Britannia Ruled the Waves: An Imagological Analysis of the Battleship as a Cultural Image of the British Empire 1905-1960

Abstract

Når man tænker på Storbritannien er nogle af de mest ikoniske aspekter af den Britiske kultur nok enten James Thomson's sang: 'Rule Britannia' eller den obligatoriske turistattraktion, Trafalgar Square i London. Selvom de to ting let formår at fremhæve Englands maritime storhed er det dog interessant at der i så høj grad fokuseres på the Royal Navy eller de flådeadmiraler der vandt store søslag i fordums tid; specielt da England ikke længere bestrider herredømmet over havene og som sådan heller ikke prøver på det. Ved at analysere symbolikken i de mest omtalte krigsskibe i British tjeneste vil dette speciale forsøge at kaste lys på den forbindelse der er mellem den symbolske værdi af skibene, the Royal Navy og Storbritanniens kulturelle identitet. Slagskibe, som for eksempel, HMS Dreadnought var med til at styrke the Royal Navys image ved at symbolisere national or maritim styrke, magt og sammenhold hvorimod tabet af HMS Hood og Slaget ved Jylland svækkede flådens image. Ved at se på slagskibene fra de tidlige modeller til det sidste Britiske slagskib blev kasseret kan det ses at Storbritanniens image som en stærk flåde nation næsten var en præcis afspejling af slagskibenes storhed og fald og at da slagsskibene forsvandt var Englands heredømme over havet forbi.

Some of the most culturally recognised things associated with Britain might be James Thomson's 'Rule Britannia' song and the mandatory tourist attraction Trafalgar Square in London. However, while these two things alone signify a strong connection in British culture to its nautical roots, it is curious that this emphasis on the Royal Navy and the hero admirals of the past should remain today where Britain no longer rules the waves or even attempt to do so. By analysing the symbolic value of some of the most recognisable ships in British naval service - the battleships - this thesis seeks to demonstrate a close connection between the ships, the Royal Navy, and Britain's cultural identity. Battleships such as the HMS Dreadnought strengthened the image of the Royal Navy by symbolising national and maritime strength and unity where the Loss of HMS Hood or the indecisive outcome at the Battle of Jutland weakened the image of Britain's naval superiority. In following the battleship from its early predecessor, the battleship of the line to the last battleship in active service, it becomes clear that the image of Britain's naval strength mirrored the image of the battleships and when they disappeared, Britannia no longer ruled the waves.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

Britannia Ruled the Waves: An Imagological Analysis of the Battleship as a Cultural Image of the British Empire 1905-1960