The Changing Nature Of The British Navy Flashcards
What is pax Britannica?
The period of British peace between 1815 and 1914 where the power and prestige of the Royal Navy was at its peak.
What is the two power standard?
It meant that Britain could not only defeat the next most powerful fleet, but the two largest rival navies in the world in alliance.
How did the size of the Navy change?
In 1700 there were 127 battleships increasing to a peak of 152 in 1810.
In 1700 there were 49 cruisers increasing to 158 by 1800.
There were close to 1000 vessels in 1810.
How did naval tactics change?
Change from broadsiding, which was the main tactic used in the Age of Sail, to breaking the line which minimised the risks but still inflicted maximal damage. This resulted in decisive victories like the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
What were the advantages of breaking the line?
-It enabled sustained bombardment, with each shop able to fire a broadside as the line passes the enemy
-It avoided friendly ships firing on each other as none of their broadsides faced each other
-Reduced the exposure of the vulnerable bows and sterns
-Improved the speed and effectiveness of signalling by flags between the admiral’s ship and the rest of the fleet
What were ships of the line like?
Strong in terms of firepower with 60-120 cannons on each but were not very manoeuvrable, making them dangerous to sail near the shore. 80% of the fleet were third rate ships of the line by 1814.
What was the importance of the development of frigates?
They were shorter than other ships of the line making them faster and more manoeuvrable. They could sail closer to shore and were effective in capturing ships. There were 183 frigates in 1810.
What was the significance of the development of hybrid sail-steamers?
They had sails for ocean travel and steam paddles for river navigation. This opened up previously inaccessible inland areas to naval forces. Nemesis was crucial in the First Opium War with China.
What was the significance of the development of steam battleships?
France launched the 90 gun Napoleon in 1850, capable of reaching 14 knots without wind. This signalled the end of the low-cost supremacy of the Royal Navy and the start of the naval arms race. Both Britain and France poured money into steamship development in the 1850s: Britain built 18 new battleships and converted 41.
What was the significance of the development of ironclad battleships?
Iron plated were fitted as armour to wooden ships which offered better protection from new powerful shells and also supported powerful steam engines. All new ships were fitted with ironclads and their power was demonstrated in the American Civil War. The first British ironclad, the HMS Warrior was also a symbol of British technological dominance in reaction to the French ship, the Gloire.
What was the significance of mastless battleships?
They were very powerful ships with 2 35 ton guns. They were a clear turning point away from sail to steam as they had no sails e.g. HMS Devastation. This also meant Britain had more need for ports as supply stations, particularly in routes to India and the East Indies as steamers needed to stock up midway on long voyages.
What was the significance of the development of dreadnoughts?
This ship was so powerful that it effectively made all other ships obsolete. A period followed of frantic dreadnought building by the Royal Navy as their supremacy had been eroded by this development.
What were Britain’s aims for exploration and scientific development?
-Improve safety and reduce losses at sea (between 1803 and 1815, over 200 British ships were lost due to rocks and wind)
-Develop accurate maps of the coasts to develop safer navigation
-To claim new lands
-To improve scientific knowledge e.g. trying to accurately measure longitude using a chronometer
What did Captain Cook do?
He led 3 scientific expeditions to the Pacific on behalf of the Royal Navy and Royal Society. Between 1768 and 1779, he successfully circumnavigated the glove before being killed in Hawaii. He was a skilled cartographer with a sound understanding of science as well as an experienced seaman, and he paid attention to the health and welfare of crews.
How did Cook solve the problem of scurvy on ships?
Scurvy was a potentially fatal disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C. It was a major cause of death in the Royal Navy throughout the 18th century (in the Seven Years War, over 130,000 sailors were lost to disease) and one of Cook’s main objectives was to test different remedies. These didn’t work but his effective crew management in forcing them to eat fresh food wherever they landed saved them from the disease and Cook didn’t lose a single man to scurvy.
How did Captain Cook stimulate further exploration?
Cook showed that with effective crew management, longer and more ambitious voyages were possible. An example is Captain Ross’ voyage to the Antarctic charting new territories and measuring the South Pole’s magnetic field. However, from mid century, scientific expeditions were no longer led and funded by the Royal Navy, instead relying on private funding like Scott’s expedition to the South Pole 1911-1912.
How did Captain Cook expand the empire?
He established a British claim to new lands in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. His first voyage also forestalled new territory acquisitions by Britain’s European rivals, notably France and was the basis for future colonial expansion, including the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales. This gave great prestige to the British empire.
How did Captain Cook lead to scientific progress?
He chartered 5000 miles of previously unknown territory on his first voyage and showed that the chronometer could be used to measure longitude accurately. The Hydrographic Office recorded and printed accurate maps from the 1790s onwards.
How did the Royal Navy become involved in the suppression of the slave trade?
The British government made the slave trade illegal in 1807. Despite this, the number of slaves crossing the Atlantic rose to 135,000 in 1830. Britain set up the Preventative Squadron, mostly working off the West African coast to patrol and intercept vessels transporting slaves.
Why was suppression of the slave trade difficult?
-The death rate was high- 54/1000, mainly due to poor conditions, harsh weather and disease
-Ships avoided capture by flying foreign flags
-The use of fast moving clippers meant that slave vessels could often escape British patrols
In what ways was the British navy successful in suppressing the slave trade?
Over the whole time period, over 1000 ships were seized with 32 British warships in operation by 1847. The Black Joke captured 11 slave vessels in one year. Government support made missions more successful, e.g. in 1835 and 1845, Palmerston and Peel respectively increased the powers of the squadron. Sierra Leone was set up as a colony for freed slaves in West Africa and by the 1850s/60s, there was a huge reduction in slavery.
In what ways was the British navy not successful in suppressing the slave trade?
They only had an impact from 1815 onwards as only 2 ships could be spared at the time of wars with France. Sometimes conditions worsened due to British intervention and only about 10% of African slaves were freed, with trade continuing in Africa and Asia. Slavery mostly ended because of the end of the American Civil War in 1865.
How did suppression of the slave trade change the British navy?
It increased the importance of smaller, quicker and more manoeuvrable vessels like paddle steamers (HMS Pluto was crucial in this role from 1832). Britain started to act as a policeman of the sea, with acceptance from other nations.
What was the problem of piracy?
During the 18th century, when the slave trade was a lucrative business, the profits attracted many pirates. Some pirates became slavers or raided slave ships and ports and sold cargoes of slaves. Pirates like the Barbary Corsairs also sold the crews of captured ships as slaves or demanded a ransom for them, which was very profitable.
Who were the Barbary Corsairs?
Pirates and slavers who operated out of Algiers and other North African ports. They were well armed and organised enough to capture shipping and undertake large scale coastal raids, capturing an estimated 1-1.25 million Europeans between 1500 and 1800. The larger powers of Britain and France had been strong enough to intimidate them into leaving their shipping alone but smaller powers without large navies like America and Italy were vulnerable- 900 Sardinians were taken as slaves in a single raid in 1798.
Why did Britain get involved in stopping piracy?
Britain was criticised for being more concerned with suppressing the slave trade in Africa than in Europe. This led Britain to send a naval squadron to North Africa to halt the Beys raids on Europeans.
What happened at Algiers in 1816?
The Beys massacred over 200 captured Corsicans, Sardinians and Sicilians. As a result, Britain sent a larger fleet and bombarded Algiers, firing over 50,000 cannonballs and sinking 40 ships. The Beys were forced to pay £80,000 in ransom money and freed 3000 slaves.
