The Role of the Royal Navy in South America, 1920–1970

Description

This book demonstrates the importance of the presence of the Royal Navy in South America. Historically there have been no treaty obligations and few strategic considerations in the region, yet it is frequently referred to as forming part of Britain’s ‘unofficial empire’. The role of the Navy in supporting foreign relations and promoting commerce is examined during a period of the twentieth century which is often associated with the decline of the British Empire. The Role of the Royal Navy in South America, 1920–1970 shows how the Royal Navy reacted to changing circumstances during the post-war decades by adopting a more pro-active attitude towards the imperative of supporting naval exports. It provides a scholarly investigation of this important peacetime role for the service and offers the first book-length study of the Navy’s involvement in the region during this period. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Preface Map of South America Abbreviations Introduction: The Royal Navy in South America A specific role 1 Naval Involvement in Peacetime Foreign Relations and the Case of South America Naval power and naval diplomacy Naval support of foreign policy objectives Admiral Fisher’s pluralistic approach to the establishment of naval relations Warship visits to foreign ports in peacetime Twentieth-century Royal Navy missions Function of the naval attaché The case for a focus on South America Conclusion 2 The Case for a Royal Navy Presence in South America in the 1920s Decline in British commercial involvement Decline in British naval power and its impact on shipbuilding Building warships for foreign navies Attracting South American custom Competition from the United States Chilean support Argentina’s independent approach The battle to bring the RN back to South America Conclusion 3 A Case Study: The ‘High Point’ of the Anglo-Chilean Naval Association, 1925–33 Training of naval personnel in Chile Orders for naval ships Impact of the anti-British faction on the first naval mission to Chile, 1926–7 Second naval mission to Chile, 1928–30 Chilean naval mutiny, 1931 Termination of the British naval mission to Chile Disagreements between Admiralty and Foreign Office over policy and control Evaluating eight years of Anglo-Chilean naval cooperation Conclusion 4 Winners and Losers: Naval Export Sales and Arms Limitation in the 1930s Naval arms limitation and naval sales to Argentina and Chile Failure and then success in Argentina Chile’s quest for a heavy cruiser and the 1936 Naval Treaty Courting the USA Brazil’s naval expansion plans and US ideas for mutual defence cooperation Britain’s declining naval influence and the effect of a World War Conclusion 5 Success in the Face of International Opposition, 1945–65 Not upsetting the Americans A policy on arms exports Naval exports to Venezuela and Brazil Sales to Chile Disputes with Argentina and Chile over sovereignty in Antarctica Reality for an empire in retreat Selling a second-hand aircraft carrier to Argentina Accusations of a laissez-faire attitude towards arms proliferation An outmoded defence exports organization Conclusion 6 A Comparative Study: The Fate of the US Post-War Defence Plan for South America, 1945–65 US post-war plans for South America Exerting influence through the offer of training facilities Sale and transfer of ex-US naval vessels Joint naval exercises Deteriorating relations with Brazil Retaining control over Venezuela and its defence needs Influencing Chile’s navy The achievements and failures of the Mutual Defence Assistance Plan Conclusion 7 The Revitalization of British Naval Relations with South America, 1961–9 A changed economic climate Why the Royal Navy returned to South America Changes to the British defence exports organization, 1964–5 The cost-effectiveness of naval visits The Royal Navy’s deployments to South America A lack of coordination Naval sales Conclusion 8 The End of an Era Continuity and change over five decades The influence of the United States The end of a short-lived revival in naval visiting Conclusion 9 Epitaph and Legacy Lessons to be learned An evolutionary process The legacy of the South American experience Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index