| INTRODUCTORY. | |
| History of Sea Power one of contest between nations, therefore largely military | 1 |
| Permanence of the teachings of history | 2 |
| Unsettled condition of modern naval opinion | 2 |
| Contrasts between historical classes of war-ships | 2 |
| Essential distinction between weather and lee gage | 5 |
| Analogous to other offensive and defensive positions | 6 |
| Consequent effect upon naval policy | 6 |
| Lessons of history apply especially to strategy | 7 |
| Less obviously to tactics, but still applicable | 9 |
| Illustrations: | |
| The battle of the Nile, A.D. 1798 | 10 |
| Trafalgar, A.D. 1805 | 11 |
| Siege of Gibraltar, A.D. 1779-1782 | 12 |
| Actium, B.C. 31, and Lepanto, A.D. 1571 | 13 |
| Second Punic War, B.C. 218-201 | 14 |
| Naval strategic combinations surer now than formerly | 22 |
| Wide scope of naval strategy | 22 |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Discussion of the Elements of Sea Power. | |
| The sea a great common | 25 |
| Advantages of water-carriage over that by land | 25 |
| Navies exist for the protection of commerce | 26 |
| Dependence of commerce upon secure seaports | 27 |
| Development of colonies and colonial posts | 28 |
| Links in the chain of Sea Power: production, shipping, colonies | 28 |
| General conditions affecting Sea Power: | |
| I. Geographical position | 29 |
| II. Physical conformation | 35 |
| III. Extent of territory | 42 |
| IV. Number of population | 44 |
| V. National character | 50 |
| VI. Character and policy of governments | 58 |
| England | 59 |
| Holland | 67 |
| France | 69 |
| Influence of colonies on Sea Power | 82 |
| The United States: | |
| Its weakness in Sea Power | 83 |
| Its chief interest in internal development | 84 |
| Danger from blockades | 85 |
| Dependence of the navy upon the shipping interest | 87 |
| Conclusion of the discussion of the elements of Sea Power | 88 |
| Purpose of the historical narrative | 89 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| State of Europe in 1660.—Second Anglo-Dutch War, 1665-1667.—Sea Battles of Lowestoft and of the Four Days | |
| Accession of Charles II. and Louis XIV. | 90 |
| Followed shortly by general wars | 91 |
| French policy formulated by Henry IV. and Richelieu | 92 |
| Condition of France in 1660 | 93 |
| Condition of Spain | 94 |
| Condition of the Dutch United Provinces | 96 |
| Their commerce and colonies | 97 |
| Character of their government | 98 |
| Parties in the State | 99 |
| Condition of England in 1660 | 99 |
| Characteristics of French, English, and Dutch ships | 101 |
| Conditions of other European States | 102 |
| Louis XIV. the leading personality in Europe | 103 |
| His policy | 104 |
| Colbert's administrative acts | 105 |
| Second Anglo-Dutch War, 1665 | 107 |
| Battle of Lowestoft, 1665 | 108 |
| Fire-ships, compared with torpedo-cruisers | 109 |
| The group formation | 112 |
| The order of battle for sailing-ships | 115 |
| The Four Days' Battle, 1666 | 117 |
| Military merits of the opposing fleets | 126 |
| Soldiers commanding fleets, discussion | 127 |
| Ruyter in the Thames, 1667 | 132 |
| Peace of Breda, 1667 | 132 |
| Military value of commerce-destroying | 132 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| War of England and France in Alliance against the United Provinces, 1672-1674.—Finally, of France against Combined Europe, 1674-1678.—Sea Battles of Solebay, the Texel, and Stromboli. | |
| Aggressions of Louis XIV. on Spanish Netherlands | 139 |
| Policy of the United Provinces | 139 |
| Triple alliance between England, Holland, and Sweden | 140 |
| Anger of Louis XIV. | 140 |
| Leibnitz proposes to Louis to seize Egypt | 141 |
| His memorial | 142 |
| Bargaining between Louis XIV. and Charles II. | 143 |
| The two kings declare war against the United Provinces | 144 |
| Military character of this war | 144 |
| Naval strategy of the Dutch | 144 |
| Tactical combinations of De Ruyter | 145 |
| Inefficiency of Dutch naval administration | 145 |
| Battle of Solebay, 1672 | 146 |
| Tactical comments | 147 |
| Effect of the battle on the course of the war | 148 |
| Land campaign of the French in Holland | 149 |
| Murder of John De Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland | 150 |
| Accession to power of William of Orange | 150 |
| Uneasiness among European States | 150 |
| Naval battles off Schoneveldt, 1673 | 151 |
| Naval battle of the Texel, 1673 | 152 |
| Effect upon the general war | 154 |
| Equivocal action of the French fleet | 155 |
| General ineffectiveness of maritime coalitions | 156 |
| Military character of De Ruyter | 157 |
| Coalition against France | 158 |
| Peace between England and the United Provinces | 158 |
| Sicilian revolt against Spain | 159 |
| Battle of Stromboli, 1676 | 161 |
| Illustration of Clerk's naval tactics | 163 |
| De Ruyter killed off Agosta | 165 |
| England becomes hostile to France | 166 |
| Sufferings of the United Provinces | 167 |
| Peace of Nimeguen, 1678 | 168 |
| Effects of the war on France and Holland | 169 |
| Notice of Comte d'Estrées | 170 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| English Revolution.—War of the League of Augsburg, 1688-1697.—Sea Battles of Beachy Head and La Hougue. | |
| Aggressive policy of Louis XIV. | 173 |
| State of French, English, and Dutch navies | 174 |
| Accession of James II. | 175 |
| Formation of the League of Augsburg | 176 |
| Louis declares war against the Emperor of Germany | 177 |
| Revolution in England | 178 |
| Louis declares war against the United Provinces | 178 |
| William and Mary crowned | 178 |
| James II. lands in Ireland | 179 |
| Misdirection of French naval forces | 180 |
| William III. lands in Ireland | 181 |
| Naval battle of Beachy Head, 1690 | 182 |
| Tourville's military character | 184 |
| Battle of the Boyne, 1690 | 186 |
| End of the struggle in Ireland | 186 |
| Naval battle of La Hougue, 1692 | 189 |
| Destruction of French ships | 190 |
| Influence of Sea Power in this war | 191 |
| Attack and defence of commerce | 193 |
| Peculiar characteristics of French privateering | 195 |
| Peace of Ryswick, 1697 | 197 |
| Exhaustion of France: its causes | 198 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| War of the Spanish Succession, 1702-1713.—Sea Battle Of Malaga. | |
| Failure of the Spanish line of the House of Austria | 201 |
| King of Spain wills the succession to the Duke of Anjou | 202 |
| Death of the King of Spain | 202 |
| Louis XIV. accepts the bequests | 203 |
| He seizes towns in Spanish Netherlands | 203 |
| Offensive alliance between England, Holland, and Austria | 204 |
| Declarations of war | 205 |
| The allies proclaim Carlos III. King of Spain | 206 |
| Affair of the Vigo galleons | 207 |
| Portugal joins the allies | 208 |
| Character of the naval warfare | 209 |
| Capture of Gibraltar by the English | 210 |
| Naval battle of Malaga, 1704 | 211 |
| Decay of the French navy | 212 |
| Progress of the land war | 213 |
| Allies seize Sardinia and Minorca | 215 |
| Disgrace of Marlborough | 216 |
| England offers terms of peace | 217 |
| Peace of Utrecht, 1713 | 218 |
| Terms of the peace | 219 |
| Results of the war to the different belligerents | 219 |
| Commanding position of Great Britain | 224 |
| Sea Power dependent upon both commerce and naval strength | 225 |
| Peculiar position of France as regards Sea Power | 226 |
| Depressed condition of France | 227 |
| Commercial prosperity of England | 228 |
| Ineffectiveness of commerce-destroying | 229 |
| Duguay-Trouin's expedition against Rio de Janeiro, 1711 | 230 |
| War between Russia and Sweden | 231 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| The Regency in France.—Alberoni in Spain.—Policies of Walpole and Fleuri.—War of the Polish Succession.—English Contraband Trade in Spanish America.—Great Britain declares War against Spain.—1715-1739. | |
| Death of Queen Anne and Louis XIV. | 232 |
| Accession of George I. | 232 |
| Regency of Philip of Orleans | 233 |
| Administration of Alberoni in Spain | 234 |
| Spaniards invade Sardinia | 235 |
| Alliance of Austria, England, Holland, and France | 235 |
| Spaniards invade Sicily | 236 |
| Destruction of Spanish navy off Cape Passaro, 1718 | 237 |
| Failure and dismissal of Alberoni | 239 |
| Spain accepts terms | 239 |
| Great Britain interferes in the Baltic | 239 |
| Death of Philip of Orleans | 241 |
| Administration of Fleuri in France | 241 |
| Growth of French commerce | 242 |
| France in the East Indies | 243 |
| Troubles between England and Spain | 244 |
| English contraband trade in Spanish America | 245 |
| Illegal search of English ships | 246 |
| Walpole's struggles to preserve peace | 247 |
| War of the Polish Succession | 247 |
| Creation of the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies | 248 |
| Bourbon family compact | 248 |
| France acquires Bar and Lorraine | 249 |
| England declares war against Spain | 250 |
| Morality of the English action toward Spain | 250 |
| Decay of the French navy | 252 |
| Death of Walpole and of Fleuri | 253 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| War between Great Britain and Spain, 1739.—War of the Austrian Succession, 1740.—France joins Spain against Great Britain, 1744.—Sea Battles of Matthews, Anson, and Hawke.—Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748. | |
| Characteristics of the wars from 1739 to 1783 | 254 |
| Neglect of the navy by French government | 254 |
| Colonial possessions of the French, English, and Spaniards | 255 |
| Dupleix and La Bourdonnais in India | 258 |
| Condition of the contending navies | 259 |
| Expeditions of Vernon and Anson | 261 |
| Outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession | 262 |
| England allies herself to Austria | 262 |
| Naval affairs in the Mediterranean | 263 |
| Influence of Sea Power on the war | 264 |
| Naval battle off Toulon, 1744 | 265 |
| Causes of English failure | 267 |
| Courts-martial following the action | 268 |
| Inefficient action of English navy | 269 |
| Capture of Louisburg by New England colonists, 1745 | 269 |
| Causes which concurred to neutralize England's Sea Power | 269 |
| France overruns Belgium and invades Holland | 270 |
| Naval actions of Anson and Hawke | 271 |
| Brilliant defence of Commodore l'Étenduère | 272 |
| Projects of Dupleix and La Bourdonnais in the East Indies | 273 |
| Influence of Sea Power in Indian affairs | 275 |
| La Bourdonnais reduces Madras | 276 |
| Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748 | 277 |
| Madras exchanged for Louisburg | 277 |
| Results of the war | 278 |
| Effect of Sea Power on the issue | 279 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Seven Years' War, 1756-1763.—England's Overwhelming Power and Conquests on the Seas, in North America, Europe, and East and West Indies.—Sea Battles: Byng off Minorca; Hawke and Conflans; Pocock and D'Aché in East Indies. | |
| Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle leaves many questions unsettled | 281 |
| Dupleix pursues his aggressive policy | 281 |
| He is recalled from India | 282 |
| His policy abandoned by the French | 282 |
| Agitation in North America | 283 |
| Braddock's expedition, 1755 | 284 |
| Seizure of French ships by the English, while at peace | 285 |
| French expedition against Port Mahon, 1756 | 285 |
| Byng sails to relieve the place | 286 |
| Byng's action off Port Mahon, 1756 | 286 |
| Characteristics of the French naval policy | 287 |
| Byng returns to Gibraltar | 290 |
| He is relieved, tried by court-martial, and shot | 290 |
| Formal declarations of war by England and France | 291 |
| England's appreciation of the maritime character of the war | 291 |
| France is drawn into a continental struggle | 292 |
| The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) begins | 293 |
| Pitt becomes Prime Minister of England | 293 |
| Operations in North America | 293 |
| Fall of Louisburg, 1758 | 294 |
| Fall of Quebec, 1759, and of Montreal, 1760 | 294 |
| Influence of Sea Power on the continental war | 295 |
| English plans for the general naval operations | 296 |
| Choiseul becomes Minister in France | 297 |
| He plans an invasion of England | 297 |
| Sailing of the Toulon fleet, 1759 | 298 |
| Its disastrous encounter with Boscawen | 299 |
| Consequent frustration of the invasion of England | 300 |
| Project to invade Scotland | 300 |
| Sailing of the Brest fleet | 300 |
| Hawke falls in with it and disperses it, 1759 | 302 |
| Accession of Charles III. to Spanish throne | 304 |
| Death of George II. | 304 |
| Clive in India | 305 |
| Battle of Plassey, 1757 | 306 |
| Decisive influence of Sea Power upon the issues in India | 307 |
| Naval actions between Pocock and D'Aché, 1758, 1759 | 307 |
| Destitute condition of French naval stations in India | 309 |
| The French fleet abandons the struggle | 310 |
| Final fall of the French power in India | 310 |
| Ruined condition of the French navy | 311 |
| Alliance between France and Spain | 313 |
| England declares war against Spain | 313 |
| Rapid conquest of French and Spanish colonies | 314 |
| French and Spaniards invade Portugal | 316 |
| The invasion repelled by England | 316 |
| Severe reverses of the Spaniards in all quarters | 316 |
| Spain sues for peace | 317 |
| Losses of British mercantile shipping | 317 |
| Increase of British commerce | 318 |
| Commanding position of Great Britain | 319 |
| Relations of England and Portugal | 320 |
| Terms of the Treaty of Paris | 321 |
| Opposition to the treaty in Great Britain | 322 |
| Results of the maritime war | 323 |
| Results of the continental war | 324 |
| Influence of Sea Power in countries politically unstable | 324 |
| Interest of the United States in the Central American Isthmus | 325 |
| Effects of the Seven Years' War on the later history of Great Britain | 326 |
| Subsequent acquisitions of Great Britain | 327 |
| British success due to maritime superiority | 328 |
| Mutual dependence of seaports and fleets | 329 |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Course of Events from the Peace of Paris to 1778.—Maritime War Consequent upon the American Revolution.—Sea Battle off Ushant. | |
| French discontent with the Treaty of Paris | 330 |
| Revival of the French navy | 331 |
| Discipline among French naval officers of the time | 332 |
| Choiseul's foreign policy | 333 |
| Domestic troubles in Great Britain | 334 |
| Controversies with the North American colonies | 334 |
| Genoa cedes Corsica to France | 334 |
| Dispute between England and Spain about the Falkland Islands | 335 |
| Choiseul dismissed | 336 |
| Death of Louis XV. | 336 |
| Naval policy of Louis XVI. | 337 |
| Characteristics of the maritime war of 1778 | 338 |
| Instructions of Louis XVI. to the French admirals | 339 |
| Strength of English navy | 341 |
| Characteristics of the military situation in America | 341 |
| The line of the Hudson | 342 |
| Burgoyne's expedition from Canada | 343 |
| Howe carries his army from New York to the Chesapeake | 343 |
| Surrender of Burgoyne, 1777 | 343 |
| American privateering | 344 |
| Clandestine support of the Americans by France | 345 |
| Treaty between France and the Americans | 346 |
| Vital importance of the French fleet to the Americans | 347 |
| The military situation in the different quarters of the globe | 347 |
| Breach between France and England | 350 |
| Sailing of the British and French fleets | 350 |
| Battle of Ushant, 1778 | 351 |
| Position of a naval commander-in-chief in battle | 353 |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Maritime War in North America and West Indies, 1778-1781.—Its Influence upon the Course of the American Revolution.—Fleet Actions off Grenada, Dominica, and Chesapeake Bay. | |
| D'Estaing sails from Toulon for Delaware Bay, 1778 | 359 |
| British ordered to evacuate Philadelphia | 359 |
| Rapidity of Lord Howe's movements | 360 |
| D'Estaing arrives too late | 360 |
| Follows Howe to New York | 360 |
| Fails to attack there and sails for Newport | 361 |
| Howe follows him there | 362 |
| Both fleets dispersed by a storm | 362 |
| D'Estaing takes his fleet to Boston | 363 |
| Howe's activity foils D'Estaing at all points | 363 |
| D'Estaing sails for the West Indies | 365 |
| The English seize Sta. Lucia | 365 |
| Ineffectual attempts of D'Estaing to dislodge them | 366 |
| D'Estaing captures Grenada | 367 |
| Naval battle of Grenada, 1779; English ships crippled | 367 |
| D'Estaing fails to improve his advantages | 370 |
| Reasons for his neglect | 371 |
| French naval policy | 372 |
| English operations in the Southern States | 375 |
| D'Estaing takes his fleet to Savannah | 375 |
| His fruitless assault on Savannah | 376 |
| D'Estaing returns to France | 376 |
| Fall of Charleston | 376 |
| De Guichen takes command in the West Indies | 376 |
| Rodney arrives to command English fleet | 377 |
| His military character | 377 |
| First action between Rodney and De Guichen, 1780 | 378 |
| Breaking the line | 380 |
| Subsequent movements of Rodney and De Guichen | 381 |
| Rodney divides his fleet | 381 |
| Goes in person to New York | 381 |
| De Guichen returns to France | 381 |
| Arrival of French forces in Newport | 382 |
| Rodney returns to the West Indies | 382 |
| War between England and Holland | 382 |
| Disasters to the United States in 1780 | 382 |
| De Grasse sails from Brest for the West Indies, 1781 | 383 |
| Engagement with English fleet off Martinique | 383 |
| Cornwallis overruns the Southern States | 384 |
| He retires upon Wilmington, N.C., and thence to Virginia | 385 |
| Arnold on the James River | 385 |
| The French fleet leaves Newport to intercept Arnold | 385 |
| Meets the English fleet off the Chesapeake, 1781 | 386 |
| French fleet returns to Newport | 387 |
| Cornwallis occupies Yorktown | 387 |
| De Grasse sails from Hayti for the Chesapeake | 388 |
| Action with the British fleet, 1781 | 389 |
| Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781 | 390 |
| Criticism of the British naval operations | 390 |
| Energy and address shown by De Grasse | 392 |
| Difficulties of Great Britain's position in the war of 1778 | 392 |
| The military policy best fitted to cope with them | 393 |
| Position of the French squadron in Newport, R.I., 1780 | 394 |
| Great Britain's defensive position and inferior numbers | 396 |
| Consequent necessity for a vigorous initiative | 396 |
| Washington's opinions as to the influence of Sea Power on the American contest | 397 |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Maritime War in Europe, 1779-1782. | |
| Objectives of the allied operations in Europe | 401 |
| Spain declares war against England | 401 |
| Allied fleets enter the English Channel, 1779 | 402 |
| Abortive issue of the cruise | 403 |
| Rodney sails with supplies for Gibraltar | 403 |
| Defeats the Spanish squadron of Langara and relieves the place | 404 |
| The allies capture a great British convoy | 404 |
| The armed neutrality of the Baltic powers, 1780 | 405 |
| England declares war against Holland | 406 |
| Gibraltar is revictualled by Admiral Derby | 407 |
| The allied fleets again in the Channel, 1781 | 408 |
| They retire without effecting any damage to England | 408 |
| Destruction of a French convoy for the West Indies | 408 |
| Fall of Port Mahon, 1782 | 409 |
| The allied fleets assemble at Algesiras | 409 |
| Grand attack of the allies on Gibraltar, which fails, 1782 | 410 |
| Lord Howe succeeds in revictualling Gibraltar | 412 |
| Action between his fleet and that of the allies | 412 |
| Conduct of the war of 1778 by the English government | 412 |
| Influence of Sea Power | 416 |
| Proper use of the naval forces | 416 |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Events in the East Indies, 1778-1781.—Suffren sails from Brest for India, 1781.—His Brilliant Naval Campaign in the Indian Seas, 1782, 1783. | |
| Neglect of India by the French government | 419 |
| England at war with Mysore and with the Mahrattas | 420 |
| Arrival of the French squadron under Comte d'Orves | 420 |
| It effects nothing and returns to the Isle of France | 420 |
| Suffren sails from Brest with five ships-of-the-line, 1781 | 421 |
| Attacks an English squadron in the Cape Verde Islands, 1781 | 422 |
| Conduct and results of this attack | 424 |
| Distinguishing merits of Suffren as a naval leader | 425 |
| Suffren saves the Cape Colony from the English | 427 |
| He reaches the Isle of France | 427 |
| Succeeds to the chief command of the French fleet | 427 |
| Meets the British squadron under Hughes at Madras | 427 |
| Analysis of the naval strategic situation in India | 428 |
| The first battle between Suffren and Hughes, Feb. 17, 1782 | 430 |
| Suffren's views of the naval situation in India | 433 |
| Tactical oversights made by Suffren | 434 |
| Inadequate support received by him from his captains | 435 |
| Suffren goes to Pondicherry, Hughes to Trincomalee | 436 |
| The second battle between Suffren and Hughes, April 12, 1782 | 437 |
| Suffren's tactics in the action | 439 |
| Relative injuries received by the opposing fleets | 441 |
| Contemporaneous English criticisms upon Hughes's conduct | 442 |
| Destitute condition of Suffren's fleet | 443 |
| His activity and success in supplying wants | 443 |
| He communicates with Hyder Ali, Sultan of Mysore | 443 |
| Firmness and insight shown by Suffren | 445 |
| His refusal to obey orders from home to leave the Indian Coast | 446 |
| The third battle between Suffren and Hughes, July 6, 1782 | 447 |
| Qualities shown by Hughes | 449 |
| Stubborn fighting by the British admiral and captains | 449 |
| Suffren deprives three captains of their commands | 449 |
| Dilatory conduct of Admiral Hughes | 450 |
| Suffren attacks and takes Trincomalee | 450 |
| Strategic importance of this success | 451 |
| Comparative condition of the two fleets in material for repairs | 451 |
| The English government despatches powerful reinforcements | 452 |
| The French court fails to support Suffren | 452 |
| The fourth battle between Suffren and Hughes, Sept. 3, 1782 | 453 |
| Mismanagement and injuries of the French | 455 |
| Contrast between the captains in the opposing fleets | 456 |
| Two ships of Suffren's fleet grounded and lost | 457 |
| Arrival of British reinforcements under Admiral Bickerton | 458 |
| Approach of bad-weather season; Hughes goes to Bombay | 458 |
| Military situation of French and English in India | 459 |
| Delays of the French reinforcements under Bussy | 460 |
| Suffren takes his fleet to Achem, in Sumatra | 460 |
| He returns to the Indian coast | 461 |
| Arrival of Bussy | 461 |
| Decline of the French power on shore | 461 |
| The English besiege Bussy in Cuddalore by land and sea | 462 |
| Suffren relieves the place | 462 |
| The fifth battle between Suffren and Hughes, June 20, 1783 | 463 |
| Decisive character of Suffren's action | 463 |
| News of the peace received at Madras | 463 |
| Suffren sails for France | 464 |
| His flattering reception everywhere | 464 |
| His distinguishing military qualities | 465 |
| His later career and death | 466 |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Events in the West Indies after the Surrender of Yorktown.— Encounters of De Grasse with Hood.—The Sea Battle of the Saints.—1781-1782. | |
| Maritime struggle transferred from the continent to West Indies | 468 |
| De Grasse sails for the islands | 469 |
| French expedition against the island of St. Christopher, January, 1782 | 469 |
| Hood attempts to relieve the garrison | 470 |
| Manœuvres of the two fleets | 471 |
| Action between De Grasse and Hood | 472 |
| Hood seizes the anchorage left by De Grasse | 473 |
| De Grasse attacks Hood at his anchorage | 474 |
| Hood maintains his position | 475 |
| Surrender of the garrison and island | 475 |
| Merits of Hood's action | 476 |
| Criticism upon De Grasse's conduct | 477 |
| Rodney arrives in West Indies from England | 479 |
| Junction of Rodney and Hood at Antigua | 479 |
| De Grasse returns to Martinique | 479 |
| Allied plans to capture Jamaica | 479 |
| Rodney takes his station at Sta. Lucia | 480 |
| The French fleet sails and is pursued by Rodney | 480 |
| Action of April 9, 1782 | 481 |
| Criticism upon the action | 483 |
| The chase continued; accidents to French ships | 484 |
| The naval battle of the Saints, April 12, 1782 | 485 |
| Rodney breaks the French line | 488 |
| Capture of the French commander-in-chief and five ships-of-the-line | 489 |
| Details of the action | 489 |
| Analysis of the effects of Rodney's manœuvre | 491 |
| Tactical bearing of improvements in naval equipment | 493 |
| Lessons of this short naval campaign | 495 |
| Rodney's failure to pursue the French fleet | 496 |
| Examination of his reasons and of the actual conditions | 497 |
| Probable effect of this failure upon the conditions of peace | 498 |
| Rodney's opinions upon the battle of April 12 | 499 |
| Successes achieved by Rodney during his command | 500 |
| He is recalled by a new ministry | 500 |
| Exaggerated view of the effects of this battle upon the war | 500 |
| Subsequent career of De Grasse | 501 |
| Court-martial ordered upon the officers of the French fleet | 502 |
| Findings of the court | 502 |
| De Grasse appeals against the finding | 503 |
| He is severely rebuked by the king | 503 |
| Deaths of De Grasse, Rodney, and Hood | 504 |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Critical Discussion of the Maritime War of 1778. | |
| The war of 1778 purely maritime | 505 |
| Peculiar interest therefore attaching to it | 506 |
| Successive steps in the critical study of a war | 507 |
| Distinction between "object" and "objective" | 507 |
| Parties to the war of 1778 | 507 |
| Objects of the different belligerents | 508 |
| Foundations of the British Empire of the seas | 510 |
| Threatened by the revolt of the colonies | 510 |
| The British fleet inferior in numbers to the allies | 511 |
| Choice of objectives | 511 |
| The fleets indicated as the keys of the situation everywhere | 513 |
| Elements essential to an active naval war | 514 |
| The bases of operations in the war of 1778:— | |
| In Europe | 515 |
| On the American continent | 515 |
| In the West Indies | 516 |
| In the East Indies | 518 |
| Strategic bearing of the trade-winds and monsoons | 518 |
| The bases abroad generally deficient in resources | 519 |
| Consequent increased importance of the communications | 519 |
| The navies the guardians of the communications | 520 |
| Need of intermediate ports between Europe and India | 520 |
| Inquiry into the disposition of the naval forces | 521 |
| Difficulty of obtaining information at sea | 521 |
| Perplexity as to the destination of a naval expedition | 522 |
| Disadvantages of the defensive | 523 |
| England upon the defensive in 1778 | 523 |
| Consequent necessity for wise and vigorous action | 524 |
| The key of the situation | 525 |
| British naval policy in the Napoleonic wars | 525 |
| British naval policy in the Seven Years' War | 527 |
| Difficulties attending this policy | 527 |
| Disposition of the British navy in the war of 1778 | 528 |
| Resulting inferiority on many critical occasions | 528 |
| Effect on the navy of the failure to fortify naval bases | 529 |
| The distribution of the British navy exposes it to being out-numbered at many points | 531 |
| The British naval policy in 1778 and in other wars compared | 532 |
| Naval policy of the allies | 535 |
| Divergent counsels of the coalition | 536 |
| "Ulterior objects" | 537 |
| The allied navies systematically assume a defensive attitude | 538 |
| Dangers of this line of action | 538 |
| Glamour of commerce-destroying | 539 |
| The conditions of peace, 1783 | 540 |
| Index | 543 |