Gunboat diplomacy did not disappear at the end of the Second World War. In James Cable's case study, Argentine naval personnel landed on disputed British territory at Deception Island and erected buildings to signify occupation. HMS Snipe supported a response that demolished the buildings, arrested the intruders, and expelled them. Cable classifies the Argentine initiative as unsuccessful. The incident shows how limited force could restore the previous position without a larger war.
Notable Point · 31:09-32:10
HMS Snipe reverses Argentina's Deception Island landing
A 1953 confrontation on Deception Island shows a small warship using limited force to reverse an attempted territorial occupation.