Maintaining Supremacy + the acquisition and retention of key bases Flashcards

1
Q

Why was the Naval Defence Act passed in 1889?
What did it enforce?
How was this undermined by other nations?
Who became the First Lord of Admiralty in 1904?
What did he do initially?
What were his intentions?
What did this lead to the creation of? Was it a success?
Did the Royal Navy still have hegemony by 1914?

A

-Growing industrial output by rivals led Britain to seek to retain its position through the two-power standard under the Naval Defence Act 1889.
-It was argued that this would deter naval expansion as Britain would always grow to counter it.
-This was to ensure the British navy was always larger than the next two largest combined.
-Proven wrong as France, Russia, Germany and the USA all increased shipbuilding at the same time.
-John Fisher became First Lord of Admiralty in 1904 and began a huge modernisation programme where he scrapped old ships and concentrated the fleet in Europe.
-Fisher intended to end the arms race by developing a ship so technologically advanced that no navy could challenge them.
-HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906. This was no more successful than the two-power standard as Germany and the USA built their own dreadnaughts.
-SOMEWHAT. By 1914, the Royal Navy was still the world’s strongest but was no longer unchallenged.

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2
Q

What was the main aim of the Royal Navy between 1763-1815?
Were ports occupied before the war with France always seen as vital?
After victory against Napoleon what were these ports used for?
Once peace had been established what was the new aim for Britain?
With the resurgence of rivals what became the centre focus?

A

-The Royal Navy’s main aim between 1763 and 1815 was the destruction of France and its allies.
-NO. The war with France turned previously remote and unimportant ports into vital assets as the navy pursued France in a large number of different oceans around the world.
-Once Napoleon was defeated, the navy maintained these as bases from which to counter any future aggression.
-During the peace which followed 1815, expansion was limited as free trade guided British imperial policy and Britain looked to secure its trade.
-With the resurgence of rival European powers, defending Britain’s supremacy became the main consideration ahead of trade and cost of profit.

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3
Q

What was the Geopolitical advantage of occupying Gibraltar & Minorca for the British?
What was the position of the Royal Navy in 1778?
Why was France able to match the Royal Navy in the Atlantic during the war of independence?
Which three nations ganged up on the Royal Navy during this period making the loss of Gibraltar and Minorca seem likely?
What occupation did Britain prioritise? How was this successful unlike the other?
How long did Gibraltar hold out for?
What did this show?
How did this prove even more advantageous in the Napoleonic war?

A

-Controlling them allowed Britain to control access to the Mediterranean sea- it was able to control France’s movements between its western and southern coasts.
-The Royal Navy was rebuilding in 1778 from the war of independence but remained weak.
-France entered the war in 1778 but slipped through the Strait of Gibraltar before war was declared, allowing it to match the Royal Navy in the Atlantic Ocean.
-Ganged up on by Spain, France and the Dutch.
-Admiralty prioritised Gibraltar and managed to get supplies and communications in, past Spanish ships which couldn’t cope with unfavourable winds and poor seamanships.
-Minorca on the other hand lacked fresh food & was forced to surrender in 1782.
-Gibraltar held out until the end of the war in 1783.
-The retention of Gibraltar showed the importance of such a strategically placed port for the navy.
-It later resupplied Nelson’s fleet before the Battle of Trafalgar.

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4
Q

Who controlled Ceylon’s cost after 1765? The interior?
What did Ceylon trade which was extremerely lucrative?
How did Britain pressure the Dutch to hand over their colonies?
How did France attempt this?
Who did the Dutch surrender to in Ceylon?
Why was Ceylon not given up unlike other Dutch colonies in the Treaty of Amiens 1802?
What kingdom launched sporadic warfare against the British coastal land in Ceylon?
After fragile peace what would erupt Ceylon into a full-scale rebellion?
What did Ceylon become once the rebellion was suppressed?
What economic gains were there from capture of Ceylon?

A

-The Dutch controlled Ceylon’s coast after 1765 and the Kingdom of Kandy controlled the interior.
-Ceylon’s trade of spice (only place in the world forcinnamon) was extremerely lucrative.
-Britain demanded the Dutch royal family to hand over the colonies for ‘protection’ from France are fleeing in 1794.
-France ordered its ‘puppet’ Dutch gov’t to do the same.
-Faced by British Naval might the Dutch surrendered Ceylon.
-The British retained Ceylon because it could pay for itself and could protect India’s coast.
-The Kandy kingdom launched sporadic warfare against the British coastal land.
-Governor Brownrigg turned Ceylon into a protectorate forced to pay the British causing rebellion.
-After suppressing the rebellion Ceylon would become a Crown colony.
-The capture of Ceylon immediately yielded £300,000 of money in goods as well as the acquisition of cinnamon plantations.

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5
Q

Did the Dutch colony of Cape Town hold any economic significance?
Any Geo-political significance?
Why did the British first take Cape Town from the Dutch?
Despite returning Cape Town in the treaty of Amiens 1802 what happened in 1806?
When was this occupation formalised with the Dutch?

A

-NO. Held no significance except for its position on the trade route to the East Indies.
-A naval fleet that could prevent enemy shipping between Indian and Atlantic oceans, cutting a major trade route.
-First taken for ‘safekeeping’ when the French conquered Netherlands.
-In 1806 war broke out with the French again and Cape Town was retaken by the British to prevent French expansion.
-The occupation of Cape Town would be formalised with the Dutch in 1814.

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6
Q

What happened when Napoleon captured Malta in 1798?
When did France surrender?
Was Malta perceived as an important acquisition?
Treaty of Amiens 1802?
By 1803?
What led Britain to retain Malta for following centuries? 1869?

A

-Napoleon captured Malta in 1798 but the locals revolted and asked Britain for help.
-1800
-Malta was seen as unimportant to the Royal Navy and preferred Gibraltar instead.
-Agreed with the Dutch to leave Malta in their control.
-By 1803 however, when war began again Malta was reacquired.
-The welcoming community led to a retention of Malta and it would become vital in 1869 with the opening of the Suez canal placing it on Britain’s main seaway to India.

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7
Q

Along with Britain who else claimed sovereignty of the Falklands?
What trade did Britain want to take part in on the colony?
How many ships did Britain have for this commodity in the South Atlantic by the 19th century?
What did Vernet do which challenged this trade?
How did Britain respond?

A

-Britain and the United States both claimed sovereignty over the Falklands.
-Britain waned to take part in the trade of sealing.
-Britain had 70 sealing ships by the 19th century.
-Vernet wanted to preserve the seals for his own use so took American sealers to court in Buenos Aires in 1833.
-Britain sent a single ship to the Falklands. Vernet surrendered without a fight in 1833.

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8
Q

What did the British governor of Bombay Robert Grant believe British imperialists must do?
Why(geopolitics)?
What did Aden serve as?
How did Commander Haines view the Sultan of Aiden?
What was Haines response to the British Duria Dowlat(+When)?
What did Haines do during the negotiation process?
When and how was Aden occupied? Who was left in charge?
Was he a strong leader? Why not?
Importance for the opening up of the Suez economically?

A

-Robert Grant Governor of Bombay believed that Britain should seize ‘places of interest’ preemptively around the Indian ocean.
-This was aruged to prevent another French advance through Egypt or Russian expansion through Persia.
-Aden served as a coaling station for steamships between the Suez and Bombay.
-Grant agreed with Commander Stafford Haines that the Sultan was little better than a pirate as he had interfered with British shipping.
-The sultan’s forces plundered the British Duria Dowlat when it ran aground.
-Haines arrived in Aden in 1837 to secure satisfaction for the Sultan’s actions.
-Negotiations deteriorated and Haines twisted the wording of a letter to say that he had obtained consent to occupy Aden.
-British forces were sent two frigates and 700 men occupied Aden in 1839 and Haines was left in charge of Aden.
-Haines had no political allies and struggled, racking up deficits up to £28,000.
-The future of Aden remained uncertain until the Suez Canal opened in 1869 and it became a boom town(entrepot).

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9
Q

By the late 19th century were territories only seen as important for commercial gain? What was this called? Who established this principle?
How did PM Disraeli retain this principle 1875-1876?
Who did war break out between in 1877 that caused the threat of Russian expansion into the Mediterranean?
How did Disraeli first respond?
Which territory was given to Britain so the Navy could monitor Russian expansion?
Why did Britain have the upper hand in negotiations?
What did the acquisition of Cyprus highlight?

A

-NO. A new way of thinking was emerging where territory would be taken to guard existing territory rather than for commercial gain.
-Also known as Civis Romanus Sum. Palmerston claimed that every British subject in the world should be protected by the British Empire like the Romans would their subjects.
-PM Disraeli continued Palmerston’s way of thinking and bought shares in the Suez Canal in 1875 and made Queen Victoria the Empress of India in 1876.
-Russo-Turkish War broke out in 1877, the Ottoman empire was defeated and Russia threatened to take Constantinople. This would’ve given Russia access to the Mediterranean. Ottomans surrendered in 1878.
-This was unacceptable to Disraeli who called a congress at Berlin to put pressure on Russia.
-Cyprus was given(1878) as a base in the eastern Mediterranean from which the Royal Navy could monitor and counter any Russian expansion and protect the Suez Canal.
-Ottomans had to accept Britain’s demands for Cyprus as they relied on its support to retake land from Russia.
-Acquisition of Cyprus shows that imperial policy was no longer constrained by commercial considerations but to hold back the advances of rival powers.

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