The Changing Nature of the Royal Navy Flashcards
When does the ‘age of sail’ end?
Mid 19th Century at the introduction of steam ships
When is Br supremacy at sea unchallangable?
Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
Pros and Cons of 1st+2nd SotL
- 3 story- 80-120 cannon - most powerful
- top heavy, difficult to manouvure
Pros of 3rd rate SotLs
2 gun decks - 64-80 cannon
In 1814, these made up 80% of RN
Pros and Cons of Frigates - 5th+6th SotLs
faster + more agile - can swim closer to shore
- Sinlge gun, not as powerful
Example of Frigate success
‘speedy’ under command of Capt Cochrance captured + destroyed 53 fr ships in 13 months
At the end of the Napoleonic wars, RN had 214 frigates + 800 SotLs. Beause of peace, this number reduced to?
only 58 SotL by 1835
What were issues with early steamships
unreliable, slow and consumed too much coal
- Not effective in rough seas and vulnerable to cannon fire
What was the 1st impact of steamships and where was this first seen
Opening previously inaccessible InLand areas to naval forces
1st Opium War (1839-42) - Steamships used to attack Chinse forts up the river
What changes were made to steamships in the late 1830s?
- powerful propeller screw propulsion
- Steam ships now more practical - greater flexibility + does not rely on wind to move
What changes were made in 1820s?
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
What was evidence of rapid changes ?
Ships had served as SotL for 59 years - now ironclads like ‘HMS Warrior’ became obsolete in 10yrs
Br’s new reliance on steam ships increased the importance of what?
And made what? irrelevant?
ports + entreports as ships needed to stock up on coal more regulalry
- skill of sailor
What was the ‘Two Power Standard’
strength of a navy that was as strong as net two combined
RN chased this concept
Enhanced by Naval Defence Act, 1889
When did John Fisher began his vast modernising programme?
1904
The launch of what in 1906 made all other ships obsolete?
‘HMS Dreadnought’
Ger, USA, Jap all raced to build own dreadnoughts. By the eve of WW1 how many dreadnoughts did Br have compared to Ger?
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
When did RN become an enemy of the slavers?
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
funding for the Napoleaonic wars
- even aft 1815, not a priority, by 1831, only 7 ships in squadron
What did the Spanish do to avoid being caught by the RN
throw chained slaves overboard
RN could only act if slaves were present
Between 1810 and 1860, how many slaves were freed by RN
- but what % of total slaves was this?
Around 150k slaves
only 10% of all slaves shipped to America
What truly ended the slave trade in America?
The American Civil War - 1861-65
the growing role of commerce proctection began when?
When the French had been weakened - 1815
Whne was French threat eliminated?
When Br captued modern day Maurittious and made it a naval base
An example of RN being used for commerce protection
to bomb Mocha until the Imaan signed a treaty to protect Br commerce
What became a priority as Opium trade with China increased?
suppressing Piracy - up to 100 pirate ships operated in the channel between India and China
What proved the RN’s insignificane in commerce protection during the 18th century?
the domination of piracy
What was significant about the 1816 attack on the Barbary states?
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
what did the period named ‘Pax Britannica’ mean, and when was it?
RN assumed the role of the world’s police force and had global hegimony
1815 - 1914
Until the 18th century, there was no method of calculating longitude (location W/E) - what helped this?
the Longitude Act - (1714) - offers reward for anyone who could solve it
1759 - Clockmaker John Harrison does this, handing RN huge advantage
What did Cooks first voyage discover?
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
from 1763-1815, destroying France and its allies were main goal of Br Empire - After Napoleon’s defeat this becomes?
The promotion of free trade and limitd expansion
RN was saled down post 1815
Significance of retention of Gibraltar and when?
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
When were Ceylon, Cape Town and Matla conqured ?
Importance of Malta
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
When was Falklands caputred?
1833
Give two exapmles of defenseive Imperlialism
Cypurs 1878 + Aden 1839
By 1850, How much of the world’s resources did Britian own?
- 2/3 of world’s coal
- 1/2 of world’s iron
- 2/3rd of world’s steel
What advacenments were made based on the 1889 Naval Defence Act
- 10 new battleships, 42 cruises, 18 torpedoes just between 1893-4
What did the industrial revolution ensure for Br?
- sustained hegemonic naval power
- Gunboat Diplomacy
- Catalyst for the exapnsion of the RN
