The Changing Nature of the Royal Navy

Question 1

When does the ‘age of sail’ end?

Answer 1

Mid 19th Century at the introduction of steam ships

Question 2

When is Br supremacy at sea unchallangable?

Answer 2

Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

Question 3

Pros and Cons of 1st+2nd SotL

Answer 3

• 3 story- 80-120 cannon - most powerful
• top heavy, difficult to manouvure

Question 4

Pros of 3rd rate SotLs

Answer 4

2 gun decks - 64-80 cannon
In 1814, these made up 80% of RN

Question 5

Pros and Cons of Frigates - 5th+6th SotLs

Answer 5

faster + more agile - can swim closer to shore

• Sinlge gun, not as powerful

Question 6

Example of Frigate success

Answer 6

‘speedy’ under command of Capt Cochrance captured + destroyed 53 fr ships in 13 months

Question 7

At the end of the Napoleonic wars, RN had 214 frigates + 800 SotLs. Beause of peace, this number reduced to?

Answer 7

only 58 SotL by 1835

Question 8

What were issues with early steamships

Answer 8

unreliable, slow and consumed too much coal
- Not effective in rough seas and vulnerable to cannon fire

Question 9

What was the 1st impact of steamships and where was this first seen

Answer 9

Opening previously inaccessible InLand areas to naval forces

1st Opium War (1839-42) - Steamships used to attack Chinse forts up the river

Question 10

What changes were made to steamships in the late 1830s?

Answer 10

• powerful propeller screw propulsion
• Steam ships now more practical - greater flexibility + does not rely on wind to move

Question 11

What changes were made in 1820s?

Answer 11

Fr Engineers Paixhans developed new artillery guns with shell trajectories
Could destroy wooden ships easily

Ships now fitted with iron plates as armour - expensive wooden fleets useless

New Ironclads;
Fr ‘La Gloire’ 1859
‘HMS Warrior’ 1861

Question 12

What was evidence of rapid changes ?

Answer 12

Ships had served as SotL for 59 years - now ironclads like ‘HMS Warrior’ became obsolete in 10yrs

Question 13

Br’s new reliance on steam ships increased the importance of what?
And made what? irrelevant?

Answer 13

ports + entreports as ships needed to stock up on coal more regulalry

• skill of sailor

Question 14

What was the ‘Two Power Standard’

Answer 14

strength of a navy that was as strong as net two combined
RN chased this concept
Enhanced by Naval Defence Act, 1889

Question 15

When did John Fisher began his vast modernising programme?

Answer 15

1904

Question 16

The launch of what in 1906 made all other ships obsolete?

Answer 16

‘HMS Dreadnought’

Question 17

Ger, USA, Jap all raced to build own dreadnoughts. By the eve of WW1 how many dreadnoughts did Br have compared to Ger?

Answer 17

29v17

On eve of WW1, RN was still by far the most powerful naval force in world but did not enjoy same global dominance that it did in 1815

Question 18

When did RN become an enemy of the slavers?

Answer 18

When full legislation agaisnt slavery was passed in 1807 - it was no longer in Br interest to defend plantations as they lots thouands of men to disease

Answer 19

funding for the Napoleaonic wars

• even aft 1815, not a priority, by 1831, only 7 ships in squadron

Question 20

What did the Spanish do to avoid being caught by the RN

Answer 20

throw chained slaves overboard
RN could only act if slaves were present

Question 21

Between 1810 and 1860, how many slaves were freed by RN
- but what % of total slaves was this?

Answer 21

Around 150k slaves
only 10% of all slaves shipped to America

Question 22

What truly ended the slave trade in America?

Answer 22

The American Civil War - 1861-65

Question 23

the growing role of commerce proctection began when?

Answer 23

When the French had been weakened - 1815

Question 24

Whne was French threat eliminated?

Answer 24

When Br captued modern day Maurittious and made it a naval base

Question 25

An example of RN being used for commerce protection

Answer 25

to bomb Mocha until the Imaan signed a treaty to protect Br commerce

Question 26

What became a priority as Opium trade with China increased?

Answer 26

suppressing Piracy - up to 100 pirate ships operated in the channel between India and China

Question 27

What proved the RN’s insignificane in commerce protection during the 18th century?

Answer 27

the domination of piracy

Question 28

What was significant about the 1816 attack on the Barbary states?

Answer 28

Pirates in North Africa captued 1m ships between 16th-19th century

Surrender in Algiers after massacar after treay - 80k paid in ransom, 3k slaves freed

Br willing to use might of RN to protect foreigners under Br protection

Question 29

what did the period named ‘Pax Britannica’ mean, and when was it?

Answer 29

RN assumed the role of the world’s police force and had global hegimony

1815 - 1914

Question 30

Until the 18th century, there was no method of calculating longitude (location W/E) - what helped this?

Answer 30

the Longitude Act - (1714) - offers reward for anyone who could solve it

1759 - Clockmaker John Harrison does this, handing RN huge advantage

Question 31

What did Cooks first voyage discover?

Answer 31

1) Showed it was possible to be at sea for 3 yrs with cleanliness and fresh food - np death from scurvy which was unheard of at the time, however, link unknown; only in 1794 was the link made to citrus fruits
2) Proved usefulness of new technology (Harrison’s watch) for making accurate charts
3) Established a British claim to new lands in Aus, NZ and the Pacific

Question 32

from 1763-1815, destroying France and its allies were main goal of Br Empire - After Napoleon’s defeat this becomes?

Answer 32

The promotion of free trade and limitd expansion

RN was saled down post 1815

Question 33

Significance of retention of Gibraltar and when?

Answer 33

Gibraltar is important as it was a major obstacle to Fr and could easily supply Br in battle - also controls Br entrance + exit to Mediterranean coastlines

1783

Question 34

When were Ceylon, Cape Town and Matla conqured ?

Importance of Malta

Answer 34

1815

Malta’s deep-water port made it useful
Became a Major base after opening of Suez Canal places it on Br’s main seaway

Question 35

When was Falklands caputred?

Answer 35

1833

Question 36

Give two exapmles of defenseive Imperlialism

Answer 36

Cypurs 1878 + Aden 1839

Question 37

By 1850, How much of the world’s resources did Britian own?

Answer 37

• 2/3 of world’s coal
• 1/2 of world’s iron
• 2/3rd of world’s steel

Question 38

What advacenments were made based on the 1889 Naval Defence Act

Answer 38

• 10 new battleships, 42 cruises, 18 torpedoes just between 1893-4

Question 39

What did the industrial revolution ensure for Br?

Answer 39

• sustained hegemonic naval power
• Gunboat Diplomacy
• Catalyst for the exapnsion of the RN