Julian Corbett's writing about commerce war helps explain the battlecruiser program. His study of the Napoleonic Wars emphasized both the costs imposed on Britain by hostile cruisers and the effects of British economic warfare against France. The Suez Canal was a critical national asset, while the Falkland Islands and other overseas stations helped ships call, trade, and coal around the world. These overseas possessions formed working parts of a global maritime network. Protecting that network was therefore a core security problem for Britain.
Chapter · 7:42-8:46
Corbett, commerce war, and Britain's coaling network
British strategy connected commerce protection with the Suez Canal, distant calling stations, coaling access, and lessons from economic warfare in the Napoleonic Wars.