@Aristokles:
Some stats on naval power in 1914:
Total tonnage of naval strength:
British: 2.2 Million
Germany: 1.0 Million
France: 0.7 Million
Russia: 0.3 Million
Austria-Hungary: 0.2 Million
British military doctrine at the time was to be able to field a navy that was greater than any two other powers combined. (This is partly why the German naval build-up, although still far less than the British naval power, was so threatening.) A&A is a game, you have to balance it and make it interesting, but the lack of British naval power, especially relative to the other powers, is a little bit off.
Simply counting tonnage does not suffice to reflect naval power of the nations.
1. It was the time of Dreadnoughts and Battlecruisers! These mostly defined naval power!
-> Figures in August 1914:
Dreadnoughts: UK: 22, Germany: 15, USA 10, France 8, Austria-Hungary 6, Italy 3, Russia NONE (again: NONE!!!)
Battlecruisers: UK 9, Germany 5 (all others none)
2. Many ships were too old already thus being regarded as “unfit for high seas duty!”
-> This is especially true for Russia and Turkey, but also for France and UK (almost all their submarines were old “garbage” and could only be used as costal submarines!).
Naval power UK:G in the North Sea was about 3:2.
Behind those 2 powers: Long time nothing! Then USA!