How James II alienated potential naval allies

The naval politics of the Glorious Revolution developed alongside James II's reform program. James's Catholicism alone did not make naval opposition inevitable, especially if Protestant institutions and the expected succession had remained secure. The deeper problem was that he coupled reform with appointments that appeared designed to secure religious and personal control of the officer corps. His experience as an effective military commander had accustomed him to direct obedience, but that authority did not translate into political coalition-building. By pushing several contentious changes at once, he alienated naval professionals who might have supported narrower reforms. His pace, method, and mistrust cost him potential allies who were open to professional reform.