The Death of the White Star Line

By the early 1930s, the once mighty White Star Line found itself on the brink of collapse. How did the company that once built some of the largest and most prestigious transatlantic ocean liners end up merging with its greatest rival? It's easy to assume that the sinking of the RMS Titanic doomed the White Star Line but the reality of its downfall is far more complicated.

Sources:
White Star by Roy Anderson
The History of the White Star Line by Robin Gardiner
Understanding Bruce Ismay by Clifford Ismay

Chapters:
00:00 The White Star Line
4:07 Chapter 1: Birth of a Giant
8:40 Chapter 2: Death of a Giant
14:17 Chapter 3: The Great War
16:59 Chapter 4: Lord Kylsant
20:59 Chapter 5: The Final Plunge

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[lilianaohara]

It's great to see more factual points about Bruce Ismay.

[juliadagnall]

Poor Bruce, everyone is so mean to him. I always knew the way they portrayed him wasn’t fair, but when I found out he fought for the survivors to receive compensation I really started feeling bad for him. He was just a normal guy stuck in a no-win situation

[sillywabbit]

As an individual whose lifelong fascination with the Titanic has been nothing short of an obsession since early childhood, I must humbly admit to my own regrettable oversight in failing to recognize the strikingly dapper and debonair appeal of J. Bruce Ismay. Despite having been acquainted with his image on countless occasions prior, it was not until the photograph captured at the precise moment of 6:01 that I was truly captivated by his irresistibly charming and alluring appearance. Your video about the great White Star line was both informative and in-depth. I appreciate the effort you put into it, and I always anticipate new content from you. Congratulations on your accomplishments!

[donnix]

My great grandfather Albert Horswill worked for White Star Line aboard the RMS Oceanic and the RMS Titanic, he survived the wreck in cutter lifeboat one thanks to Officer Murdoch, it was the lifeboat with the Duff Gordons.

[smokejaguarsix]

I'm a soldier of 3 wars and countless operations. I worked the Alaskan fishing fleet as a young man too. There is no honor going down with the ship. It is a hunk of metal. The sea does not care if you live or die. Only fools let themselves die because of someone elses sense of honor. If armchair Captains feel so strongly about it they can go fling themselves into the sea on the survivors behalf.

[CJODell]

The Big Four deserve the Big Old Boats treatment at some point. They were massive and innovative ships for the time, with Celtic, Cedric and Baltic each entering service as the largest ships in the world.

Celtic was the first ship in history to exceed 20, 000 gross tons, and the first to surpass the 18, 915 GRT SS Great Eastern. At 20, 904 GRT (13, 449 NRT), she was the largest ship in the world from July 1901 until February 1903. She also survived two separate enemy attacks during the First World War, striking a mine in February 1917 and being torpedoed twice in March 1918.

Cedric, at 21, 073 GRT (13, 520 NRT), was the largest ship in the world from February 1903 until June 1904, and was one of the first ships, if not the first, to carry the superior Wellin lifeboat davits compared to the traditional bent arm type davits.

Baltic, at 23, 876 GRT (15, 295 NRT), was the largest ship in the world from June 1904 until May 1906, and was initially captained by Edward John Smith (of Titanic fame). She rescued survivors from sinking ships at least twice in her career, most famously from the sinking of the Republic in 1909. She also made the most crossings (625), carried the most passengers (460, 962), and had the highest average number of passengers per crossing (738 on average), of the four.

Adriatic was the largest, the fastest and the most luxurious of the Big Four, with the first Turkish baths and the first swimming pool on a ship. She also was initially captained by E.J. Smith, and spent the first four years of her life on the Southampton to New York route, being the first White Star ship to service this route (along with Oceanic, Majestic and Teutonic), from June 1907 until July 1911, then again from September 1919 until December 1921 (together with Olympic and a few Red Star Line ships). However, unlike her older sisters, she never held the title of the largest ship in the world. At 24, 541 GRT (15, 638 NRT), she fell just short of Hamburg America Line’s 24, 581 GRT Kaiserin Auguste Victoria.

[roadweary]

Hurst definitely had a major chip on his shoulders. Thank you for speaking up for Ismay, who really got the short end of the stick. Besides, most of us historians know that more lifeboats would not have helped as there would not have been time to launch them. Also, we know they were not traveling at full speed as boiler room 1 wasn’t lit until after they hit the iceberg. Cunard ships still fly the White Star Line flag every April 15th.

[miliiflowers]

Thank you for the detailed story of Bruce Ismay, he was painted as the bad guy and that's it, and clearly there was so much more to him.
I love your content, amazing work!

[Sabrinajaine]

Not sure how true this is but according to Wikipedia Olympic's popularity was due in part to her sister's fame: 'many passengers sailed on Olympic as a way of vicariously experiencing the voyage of her sister ship'. Also Olympic and Britannic were made so much safer after the loss of Titanic that it actually strangely makes more sense to go with the shipping line that just had a terrible disaster!

[Unownshipper]

Not necessarily a typical subject for an ocean liner history channel, but I'm glad you made this one. Ismay is an interesting figure who's been flattened to a fall guy thanks to pop culture and William Randolph Hearst. It's nice to see someone give him and the White Star Line a more nuanced examination. And I learned plenty of new things about both!

[andrewrife]

I think the white star line would have been doomed either way. Even with good leadership, the loss of business to air travel (maybe they could have gotten into that though), ww2, the slowing of Europe emmigration following the rebuilding of Europe, and other factors would have been hell that Bruce ismay wouldn't have been around for. A lot of shipping lines went under (pun intended), and not many are around today that were around then. Cunard is around, but it's a shell of its former self. They would have had to diversify more into commerce shipping and passenger air travel to stay relevant.
History did Bruce dirty. His reputation 111 years later is a testament to what shady journalism can do, and I hope that someday his reputation will finally be cleared and that the Hurst name will be known for what it is, a bunch of dramatic, selfish, manipulative, slimy, degenerates who got lucky at crying foul.

[Master_Blackthorne]

Hearst was pure slime. What he did to Fatty Arbuckle was unforgiveable slander.

[mrsaturngamingandstories]

I always knew the Great Depression had put an End to this very famous but somewhat infamous shipping company

[HassassinCat]

I always feel bad for Ismay. He was different from other historical big company owners.

About the "fall of White Start Line" I don't think it was all their fault at all. The world was changing quickly, and companies come and go with time. I think it lived a long and successful business life, and left with dignity. Much better in my opinion than becoming a shell of its former self, trying everything to stay alive or having it name dragged by money hungry people (I'm looking at you Commodore).

Maybe its just me but I prefer a well finished history. But also its just me anthropomorphizing a company again.

[NonsensicalNauticalRambings]

Interesting topic, one that I’be never seen a video on. If you ask me, the business model White Star adopted in the 20s would be the main cause of the downfall. Rebuilding old liners, rather than scrapping them and making newer ones that would last longer. Majority of ships they did build in the 20s were for the Canadian route, rather than the main Southampton to New York. This random switch caused their main liners to seem older. That ultimately, is what I believe led to the fall of White Star.

[FaydsterTV]

I think one of the most interesting facts I learned about Bruce, was that he was 6’4. Even back in his times, that was exceptionally tall for the day.

[dylanhutson]

This is one of my favorite videos that you’ve made! Bruce Ismay is always made out to be evil even though all he did was survive.
Also, love the little jab at Chase! 😂🥴
Thank you for this!

[IntrepidMilo]

In some way, the White Star Line is around. As long as the Nomadic is still around so too will the White Star Line.

[cannabiscomet]

We all want to say we would stay, but I don't think I would. No one around, unfilled boat, yeah I'll take it. Bruce didn't deserve the flak he got over surviving. That's just how I feel, doesn't take away if you don't agree.

[NilsHedstrom]

That people say Ismay should’ve rejected the seat in honor is stupid. I gurantee that if that opportunity arose to yourself and you realized that if you didn’t take it you’d definetely die then you would take it most likely. Ismay wans’t a saint but it’s kinda sad how much un-deserved hate he’s gotten…