Navy key paragraph points Flashcards
Changing ship types
Steam battleship
- SIgnalled end of 35 years of low-cost naval supremacy
- began a naval arms race
- gave access to inland river systems eg CHina, superior technology
Ironclad- HMS warrior
- Marked end of Wooden navy
- Symbol of British technological dominance in reaction to the French
- effective in the American civil war
Matless battleships- HMS devastation
- most powerful ship, traditional sailing techniques a thing of the best
- End of Traditional advantage of superior sailors, now technical superiority more important
Dreadnought
- made any rival ship obsolete
Started new naval race
Changing tactics
1763: Simultaneously discharged large guns mounted along the side of the ship
- British struggled to win with this battle format eg Battle of Yorktown
Moved to approach the enemy in a long line
- helped break enemy line, sustainable bombardment
-Used in Decisive victories eg 1805 Battle of Trafalgar
tactics are the consequence of improved technology
Improving ships made tactics less important
Exploration/ mapping for development of navy
Cook: 3 expeditions on behalf of RN
1768-1779 circumnavigated the world
Helped increase understanding of the world
One objective of 1st voyage 1768 was to test different scurvy remedies- didn’t lose a single man to disease
Strict discipline to force men to eat veg
SHowed that with effective crew management,m longer, more ambitious voyages were possible
Also chartered 5000 miles of previously unknown coastline in Australia/ NZ
-SIgnificant in the development of the navy as allowed them to map longitude, know where they are, health
-Navy can get around quicker/ lose less men than others
Why exploration/ mapping wasnt the most significant
However from mid century no longer led and funded by RN but relied on geographical societies/ priv funding
By 1900’s most world’s coastlines had been accurately recorded and there were few territories unexplored
But after 1830 not much improvement in scientific progress (criteria)
SIgnificance of Cook for Navy interests
- successfully expanded empire and uphold British prestige (deter French claims in Australia
Changing role of policing the seas in development of the navy
Slave trade banned - 1807
Preventative Squadron to patrol W. Africa coast
Technological Development - Increased the importance of small maneuverable ships to persue slave ships
Role - RN took a leading role in the moral crusade, winning cooperation from other states. RN became the policeman of the seas.
Age of steam also helped to end piracy as could sail at great speed]
Gibraltar
1783
Crucial location at the entrance to the Mediterranean- could block access in and out of sea
Useful military strategic base- eg used by Nelson before Trafalgar
Vital staging post for refuelling coal
Not so important after 1815
Ceylon 1815
Under India
Commercial- cinnamon, natural resources
Strategic post in indian oceans useful naval base
Prevent french control/ remove Dutch control and retain British dominance in the area
Helped EIC
Malta
1815
Valuable deep water port
Confirmed British naval dominance of mediterranean
Valuable refueling/ repairing station especially after opening of suez
Cape Colony
1815
Strategic importance- protect route to india
Stop French/ dutch winning control
Prevent enemy shipping sailing between indian/ atlantic oceans- cutting a major trade route
Economic value- entrepot for tobacco
Falklands
1833
Acquired to prevent seal trade monopoly / promote free trade
important base for sealing
Over 70 british sealing ships in South Atlantic
Aden
1840 by EIC
Hoped to open trade with East Africa, never made any money
When Suez opened, made it a boom town as perfectly situated on main shipping route from India to Europe
Cyprus
1878
compensation for protecting Ottomans from Russia
Help protect Suez
Monitor/ Counter any further Russian expansion
Control Mediterranean + Black sea
Could intervene in Egypt if necessary to protect the stake Disraeli had purchased in Suez
SHowed British imperial policy was no longer determined by liberal economics/ trade routes
Now willing to acquire colonies simply to constrain the territorial ambitions of other powers
Attack on Algiers for British interests
By bombarding the Barbary Pirates, the British protected free trade in the Mediterranean, ie. ending white
Britain acting as global police- protecting areas that had nothing to do with British Empire
1856 Declaration of Paris outlawed piracy and most maritime powers signed it and agreed to enforce it
Economic motivations: piracy stopped flow of goods flowing in Mediterranean, any effect on world economy impacted free trade and Britains welath
Public pressure on government
Navy used to suppress slave trade- Anti slavery society
- increased size of preventative squadron + increased navy powers
Don Pacifico Affair 1850- RN squadron blocade greek ports
Bombardment of Alexandria 1882 due to outrage at riots harming christians
Expansion of navy- 8 dreadnoughts built 1906-14
