Final answer:
Given the expansive global territories and extensive trade routes of the British Empire, Great Britain had a greater need for a strong navy compared to Germany, especially in the period leading up to World War I. Germany too needed a strong navy but its focus was more regional in Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the times leading up to World War I, both Germany and Great Britain had significant reasons to maintain strong naval forces. However, based on their geographical and geopolitical contexts, Great Britain had a greater need for a strong navy. The wealth and reach of the British Empire required a strong naval force to protect its global colonies and control its vast trade routes. Any threat to these routes, many coastal and overseas territories and the Empire itself, could have devastating effects. Therefore, a powerful navy was deemed necessary by Britain.
Germany, on the other hand, despite its newly uniting and rapidly modernizing status, was not as focused on global reach as it was regional dominance in Europe. It had a strong ambition to rival Britain's naval power, especially after the launching of the game-changing HMS Dreadnought by Britain in 1906. However, Germany's naval needs were different, and while it could be argued they had a significant need for a robust navy, this need was not on the same level as Britain's. More than the navy, Germany's primary concern was its alliances and territorial ambitions within continental Europe.
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