By becoming members of this court, the German Reich as well as Great Britain gave the appearance that they favored peace. They sat “at one table,” appearing to be friendly, but ‘their hearts were inclined to do what was bad.’ The diplomatic tactic of ‘speaking a lie at one table’ could not promote real peace. As to their political, commercial, and military ambitions, ‘nothing could succeed’ because the end of the two kings “is yet for the time appointed” by Jehovah God.

Wanting to challenge British supremacy at sea, he proceeded to build a powerful navy. “Germany’s naval power went from being negligible to being second only to Britain’s in little more than a decade,” says The New Encyclopædia Britannica. In order to maintain its supremacy, Britain actually had to expand its own naval program. Britain also negotiated the entente cordiale (cordial understanding) with France and a similar agreement with Russia, forming the Triple Entente. Europe was now divided into two military camps—the Triple Alliance on one side and the Triple Entente on the other.