Science and the Anglo-German Antagonism

Abstract

When a festive Britain indulged in celebrating Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897 her vast empire had long become the envy of other powers and her political system was widely regarded, particularly in Europe, as a model for parliamentary democracy. But beneath the dazzling display of might and glory, of pageantry and military strength on the occasion of the jubilee there was uncertainty and deep anxiety, and behind the ostentatious self-assertion of an imperial nation there was a feeling of political and economic vulnerability. As the sun went down on the Victorian age, to many contemporary observers Britain’s political influence and modernity, so much admired abroad, stood in striking contrast to her obvious deficiencies and her backwardness in other fields, which raised doubts about her future international standing and security.