The Japanese attacked Malaya December 8, 1941, and by Februhad captured Malaya and Singapore. Faulty strategic assumptions about friends, enemies, and their naval capabilities meant that Britain’s fleet was too small for imperial defense when called upon. In an effort to reduce the strategic risk of naval cuts, nations came together to agree to limitations on fleet size and armaments at the Washington and London Naval Conferences. War weary British citizens expected defense cuts. The German High Seas Fleet was seized by the Allies and sank at Scapa Flow. In the wake of World War I, people hoped the League of Nations could peacefully resolve international disputes. No longer would Britain maintain a fleet larger than the next two navies in size. Defense cuts reduced the size of the fleet. War weariness and debt from World War I caused defense cuts. This is a lesson Britain learned the hard way during World War II, and one that all nations with maritime boundaries should head. An effective navy requires money to build and maintain, time for construction, and foresight to understand the nature of the next naval war. Much like Secretary Rumsfeld’s comments on fighting with the army you have, a navy required in crisis cannot be conjured overnight from thin air, good wishes, and steel. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, December 2004 “You go to war with the Army you have, not the army you want.” – U.S.
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