Page 205 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

THE A TIANTlC BA TTLE FLEETS AND THE STRUGGLE
FOR AMERICA. 1720-1790

}AN GLETE

lncroduccion
During the eighrecmh cencury, che power scruggle io Europe was increasingly
separated imo a cominemal sphere in Eascern Europe and a mariti me sphere where
the wesr European scares foughr for contro! of crade. colonies and mariti mc lines
of communicacion ourside Europe. In the cast, Russia, Auscria and Prussia pur-
sued cradidonal empire-building through conquéscs from neighbouring srares and
rheir armies grew dramacically in size, rhus changing che balance of power on the
conlinenc. Jn Western Europe the navies grew, rhus chaoging rhe baia n ce of power
in che resr of che world.
The maririme wars and rhe polirical rensions creaced by che power srruggle
over supremacy in che New World caused a drastic increase in rhe size of rhe na-
vies in che Atlandc hemisphere. In round fìgures, these navies increased from a
rotai displacemenr of 3.50000 cons in 1720 ro 1.2 miUion rons in 1790 and their
manpower requiremem rose from around 100000 ro around 300000 men. The
mai n oudines of this maritime power scruggle and che wars a od naval bartles chat
were foughr are well known. The conrrol of America was che main issue but thc
lndian Occan arca was also imporranr. [n spire of a large literarure on naval hisro-
ry there rcm"ains, howevcr. considerable uncercainry about the changes in naval
scrength and the sequences of naval shipbuilding thar suscained che growth of the
navies. In the srudy upon which this paper is based. l have arrernpred to put borh
quamiry and chronology imo some order.
The paper is a summary of the changes in naval srrength. The size of rhe na-
vies is measured in displacemem, a method which has never.before been actempr-
ed. Conremporary displacemenr fìgures are known for mosr Prench and severa!
Spanish warships of this period. Displacemenr fìgures for other navies ha ve had
co be calculared. While ali fìgures are approximare they are less approximare than
che often misleading figures ou numbers of warships and number of guns which
are usually used in d1e licerarure.
Unconcesced Bricish supremacy
In 1720, thc five Aclantic naval powers. !:hat is Grear Brirain, France, Spain,
the Nerherlands and Portugal, had naval forces of around 360000 rons. To pur