Power, rational choices, and the British national interest under Pax Britannica, 1838--1846

This dissertation argues for the validity in the early Victorian era of a concept some historians have deemed misleading: the idea of a “Pax Britannica.” It examines Britain's confrontations with both world powers and peripheral states in North America (the United States), Asia (China), and the Mediterranean (France). These case studies show that Britain preserved its interests by deterring or coercing its opponents not only with its overwhelming commercial and financial preeminence, but also with the offensive power of the Royal Navy. Britain could draw on a great fleet in commission and reserve, on new technologies that enabled it to threaten an adversary's coast, trade, and colonies, and on steady funding that assured the navy's continued superiority. The states Britain confronted were well aware of and reacted to Britain's naval capabilities, whose influence on British policy in this period has often been taken for granted or even overlooked. Close scrutiny of British capabilities and actions makes possible a more reliable analysis of the fundamental goals and methods of British foreign policy. It shows that Britain's objectives, pursued by governments of both political parties, remained consistent: stability and peace, which preserved British trade and security, and diplomatic independence.; British governments did not want war, but they did not bluff. They embraced a defensive strategy that was operationally offensive: deterrence through strength. That Britain was ready for, but only rarely involved in, active hostilities signifies not weakness but wise policy and the Royal Navy's effectiveness as a deterrent. British dominance was genuine, based on naval capabilities, and its policy suppressed attempts to challenge that dominance. Thus, Britain can be said to have helped to create its own favorable foreign-policy circumstances with its naval power. To a greater degree than most historians acknowledge, the Pax Britannica was indeed British.