To determine which nation had an advantage at sea in 1914 based on the battleships constructed, we will follow these steps:
### Step 1: Initial Number of Battleships before 1910
Both countries, Britain and Germany, start with 7 battleships each.
### Step 2: Battleships Added Annually from 1910 to 1914
We will tally battleships added each year for both countries:
- Britain:
- 1910: 3 battleships
- 1911: 5 battleships
- 1912: 3 battleships
- 1913: 7 battleships
- 1914: 3 battleships
- Germany:
- 1910: 1 battleship
- 1911: 3 battleships
- 1912: 2 battleships
- 1913: 3 battleships
- 1914: 1 battleship
### Step 3: Calculate Total Battleships in 1914
We sum the initial battleships with the number of new battleships added from 1910 to 1914 for both nations:
- Britain:
[tex]\[
\text{Total battleships} = 7 + 3 + 5 + 3 + 7 + 3 = 28
\][/tex]
- Germany:
[tex]\[
\text{Total battleships} = 7 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 17
\][/tex]
### Step 4: Determine the Difference in Number of Battleships
Subtract Germany's total from Britain's total:
[tex]\[
\text{Difference} = 28 - 17 = 11
\][/tex]
### Conclusion
When World War I began in 1914, Britain had 28 battleships, while Germany had 17 battleships. Therefore, Britain had an advantage at sea with 11 more battleships than Germany.
The correct answer is:
Britain, with eleven more battleships
