In the Edwardian period, the Royal Navy had received the lion's share of Britain's defence budget as it sought tomaintain its traditional supremacy over its rivals. In particular, the period was dominated by the dreadnought race with Wilhelmine Germany. With such spending came expectations. For over a century the Navy had guaranteed Britain's homeland security, and allowed her armies to campaign in every continent of the world. Naval power had also helped British commerce to open up that world, and protect the wealth that such opportunities generated. Many had expected, therefore, that when war did come it would provide a chance to deliver a decisive victory, and it was not uncommon for people to talk of a coming ‘second Trafalgar’. Instead, the Senior Service seemed to play a secondary role to its sometime Cinderella, the army. Consequently, the newspapers were quick to criticise the Navy's inaction and errors. The Royal Navy ended the First World War with a sense of dissatisfaction at its performance. The Admiralty soon put out its own version of events, but even by their own admission the Navy had been just the ‘spearshaft’ of victory, and not the spear's point itself. Added to this were the acrimonious issues of the battle of Jutland and the introduction of convoy. In neither case was the Navy in general, or the Admiralty in particular, judged to have excelled.