Pitt's government and Britain's large wartime fleets

How could Britain sustain so many fleets and squadrons?

Pitt combined political and financial authority with close involvement in naval affairs, while income tax helped support the wartime state.

William Pitt the Younger held the premiership and chancellorship together. He also performed parts of what would later become the defence secretary's role, although that office did not yet exist. The First Lord of the Admiralty could be a civilian or a naval officer, with the balance of senior naval administration changing accordingly. Income tax was another part of the wartime system associated with Pitt.