ABSTRACT
The nationalist wars of the 1860s in America and Europe accelerated the industrialisation and mechanisation of war and the commercialisation of armaments production for a global market. The Civil War created a demand for guns far beyond American productive capacity, and the American market opened up to British gun manufacturers like William Armstrong, Joseph Whitworth and Theophilus Blakely. Armstrong was a very cautious businessman but was willing to take risks to obtain the very high profits that came from the international arms trade. The Turkish demand for a late-delivery penalty clause was balanced by one protecting the firm against late payment, the more likely event in Armstrong's mind. In the midst of Armstrong's worries about Turkish payments, war between Italy and Austria became imminent and a Captain Augustus Albini of the Italian navy arrived in London very anxious to purchase Armstrong naval guns.
