Conservative government of Sir Richard Hollins. Though Hollins had other concerns, he recognised that naval expansion was a popular topic and gave his party freedom to vote on conscience. Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill almost unanimously. A passionate speech by Admiral the Viscount Acton saw the House of Nobles vote in favour of the act by a majority of 191. The Labour and Socialist parties both voted mostly in favour of the bill under union pressure on the grounds that it would provide important jobs in the shipbuilding industry. King Richard II personally spoke passionately for naval expansion, including in a public speech on August 20th - one of the few times the King ever spoke from the balcony of Imperial Palace. The original bill was written by King Richard and a committee from the Ministry of Defence, one of very few times in Imperial history that the monarch was appointed to chair a parliamentary committee.

Naval Expansion

The 15-million Lucans provided to the Grand Fleet was a figure quite shy from the Admiralty's requests for 21-million but it was a still a substantial sum which gave Admiral Lord Hood freedom to expand his fleet by a great deal. Lord Hood, with the grudging support of his Admiralty superiors, also took the controversial move of selling several recently-built but poorly-designed or technically outdated warships for scrap. This action was condemned by the popular press but gave Lord Hood an additional budget of two million Lucans to undertake a radical shipbuilding scheme.

By 1st November, orders had been placed for six battleships at a cost of approximately 900,000 Lucans each, six armoured cruisers at L500,000 each, eight protected cruisers at L380,000 each, and 20 destroyers at a cost of L36,000 each. This initial expansion, therefore, cost the Admiralty a total of around 12-million Lucans. Two more battleships were ordered on 5th November to be built to a second-rate design, this cost L1.3 million. By the time King Richard II died on 12th November, most of the money had already been committed. Four-million Lucans were invested in the overhaul of coastal fortifications and the modernisation of the Imperial Navy Corps of Marines.

Ships Constructed during the Expansion

Battleships

Ship Class Builder Laid Down Launched Completed Cost
Imperial Imperial-class Battleship J.M Loughton and Sons, Brumley 6th December 1897 December 1898 4th August 1899 L881,000
Invincible Imperial-class Battleship J.M Loughton and Sons, Brumley 4th January 1898 March 1899 11th October 1899 L901,000
Inflexible Imperial-class Battleship Briceport Dockyard 17th December 1897 January 1899 22nd November 1899 L900,000
Indefatigable Imperial-class Battleship Frankenlisch Dockyard 1st January 1898 May 1899 26th January 1900 L900,000
Invulnerable Imperial-class Battleship Phillip Simmonds Ltd, Briceport 5th February 1898 May 1899 19th February 1900 L924,000
Intolerant Imperial-class Battleship Vista Ironworks, Vladimirska 18th January 1898 December 1898 November 1899 L896,000
Marienberg Marienberg-class Battleship Fredericksburgh Dockyard 14th March 1898 December 1899 8th January 1901 L649,000
Passero Marienberg-class Battleship John Benton and Co., Julianopolis 11th January 1898 June 1899 19th August 1900 L654,000

Cruisers

Ship Class Builder Laid Down Launched Completed Cost
Edrington Prince-class Cruiser Fairfax Dockyard 3rd December 1897 October 1898 4th June 1899 L510,000
Vladimirska Prince-class Cruiser Heatheridge, Fredericksburgh 3rd December 1897 November 1898 19th June 1899 L498,000
Agrea Prince-class Cruiser Heatheridge, Fredericksburgh 19th December 1897 January 1899 5th August 1900 L507,000
Brehm Prince-class Cruiser Brumley Dockyard 7th December 1897 February 1899 27th August 1900 L514,000
Filantropolis Prince-class Cruiser T.P Damon Ltd, Frankenlisch 6th December 1897 December 1898 7th May 1899 L489,000
Andersborg Prince-class Cruiser Merton and Sons, Luxington 3rd December 1897 December 1898 5th July 1899 L499,000
Simon II Archbishop-class Cruiser Brumley Dockyard 11th January 1898 August 1899 12th June 1900 L380,000
Theodore IV Archbishop-class Cruiser Featherstone Brothers, Valksland February 1898 August 1899 19th July 1900 L391,000
Matthew I Archbishop-class Cruiser Featherstone Brothers, Valksland February 1898 August 1899 5th May 1900 L390,000
Nicholas II Archbishop-class Cruiser Penchester Dockyard 15th December 1897 May 1899 14th September 1900 L394,000
Orion Orion-class Cruiser Vista Ironworks, Vladimirska 20th March 1898 October 1899 1st January 1901 L340,000
Acheron Orion-class Cruiser Vladimirska Dockyard 17th March 1898 July 1899 23rd October 1900 L341,000
Cathay Orion-class Cruiser Estelle Shipbuilders, Breem 4th April 1898 December 1899 5th February 1901 L338,000
Arcologia Orion-class Cruiser Estelle Shipbuilders, Breem 1st March 1898 August 1899 9th November 1900 L342,000

Naval Reform

Rationale

A variety of military, political, and economic factors influenced the writing and passage of the bill. First amongst these was the increasing naval threat of the other powers which, until recently, had lagged behind Vionna-Frankenlisch in naval power but were beginning to prove a larger threat. Chief amongst these threats was Caledonia, to the south of Prodava, a kingdom which had proven it could stand up to the Imperial Navy during the Okkamidur Affair and was Vionna-Frankenlisch's closest rival geographically. Caledonian battleships, in particular, had proven their strength during that short conflict and the Imperial Navy's own battleships were of outdated, often eccentric, designs. As a result of the Act, the swift construction of eight new battleships put Vionna-Frankenlisch immediately ahead of Caledonia, which could not match the Empire due to a smaller industrial base. The vast shipbuilding industry of Vionna-Frankenlisch proved itself once more able to out-produce its opponents.

Somewhat unusually for pro-military legislation, the bill recieved significant support from the Labour Party and the Socialist Party of Vionna-Frankenlisch, mostly on the grounds of creating jobs. Both parties received significant support from the working-class men who worked at the builders and from their unions and the opportunity to give these supporters work overshadowed any pacifism. The Liberal Party did not support the bill and the majority of its members voted against or abstained. This opposition was not sufficient to hinder progress of the bill and it passed without Liberal support.

Politically, naval reform was popular amongst the military and Conservative voters, most of whom supported the military and the Empire, were almost always in favour of strengthening the Imperial Navy, often seen as the nation's pride. Though there was some opposition on the basis of cost, some believing the money could be better spent on welfare or relief, this did not have a huge effect on the debate.

Aftermath