Sea power: The struggle for dominance, 1650-1815

Abstract

By 1650 war at sea had many of the characteristics that were to be familiar for the next 160 years. Warships had assumed the basic form and design that developed into the classic line-of-battle ship and frigate (Lavery, 1983; Gardiner, 1992). The purpose of navies was generally agreed. States put fleets to sea with the intention of fighting their enemies, destroying their trade and invading their territory, as well as defending their own lands and trade. The warship was also a symbol of state power for domestic and diplomatic purposes. The size and decoration of ships such as the English Sovereign of the Seas (1637) and the French Soleil Royal (1669) were self-conscious expressions of royal power. These warships were extremely expensive and complex, and the need for basic administrative systems to support large-scale state navies was recognized and, in some states, in place.