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Title: The London Naval Conference
Speaker: Alan M. Anderson, King’s College London
Alan’s presentation today explores the genesis and conduct of the 1909 London Naval Conference. It considers the resulting consensus on the laws of naval warfare – an agreement that became the benchmark against which the naval actions of England and Imperial Germany during the early part of the First World War were measured, until the London declaration was finally abandoned in 1916. Alan argues that the fact the agreement was never fully implemented illustrates the difficulties inherent in achieving a lasting agreement regulating any aspect of naval warfare when belligerents are faced with the uncertainties and vicissitudes of war. In this respect, the 1909 London Naval Conference is an under-appreciated predictor of the eventual failure of the international naval conferences of the interwar years that sought a far more ambitious outcome – naval disarmament and warship limitations.
The King’s Maritime History Seminars for 2021-22 will begin with four, fully-online events in the autumn term. Rest assured that the expectation is that we will return to face-to-face meetings from January 2022 whilst maintaining some form of online presence, and a full programme for the Spring will be distributed in due course. In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you back online for our usual experience of maritime and naval historical discussion and debate.
Bio
Dr Alan M Anderson received his PhD in War Studies from King’s College London under the supervision of Professor Andrew Lambert. His thesis was on the laws of naval warfare and naval strategy in Great Britain and the United States between 1899 and 1909. A practising attorney, Alan is an adjunct senior instructor at Norwich University in the US, teaching in its MA program in History and Military History. An avid fisherman, Alan has yet to meet a fish he wouldn’t like to catch.
As always, attendance is free and open to all. To take part, you must register here. Shortly before the event, you will receive instructions, by email, about how to join by Zoom. Papers will begin, as usual, at 17:15 GMT.
The King’s Maritime History Seminar is hosted by the ‘Laughton Naval History Unit’ and the ‘Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War’ in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. It is organised by the British Commission for Maritime History in association with the Society for Nautical Research. For further information contact Dr Alan James, War Studies, KCL, WC2R 2LS (alan.2.james@kcl.ac.uk).