Figure 1.--Anti-German sentiment had been building in Britain fot decadesm especially after Wilhelm II became kaiser (1888). World War I of course escalated that sentiment. The Gverrnment took a range of actions against German nationals. Beginning with the sinking of 'Lusitania' vioence broke out (May 1915). German shops were attacked. Dog loving Brits began kicking Daschunds. Brits begn calling the Germnans the 'Huns'.

Britain's primary national rivalry over time was with France. Germany or more correctly thevGerman states for most of history was more of an ally. The Duke Marlborough's great victory at Blenheim was uniting with German allies to destroy the army of Louis XIV (1704). A century later it was a Prussian Army that saved Wellington at Waterloo (1815). Of course what was at play was the balance of power. The British did not want any European power to dominate the continent. After the Napoleonic Wars, the power of France declined. And as Germany industrialized the balance of power began to shift and German nationalism grew. It was unclear how Germany would unite. It proved to be Prussia that would unite Germany. Prince Albert and Victoria had a plan. They married the well-educated Princess Royal Victoria to the liberal minded Prince Friedrich. It made for a brilliant union--only Friedrich III died and left the crown to his Bismarck influenced son Wilhelm (1888). The erratic Wilhelm and the growing industrial power of Germany raised eyebrows in Britain. The first major German critic was Princess/Queen Alexandria, a Danish Princess who married the Prince of Wales. Following the Franco-Prussian War, Britain began fearing German expansionism (1870-71) and Prussia uniting Germany. Anti German sentiment grew as Wilhelm dismissed Bismarck and pursued an increasingly aggressive foreign policy. And then recklessly began to build a modern navy--the first challenge to the Royal Navy since the Napoleonic Era. An economic economic and imperial rivalry grew in the late-19th century. Kaiser Wilhelm II’s actions included the Kruger Telegram (1896). Germany surpassed Britain in steel production--the backbone of arms production. 'Spy Fever' spread. Popular fiction like The Riddle of the Sands (1903) fueled the 'German Menace'. This all culminated with the German invasion of Belgium and Wold War I (1914). This resulted in the internment/deportation of Germans, forced name changes, and lasting suspicion that shaped British war-time identity. Of course the royal family was involved--they were Britain's most prominent German. British propaganda called the Germans 'Huns'. They portrayed Germans as barbaric enemies -- and it was not all imagined. German atrocities were not on the NAZI level, but very real. It created a widely-held anti-German sentiment. After the sinking of the Lusitania (1915), riots targeted German-owned shops and businesses in especially in cities like London and Liverpool. Battlefield casualties and German aerial bombing only intensified anti-German feeling, The government interned over 23,000 men in camps (e.g., Knockaloe) and deported women and children, reducing the German population to 22,254 by 1919 The Royal Family changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor to appear more British (1917). Some members of the Royal Family had German titles. The Titles Deprivation Act authorized the deprivation of British peerages and royal titles from individuals who were designated enemies. The Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale and Duke of Albany were British princes and dukes by birth, but also held German titles and were officers in the German Army

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Created: 3:48 PM 5/7/2026
Last updated: 3:48 PM 5/7/2026