19世纪80年代英国海上贸易保护新政策的提出和落实

Proposal and Implementation of the New Maritime Trade Protection Policy of British in the 1880s

从17世纪中叶至19世纪前期,护航一直是英国最为主要的海上贸易保护政策,并曾发挥过积极作用。但在19世纪中后期,工业革命的深入开展所带来的种种新情况,使得英国传统的护航政策的有效性饱受质疑。在这种情况下,英国海军部提出了海上贸易保护的新政策即海军封锁攻击政策,该政策其实放弃了对海上贸易的直接保护,而是通过海军主动封锁和攻击的行动客观上达到保护海上贸易的效果,并将如何防御这个问题抛给敌方。该政策体现出对掌握制海权的重视和崇信,明显受到海权思想的影响。由于19世纪80年代后期国际局势日趋紧张,英国开始积极推动这一政策的落实,具体表现在改进海军备战效率和加强海军建设上。

From the mid-17th century to the early 19th century,the convoy had been the main protection policy of British sea-borne trade.After the mid nineteenth century,because the first industrial revolution finished and the level of industrialization was improved,Britain heavily depended on overseas,not only in industrial products’sale,but also in raw materials,grain and other important materials’supply.So the safety of sea-borne trade became vital to British economic prosperity and national existence.However,because of various new situations caused by technological change and economic development,effectiveness of the traditional convoy policy was questioned.British began to explore more effective sea-borne trade protection policy.Under the influence of sea-power thinkers and the Carnarvon commission’s report,Britain gave up the direct protection policy,and formed the‘naval blockade and attack’policy,which meant that at the start of the war,royal navy should blockade enemy’s naval bases timely and attack enemy’s strongholds and maritime ships actively,to attract enemy’s naval forces and protect British sea-borne trade objectively.Because international situation became tense increasingly,Britain began to carry out the policy in the later stage of 1880s.