Description
Book SynopsisBy 1900, the British government and public had become gripped by a new and growing fear of invasion, not from traditional enemies such as France, but from Germany. Such terror was driven by lurid books and fanned by newspapers. These anxieties sparked off a fight between those who wanted a defence based on a larger standing army, with conscription to support it, and those who believed the Royal Navy was sufficient to defend the coast and deprecated the expense and role of a standing land force. With war declared in 1914, Britain's coastline came under attack. Major German raids created terror, and the fear of invasion drove naval and military planning and dispositions to protect Britain's littoral. Coastal towns such as Scarborough, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Southwold and even the Outer Hebrides came under attack and landings by German troops were feared daily. Running battles were fought with these attacking forces and both ships and lives ashore were lost. Spectre of Invasion exam
