Navy Flashcards
1
Q
What was the initial nature of the British Navy?
A
- “age of sail”
- Battles consisted of ships firing devastating broadside attacks
- British boasted highly skilled sailors that could easily manoeuvre their boats
- Ships would rally in a long line, allowing for continuous fire, and reduced friendly fire
- Use of semaphore to easily communicate down the line
- HMS Victory
2
Q
What was the outcome of the Napoleonic wars?
A
- The victory of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 meant that Britain enjoyed a state of hegemony over the seas
- This period of Pax Britannica arguably led to a degree of complacency
3
Q
How did ships develop in 1841?
A
- French production of the Paixhan gun allowed for flat trajectories, rendering wooden ships obsolete in conflict
4
Q
What was the response to the development of ships in 1841?
A
- To combat the new technology of the Paixhan gun, ironclad ships were produced
- British adapted the French ironclad ship, La Gloire, built in 1859
- Slow to innovate the HMW Warrior ironclad ship in 1861
5
Q
How did ironclad ships influence the development of ships?
A
- The growth in size and weight of ships meant an increase in reliance upon steam powered engines
- 1873, HMS Devastation was the first British fully powered steam ship, ending the age of sail
- The increased weight of the ships allowed heavier guns, 87 meters long with 2 35 tonne guns
- The end of the age of sail meant that strategic ports were needed with merchant ships delivering coal across trade routes
6
Q
How did steam powered ships develop?
A
- Early steam models were ineffective, they consumed large amounts of coal and were propelled by a paddle wheel
- As steam technology improved, Britain was quick to adapt their model, using the screw propeller that allowed for far greater manoeuvrability
- The Chinese Opium War was supported by the British steam powered Nemesis, used to easily dispatch Chinese ships
7
Q
What was the significance of the Age of steam?
A
- Meant that the superior skills of British sailors were far less important as technological advancements became the dominant decider in battles
- The end of British hegemony reflected the beginning of a Naval arms race
8
Q
What was the Two power standard?
A
- Aim to make the British fleet so unassailable that they could muster the combined power of the two lower superpowers
- The Two power standard in theory would end the arms race and save money in the future
- This proved to be false as other countries invested heavily in naval spending
- Spending resulted in the British introduction of HMS dreadnought in 1906, further accelerating competing countries’ naval spending
9
Q
What was the link between trade and navy?
A
- Royal Navy and trade had been inextricably linked
- The Royal Navy had been used to enforce restrictive trade policies (in line with the mercantilist approach at the time)
- Mutually beneficial relationship
- The Royal Navy found it incredibly difficult to recruit so a constant supply of fresh recruits from trade ships was a major advantage
- Equally, the military enforcement of trading rules (such as the navigation acts) benefited merchants
- This mutual benefit was known as the blue water policy
- As free trade was introduced, the Navy became upholders of free trade, evident in the transatlantic slave trade and the suppression of the Barbary salve trade
10
Q
What was the significance of the slave trade in commerce protection?
A
- Initially seen as a vital source of income
- Due to the pool of skilled recruits, known as the “nursery of the Royal Navy”
- The abolition of the slave trade in 1807 and the role of the Navy transformed
- Only two ships were dispatched to deal with enforcing the ban on slavery as resources were necessary for supporting the Napoleonic war
- Many were reluctant to be recruited as heat and lengthy voyages were uncomfortable
- Many ships used a British flag, only the ships with actual slaves on them could be seized, even if the equipment was clearly for slavers
- Eventually a number of ships were used to police the oceans
- Steam power allowed the Navy to catch smaller and faster slave vessels
- A small frigate, the Black Joke captured 11 slave ships in a single year
- British freed around 150000 slaves and released them in Sierra Leone (Free town)
11
Q
What was the significance of the suppression of piracy in commerce protection?
A
- The growth of free trade increased piracy
- Pirates sought to disrupt trade and steal cargo
- Resulted in British Navy intercepting and fighting pirates
- Routes such as India and China were targeted by French privateers
- The straits of Mallaca were hotbeds of piracy and as opium trade increased the British began to crack down on piracy
- The North African coast, known as the Barbary Coast, were responsible for capturing Europeans and selling them into slavery
- An estimated 1.25 million Europeans were sold into slavery or ransomed
- Following criticism, Lord Exmouth launched the bombardment of the Algiers in 1816
- The British established their role as the world enforcer of free trade
12
Q
What was the significance of science and exploration on the Navy?
A
- The limited technology and navigational skills was proving to be a barrier in warfare
- This resulted in a vested interest in scientific discovery
- Cook went on three important missions of circumnavigation
- Cook’s missions had several important outcomes
- Disproving of Terra Australis
- In his second Voyage upon HMS resolution, he discovered that there was no massive, habitable Southern continent, thus focusing British efforts onto Australia
- Disproving of the North West Passage
- Cook discovered that there was not a route connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific through the Arctic, sought out due to its possibility of providing a shortcut to Asia
- Declaration of British dominion over the West Coast of Australia
- Colonising the Coast of New Zealand
- Discovery of fruit containing vitamins that cured scurvy
13
Q
Why did Britain seize Gibraltar?
A
- 1783
- Its position was ideal to supply ships attacking French colonies
- Access point to the Mediterranean
- French attempted to regain Gibraltar during the 7 years war, during the diplomatic breakdown, the French fleet slipped through the straights of Gibraltar, allowing them to match the British fleet in the pacific
- Coalition between the Spanish, French and Dutch all attempted to seize Gibraltar
14
Q
What did Gibraltar reflect about the Royal Navy?
A
- Conflict for Gibraltar proved the necessity for strategically placed ports for the Navy
- Had the French been prevented from slipping through the straits of Gibraltar, they would never have gained a foothold in the Mediterranean
- Gibraltar used as a port during the Napoleonic wars, used to supply Lord Nelson’s fleet
- Importance of strategic bases
15
Q
Why did Britain seize Malta, Ceylon and Cape Town?
A
- 1815
- Ceylon (Sri Lanka) had belonged to the Dutch, fell into British hands when the French invaded the Netherlands
- Lucrative due to the production of cinnamon, British retained the colony and brutally suppressed any dissent
- Cape Town was an important strategic town, Britain took advantage of Dutch occupation to seize it then seized it again to prevent French occupation
- Malta was seized to prevent the French from getting a foothold, not regarded as important until the opening of the Suez Canal as it became Britain’s main route to India
16
Q
What did Malta, Ceylon and Cape Town reflect about the Royal Navy?
A
- Ceylon is useful for revealing the British use of the Navy to secure trade routes and seize lucrative crops such as cinnamon
- This is an example of the Navy’s importance in commerce protection
- Cape Town and Malta are examples of Britain using the Navy to prevent the expansion of other Empires
- Malta’s significance increased after the opening of the Suez Canal
- Reflected economical and geopolitical motivations in using the Royal Navy
17
Q
Why did Britain acquire the Falklands?
A
- 1833
- An early British colony but was abandoned as it was seen as strategic insignificance
- Used by sealers until the united provinces allowed Luis Vernet to found a colony there
- As the seal colonies diminished, Vernet wanted to protect them for his own use
- Potentially dangerous precedent on prospects of British trading
- British sent in a single ship to regain control
18
Q
What did the Falklands reflect about the Royal Navy?
A
- Example of the use of the Navy for commerce protection
- Britain was in fact imposing free trade instead of pioneering it
19
Q
Why did Britain seize Arden?
A
- 1839
- Arden (Yemen) sat at the mouth of the red sea
- Historically an important region but had diminished
- British interest was catalysed by expansion into the East Indies
- Used to supply coal for voyages from Bombay to Suez
- Navy deployed to push the Sultanate out of the port, Arden became under the purview of the EIC
- Port remained largely inefficient until Suez opened up
20
Q
What did Arden reflect about the Royal Navy?
A
- Resulted in the expansion of the Royal Navy, coal deports were increasingly important for long voyages
- Showed the importance of the Royal Navy for protecting and imposing Britain’s trading supremacy
- Supported Britain’s establishment as a major trading power
21
Q
Why did Britain seize Cyprus?
A
- 1878
- Cyprus had belonged to the Ottoman Empire
- The Turkish defeat at the hands of the Russians led to potential gains for the Russians
- Disraeli was concerned about Russian growth, secured £6 million pounds in funds for Naval conflict with Russia
- In the end, Germany and Britain bullied Russia into ceding some of its gains and Britain managed to secure Cyprus in negotiations
22
Q
What did Cyprus reflect about the Royal Navy?
A
- Although the Navy was not needed, it was clear that Disraeli was willing to use the Navy to prevent further Russian expansion
- Just Wehaiwei, the Navy was no longer used to secure trade routes or financial interest, instead it was used for geopolitical motivations
- Showed transition from the Navy being used for commerce protection to geopolitics
