Breadth 1: Organising the Military (Navy) Flashcards
How did the role of the Navy change after the Congress of Vienna in 1815?
Protection of Britain was no longer a priority as Britain had worldwide naval dominance. British ships were instead to police trade routes and enforce the ban on the slave trade.
What was ‘gunboat diplomacy’?
Naval forces anchored strategically as a threat whilst discussions between diplomats were taking place on land. It was usually enough for the side with the warships to win the argument and get their own way.
Who oversaw the first operational steamships and what did he say about steamboats in the event of war?
Sir James Graham. The former first lord of the Admiralty, Melville, was against steam power and saw it as a threat.
In the event of war, Graham remarked that a further ten steamships should be built.
Why did the Royal Navy start introducing a fully steam-powered fleet?
The French had started adding steam engines and screw propellers to their frigates in the early 1840s.
HMS Agamemnon, the first steam-powered battleship was built in 1852.
Converting the entire Navy to steam power would take until the end of the century.
Why did the Navy make the switch from wood to iron to build their ships?
First they built ‘ironclads.’ Wooden ships with iron sheets on the outside.
When France started building ironclads in 1858, the Navy responded with the first fully iron warship, launched in 1860.
Bigger guns were built. They were more powerful but heavier. As iron warships got heavier, so did the guns. These guns could rip holes in the sides of wooden ships.
What policy did James Graham reverse in 1832?
The policy of investing in smaller ships. Graham believed the Navy had been reduced too far and worked on refitting old ships and building new battleships.
How did Graham change naval gunnery?
Set up a school dedicated to gunnery.
Issued an order so crews at sea had to perform a gunnery exercise to sharpen their skills.
Thomas Hastings - simple and standardised gunnery methods needed, clear routines of shooting were encouraged rather than double/triple shotting.
What was a problem with the Navy’s system of promotion?
The Navy List - 800 active captains on it. New captains were at the bottom of the list.
Captains without a ship got half pay. Possible for a captain to be promoted to Admiral and retire without having been at sea in the meantime.
Men with rank and influence more likely to be promoted.
How did Graham regulate the issues with the promotion system in the Navy?
Introduced a minimum amount of service a man would have to spend at sea in order to be considered for promotion. Ensured a level of professional experience for commanders and captains.
What did Graham do to the Naval Office and Victualling Board?
Abolished it and placed its departments under the Navy rather than the government.
What were the advantages of Graham’s new supply system?
All officers worked at the Admiralty so could communicate much faster. Conversations took the place of written correspondence.
The Navy also controlled dockyards and victualling yards, making them much more efficient.
What was the two-power standard?
In 1889, the Naval Defence Act stated that Britain’s naval power should be at least equal to its two biggest rivals. Throughout the 19th century, this was France and Germany.
This led to a naval arms race that historians cite as one of the causes of WW1.
What was Fisher fascinated with?
Technology. He saw innovation in naval technology and knew Britain needed to be at the forefront of this curve. He also hated war so believed updating the Navy to be unbeatable was key to preventing conflict.
How did Fisher reform officer training?
There were two types of officers: engineers and commanders. Commanders looked down on engineers.
Fisher made it so that they had to study together until they were 22 years old so they all knew the same skills as each other.
How did Fisher balance the budget in the Navy?
Sold ships that were “too weak to fight and too slow to run away.”
Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve created to augment amount of men in Navy and give Navy a large reserve in times of war.
Fleets reorganised - prioritised keeping Germany in check.
