naval bases

• Uses of Gibraltar- It was located in the sea between Africa and Europe where it was only 13km wide. It removed access to the Mediterranean, removing France's ability to move warships and supplies between its main ports. Minorca, which removed France's access to their port of Toulon, and Gibraltar were key in the geo-politics between France and Britain.
• First aquiring Gibraltar- Britain captured Gibraltar in 1704 and Minorca in 1708 from Spain. Spain had ceded the territories to remove Britain from the War of Succession. However, Spain tried to recapture Gibraltar in 1727 and France controlled Minorca during the 7 Years War.
• Consequences of the American War of Independence- The War in America allowed France and Spain to regain their territories and diplomatic relations broke down after Spain and France entered the war. The French fleet at Toulon slipped through the Strait of Gibraltar so the French then could match the Royal Navy in the Atlantic. By failing to close Gibraltar in time, the Navy had undermined their position. The navies of France and Spain were joined by the Dutch in 1781, outnumbering the Brits, making them lose control of even the English Channel.
• Protecting Gibraltar- Gibraltar had been blockaded by sea and surrounded by land in 1779. This led to food shortages among the 5000 man army and citizens. The Admiralty prioritised supplying Gibraltar and send supply convoys throughout the war. The Spanish fleet that blockaded the land couldn't resupply due to poor sailing skills and adverse winds that blew them out of position. Minorca too had been blockaded and had limited access to goods.
• Keeping Gibraltar- The Army in Minorca had barricaded themselves into a castle to escape the Franco-Spanish forces that had come onto land. The lack of fresh food in the castle led to scurvy and they surrendered after 5 months, unlike Gibraltar who suffered from diseases instead. In 1782, an assault on Gibraltar was launched with 5000 men on floating batteries and 18 ships of the line. The attack failed as the accurate cannon firing from the British sank 3 of the batteries and damaged the others. The garrison held out until the end of the war in 1783 and retained Gibraltar.
• The retention of Gibraltar- Showed the importance of a strategically placed port for the Navy and its geo-political importance. It was a key staging post for British fleets in the Mediterranean and could resupply British boats in battle like during the Battle of Trafalgar.
• Ceylon's importance- Ceylon at first belonged to one of Britain's allies in the French revolutionary wars. After wars with Portugal, France and the Kingdom of Kandy, the Dutch occupied the coastal region whilst the Kingdom of Kandy ruled the interior. The region was one of the only suppliers of cinnamon in the world which was extremely valuable. The EIC had begun to cultivate cinnamon from India but Ceylon remained the main producer until the end of the 1700s.
• Seizure of Ceylon- When the Netherlands were conquered by France, the Dutch Royal Family fled to England to surrended their colonies for protection. France ordered that they gain control of all Dutch colonies but the EIC surrounded the land and installed a British governor. The seizure yielded around £300,000 in goods as well as the cinnamon plantations which made the land profitable.
• Retaining Ceylon- Ceylon could pay for itself and was strategically located, whilst also being maintained in the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. The Kingdom of Kandy hoped the British would allow them to conduct trade but this was not the case as the Brits controlled the exterior and ports. Kandy broke out in war but the British occupied the Kingdom. The Kingdom became a self-governing protectorate that had to pay the British coastal colony. They rebelled against this but Ceylon still became annexed as a British Crown colony with governors establishing infrastructure and military control.
• Cape Town's importance- Cape Town was a Dutch colony that had no economic significance but was a useful stopping point for shipping between Europe and the East Indies. It was strategically valuable as a naval fleet could stop enemy shipping from sailing between the Indian and Atlantic oceans, stopping a major trade route. The Navy tried to take it during the American War of Independence but the French beat them to it.
• Aquiring Cape Town- Once France had captured the Netherlands, like when aquring Ceylon, a British fleet arrived to keep the colony for 'safekeeping'. Under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, the colony was returned to the Dutch but when War broke out with France, Britain reoccupied Cape Town to stop France seizing it. They remained there permanently which was formalised in a treaty with the Dutch in 1814.
• Aquiring Malta- Napoleon had captured Malta in 1798 after they refused to supply his fleet to Egypt. The population rebelled against the French and asked the British for help. France surrendered in 1800 and Malta was not regarded as important as Gibraltar so was given up by 1802. Maintaining a presence there was key though as the deep-water port and welcoming population were useful, especially when the Suez Canal was built, with Malta on the way to India via the Canal.
• Aquiring the Falklands- Britian had settled on the Falklands in 1766 but abandoned the colony during the War of Independence when the Navy could no longer defend it. When the Southern American countried allowed a European merchant called Vernet to found a colony on the Islands in 1828, Britain declared sovereignty over the Falklands. The only value of the islands were the seal colonies where the British had 70 sealing ships deployed. Vernet took 3 American sealing ships but the British saw this as dangerous so sent 1 ship to reassert British sovereignty in 1833. Vernet surrendered.
• Previous importance of Aden- It had been an entrepot in the Middle Ages whhere spices and pepper were traded between India and Arabian markets. By 1800, fewer than 1000 people lived in Aden governed by a Sultan that had independence from Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. A British fleet docked in Aden after Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 but remained even when the French were defeated to stop their further advancement into Africa.
• Aquiring Aden- Aden was a key coaling station after the Suez Canal opened and voyages through the canal became more frequent. Under Grant's orders, the EIC occupied the island of Socotra in 1835 but was abandoned due to broken negotiations and illness. Commander Haines was infuriated at the loss of Aden so sailed there asking for full occupation of the port. He received a letter from the Sultan which was ambiguous enough that Haines could claim a treaty had been agreed. They sent 2 frigates and 700 men to Aden who captured the port as new EIC territory.
• Extending British influence- The election of Disraeli in 1874 saw an increase in imperial expansion like purchasing shares in the Suez Canal. He made Queen Victoria the 'Empress of India' to rival that of the Russian Tsar. The Russians too were expanding and defeated the Ottoman Empire in Turkey which could have gained them the Mediterranean. Disraeli got Parliament's approval for £6 million to prepare for War. When the Ottoman's surrendered to the Russians, Disraeli took Cyprus.
• Importance of Cyprus- It allowed the Navy to monitor further Russian expansion and linked to the British route to India. It meant Britain could easily intervene in Egypt if their Canal shares were threatened. Britain were meant to be leasing the port from the Ottoman Empire under the Cyprus convention but instead never paid it due to debts from the Crimean war. It shows that British imperial policy was no longer determined by economics or trade but they were willing to aquire land just to constrain the ambitions of other powers.