Alessio Patalano's introduction to modern naval diplomacy provides a starting point for separating the subject from the simplified image of a warship threatening a weaker state. Gunboat diplomacy sits close to the threshold of open conflict rather than encompassing the whole subject. Naval personnel can also enforce treaties and agreements, including arrangements that later generations may judge harshly. Naval diplomacy includes communication, assistance, presence, and deterrence as well as coercion. This framing keeps imperial gunboat cases visible without allowing them to define every political use of a navy.
Chapter · 8:11-11:27
Naval diplomacy beyond gunboat coercion
Gunboat diplomacy is placed near the coercive end of a much broader spectrum of naval diplomacy.