ABSTRACT
Britain’s naval supremacy in 1815 provided the foundation for its “victorious century.” However, the actual state of the Royal Navy in the immediate postwar period was dire: problems with manning, logistics, leadership, and most of all the physical state of the fleet undermined Britain’s ability to project power. Any war that forced Britain to resume impressment would necessarily mean a resumption of war with the United States, and as the previous chapter showed, that was an unwelcome prospect. Crises in Oregon and the Caribbean threatened the delicate balance of peace, but British ministers reacted passively to them not only because they desired peace at all costs but also because of the state of the fleet. By demonstrating the varied nature of the threats that persisted after 1815 and the British navy’s inability to respond to them, this chapter highlights the limitations of hegemonic power in an overlooked period.
