To talk about British sea power, one must consider all of
its aspects: geography, economic stability, political stability,
imperial
success, and superior employment of maritime resources. For Britain to be the
dominant sea power, it needed to surpass its rivals in all of these categories.
Some of these characteristics belonged to Britain all along, but others were
gained through experience. In fact, Britain did not become the dominant sea
power until it had subsequently defeated each one of its major rivals on the
sea. These blows showed France, Spain, and Holland that the Royal Navy could
now dominate them on the
water.
As an
island, Britain automatically had the
advantage of not being able to be invaded
on land without its enemies arriving by sea. Britain followed a blue water
strategy, meaning specifically that they did not want to be the ones engaged in
a costly land war. The majority of its rivals at the time, such as the French,
the Spanish, and the Dutch, could be attacked on land by one of Britain’s
allies (varied upon the time frame). Britain could not be attacked on land
without first engaging in maritime battle, which is key to following a blue water
strategy. Also, islands have a larger number of ports than simply coastal
countries or landlocked lands. This means that practically the entire country
can be used as fueling stations and harbors for the Navy. It seems logical that
Britain would emerge as a sea power since it is left with no alternatives save
isolationism – it’s coast is ideal and it also has the windward advantage. The
majority of winds in Western Europe originate in the northwest, meaning that
British ships can arrive quickly on mainland Europe and would have the
advantage of speed against fleeing vessels.
Around
this time, the British were still well involved in trade throughout their
colonies and with other foreign powers. As often reiterated by many economists,
“trade makes everyone better off.” In addition to gaining the normal benefits
of trade, Britain was able to make only profit off of its colonies because they
were mostly founded by private joint-stock companies. Britain did not have to
invest in the colonies but it got to tax them, use their resources for
furthering its navy (since Britain is only an island, the lumber is limited yet
America has plenty), and eventually inherit complete control until the American
Revolution. Furthermore, the Navigation Act of 1651, which made it illegal for
goods to come into England or English possession except by English ships, was a
way to create a gap between the Dutch and the English. Essentially, Britain was
gaining the “upper-hand” as it were by claiming it had that right and then
backing it up in the First Anglo-Dutch War. One can see that not only was
Britain economically stable, but it was also able to become superior to other
nations through the use of force and privateers such as Sir Francis Drake.
These privateers were unpaid raiders; they were private sailors that were given
legal permission to attack foreign vessels and keep whatever they capture. This
weakened the economies of enemies, such as Spain, and strengthened that of
Britain.