Why The Uk's Dependence Of Foreign Oil In Britain During WWI
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During the war, the British policy-makers realized that Britain was almost entirely dependent of foreign oil. The rate of consumption for oil increased from 2.5 to 6.5 million tonnes as petroleum became important in ammunition production, the army motorized faster, and the navy converted increasingly ships to diesel. Britain´s dependence on supplies from the United States increased considerably, from 62.3 percent import before the war to 77 percent in September 1918. The imports from APOC´s Persian oilfield was only seven percent. Thus, the British officials were profoundly anxious in case these supplies were suspended particularly after May 1917 as it appeared that the Royal Navy might be out of oil. Similarly, during the war, the shortage