The Transformation of British and American Naval Policy in the Pre-Dreadnought Era
This volume examines the transformation of British and US naval policy from 1870 to 1889, which resulted in the British Naval Defence Act (1889), the construction of the first modern US battleships, and began the naval arms race which culminated in World
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Robert E. Mullins Edited by John Beeler
The Transformation of British and American Naval Policy in the Pre-Dreadnought Era
Robert E. Mullins Edited by John Beeler
The Transformation of British and American Naval Policy in the Pre-Dreadnought Era Ideas, Culture and Strategy
Robert E. Mullins Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA Editor John Beeler University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
ISBN 978-3-319-32036-6 ISBN 978-3-319-32037-3 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-32037-3
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016952626 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover image: HMS Royal Sovereign, courtesy US Naval History and Heritage Command, NC55491-1 Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
To appreciate the significance of Dr. Robert Mullins’ comparative study of British and American naval policy in the late 1880s contained in this volume, it is first necessary to survey previous historiography on both navies. For decades Arthur Jacob Marder’s work on the Royal Navy from 1880 to the end of World War I was regarded as definitive. No less a figure than Sir John Keegan once opined that Marder’s research and analysis “defied betterment,” and similar praise emanated from other prominent historians.1 On the other side of the Atlantic, accounts of the US Navy’s transformation from a commerce-raiding and coastal defense posture to a battleshiporiented force designed to fight fleet actions have been dominated by the theories, publications, and influence of Alfred Thayer Mahan, with little attention paid to the curious chronological fact that that transformation began in the 1880s, well prior to Mahan’s influence within the service, much less his celebrity outside of it. Recent scholarship, however, has contested much of the established historiography.
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