British action was preventive: a neutral league could limit searches of merchant shipping and undermine the blockade supporting Britain's war against France. British leaders feared restrictions on neutral trade and the possibility that a Russian-led grouping would align with France. Catherine the Great's earlier league had already shown how neutral coordination could restrict British access to Baltic trade and tie down naval attention. That experience sharpened Britain's sensitivity to rivals building coalitions of their own.
Chapter · 15:40-19:08
Why armed neutrality alarmed Britain
Britain saw the League of Armed Neutrality as a potential coalition that could obstruct its blockade of France and later become openly hostile.