Crisis in the Mediterranean: Naval Competition and Great Power Politics, 1904-1914 (New Perspectives on Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology)

Prior to July 1914, the extensive British grip on the
Mediterranean Sea was beginning to weaken, leading to a
wide-open competition between Austria-Hungary, Italy,
France, and Great Britain. This change, Hendrickson
contends, was driven by three largely understudied events:
the weakening of the British Mediterranean Fleet to provide
more ships for the North Sea, Austria-Hungary's decision to
build a navy capable of operating in the Mediterranean, and
Italy's decision to seek naval security in the Triple Alliance
after the Italo-Turkish War. These three factors radically
altered the Mediterranean balance of power, forcing
Britain and France to come to a mutual accommodation
and accelerate ship construction to defend their respective
interests in the region. However, the July Crisis and the
ensuing World War obscured these events, leading later
historians to ignore these events.