The transformation of British naval strategy : seapower and supply in Northern Europe, 1808-1812 / James Davey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Davey, James.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sea-power--Great Britain--History--19th century.

Sea-power.

Naval strategy.

Military supplies.

Operational readiness (Military science).

History.

Great Britain--History, Naval--19th century.

Great Britain.

Naval history.

Physical Description:

ix, 237 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Woodbridge : Boydell, 2012.

Summary:

After the Battle of Trafalgar, the navy continued to be the major arm of British strategy in the war against Napoleon. Naval forces were sent to Northern Europe, in particular the Baltic Sea, a crucial region for British strategic interests. Here, essential exports and imports were protected, and the Napoleonic Empire was undermined and attacked.

Decades of practice and refinement had rendered the navy adept at fighting battles, blockading and organising convoys. And yet, as late as 1807, fleets were forced from their stations due to an ineffective provisioning system. This book shows how sweeping administrative reforms enacted between 1808 and 1812 established a highly-effective logistical system which successfully enabled a fleet to remain permanently on station. This required significant changes in the workings of the state and the organisation of vast economic resources. The culmination of a century-long process of logistical improvement, this system allowed the navy to conduct operations that were beyond the realms of possibility even twenty years earlier.

The Transformation of British Naval Strategy delves into the British state's ability to reform itself in a time of war and its relationship with the broader British economy. It is a detailed study of national policy, strategic viability, political reform and economic mobilisation. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The Forgotten Theatre: Britain, Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea 13

2 'To keep a fleet above a fortnight': The Evolution of Naval Logistics during the Eighteenth Century 35

3 The Challenges of the Baltic Sea 55

4 The Administration of Power Projection 74

5 The First Year in the Baltic, 1808 99

6 The Escalation of Seapower, 1809 125

7 The Navy, Reform and the British State 149

8 Logistics and Seapower, 1810-1812 173.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781843837480

184383748X

OCLC:

801605904