EXAMPLES.—­The operations of Rooke in the first years of the War of the Spanish Succession, 1702-04, to secure the adhesion of Savoy and Portugal to the Grand Alliance.  Operations of Nelson to maintain the alliance of the Kingdom of Naples.

In the first case there came a crisis when it was more important to demonstrate to Savoy and Portugal what they stood to lose by joining Louis XIV than to act immediately against the Toulon Fleet.  In the second, the Neapolitan Alliance was essential to our operations in the Eastern Mediterranean; the destruction of the Toulon Fleet was not.

2.  The protection or destruction of commerce.

3.  The furtherance or hindrance of military operations ashore.

NOTE.—­The above is the best working “Definition of Naval Strategy,” as emphasising its intimate connection with diplomatic, financial, and military aspects of major strategy.

These functions may be discharged in two ways:—­

    (1) By direct territorial attacks, threatened or performed
    (bombardment, landing, raiding parties, &c).

(2) By getting command of the sea, i.e., establishing ourselves in such a position that we can control the maritime communications of all parties concerned, so that we can operate by sea against their territory, commerce, and allies, and they cannot operate against ours.

NOTE.—­The power of the second method, by controlling communications, is out of all proportion to the first—­direct attack.  Indeed, the first can seldom be performed with any serious effect without the second.  Thus, from this point of view also, it is clear that Naval Strategy is mainly a question of communications.

But not entirely.  Circumstances have arisen when the Fleet must discharge part of its function by direct action before there is time to get general control of the communications. (That is, political and military considerations may deflect normal operation of Naval Strategy.)

    EXAMPLE.—­Rooke’s capture of Gibraltar in 1704, in the face of the
    unshaken Toulon Fleet.  Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

COMMAND OF THE SEA

Command of the sea exists only in a state of war.  If we say we have command of the sea in time of peace it is a rhetorical expression meaning that we have (a) adequate Naval positions; (b) an adequate Fleet to secure the command when war breaks out.

VARIOUS CONDITIONS OF COMMAND

1.  It may be (a) general; (b) local.

(a) General command is secured when the enemy is no longer able to act dangerously against our line of passage and communication or to defend his own, or (in other words) when he is no longer able to interfere seriously with our trade or our military or diplomatic operations.