The Persistence of Gunboat Diplomacy

Abstract

War at sea, as surveyed in the preceding chapters, seems unlikely to offer most navies much of a livelihood. If total, war would probably also be terminal. If limited, war may not involve navies at all and, if it does, their role may only be ancillary or even optional. Proxy war at sea is so far the merest hypothesis. Since 1945 only 25 of the world’s 105 navies have any shadow of a claim to have fought, even fleetingly, a foreign enemy in war at sea. These navies can nevertheless expect more employment, as can many of the remainder, in time of peace than in future war.

Prime Minister has decided that necessary number not (repeat not) of soldiers but of armed police from Singapore with good proportion of white officers should proceed at once in one of HM ships to Pulau Sambu and unless Indonesian reinforcements have already arrived and have restored the situation should land and ensure law and order. — fo telegram to singapore no. 77, 1 February 1952¹

We have a flash report from the Joint Reconnaissance Centre indicating a US electronic intelligence ship, the liberty, has been torpedoed in the Mediterranean. — walt rostow to President Johnson, 8 June 1967²

The invasion of Grenada was a treacherous surprise attack … presented to the US people as a great victory for Reagan’s foreign policy against the socialist camp and the revolutionary movement. — castro, 26 October 1983³