In the Early 1870’s, what were Britain’s strategic objectives?
When approaching a topic as broad as strategy, especially strategic objectives, it’s important for one to realize just what of just what is covered under the term ‘strategy.’ It could mean political, economic or militant strategy. In this essay I will be exploring what Britain’s strategic objectives were, but I will focus on foreign policy for the most part, and aim to explore how foreign policy changed under different government parties.
Strategic objectives, whether it’s defined corporately or politically, are the long-term goals to convert a mission statement, (or in this case, a manifesto,) from a broader vision into specific plans and projects. For 1870’s Britain, the goals set were to maintain and expand the British Empire, and by extension, economic superiority. But also Britain had set out to grow trade networks via improvements in infrastructure, and also the purchase of shares in the Suez Canal made international trade quicker and cheaper for the British to operate. The industrial revolution of Great Britain also added to this, as Podmore states, “The British Empire’s pioneer industrial supremacy was the basis of this pioneer imperial supremacy.” (Podmore, 2008) 1
Trade was a vital element to Britain’s economic successes, which is what made the purchase of Suez Canal shares so imperative to its sustainment. Because of the expansionary British Empire, Her sphere of influence spanned greater than most other powerful countries. Countries such as India, Cyprus, and Canada had all felt the effects of Britain’s sphere of influence in some form, either through trade or cultural spill-over. As Cowie states, “The empire was of vast importance to Britain in terms of global influence, economic prosperity and national morale.” (Cowie, 2013)2. In the 1840’s Britain had experienced a massive change in the way it conducts international imports and exports, where the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, Gladstone, (who later became the leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister in the 1870s) was to oversee Robert Peel’s reforms to tariffs on international goods. Amazingly, Britain were still able to maintain 95% of its net tariff revenue whilst removing a large majority of tariffs, except for items such as tea, wine, tobacco and spirits, as these goods were considered luxury goods, inelastic in its demand. Throughout 1846-1875, as a percentage of net imports, Britain maintained higher revenues from import duties over Her French neighbours.
By the 1870’s, however, as James states it, Britain is no longer the world’s only industrial power (James, 1994)3. As Gladstone is the Prime Minister from the outset of the decade, and as a firm believer in the Concert of Europe, and by extension, a firm believer in the balance of power. As John Aldred states, “[Gladstone] believed that diplomacy and arbitration were all times preferable to fighting.” (Aldred, 2004). He also believed that Britain should focus on protecting her own people, rather than conquer other lands. Like many of Gladstone’s beliefs, this opposed the beliefs of his successor, Disraeli.
It would be accurate to say Disraeli took a more imperialistic approach to international politics. He had his heart set on making Britain a force to be reckoned with against Europe and Asia, and he was willing to take the necessary risks to do so. Without obtaining the permission of Parliament (because he “didn’t have time”), Disraeli made it his own personal mission to raise funds to purchase the Suez Canal shares for £4 million from the Khedive of Egypt. He claimed this was done to ‘protect the lifeline of the British Empire.’ He focused greatly on fortifying the current Empire but also expanding where possible.
To conclude, 1870’s Britain had faced very quick changes in its strategic objectives, based on which man resided at Downing Street. With Gladstone, policy was to protect and care for Britain’s own people and allow this to become the core for his objectives, and he also believed in the balance of power within Europe. However, as Disraeli succeeds him, Britain’s strategic objectives quickly took a more international stance. His philosophies were so deep rooted in Empire that he created the title of Empress of India for Queen Victoria in 1876. In short, Disraeli had laid the founding stone for Britain’s expansionary objectives.
Works Cited
Aldred, J. (2004). British Imperial and Foreign Policy, 1846-1980. Pearson Education.
Cowie, S. (2013). To what etent was the imperial foreign policy of Victorian Britain determined by a desire for continuity? Strathclyde, United Kingdom.
James, L. (1994). The Rise and Fall of the British Empire. London: Brown & Company.
Podmore, W. (2008). Retrieved 2008, from Workers: http://www.workers.org.uk/features/feat_0609/malign.html

Rewritten Paragraph – Trade(NO REFERENCES)
Trade was a vital element to Britain’s economic successes, which is what made the purchase of Suez Canal shares so imperative to its sustainment. Because of the expansionary British Empire, Her sphere of influence spanned greater than most other powerful countries. Countries such as India, Cyprus, and Canada had all felt the effects of Britain’s sphere of influence in some form, either through trade or cultural spill-over. As Cowie states, “The empire was of vast importance to Britain in terms of global influence, economic prosperity and national morale.” (Cowie, 2013)2. It’s also why Empire was of vast importance to Britain maintaining its own economic success, as stated by Porter ‘With the markets of the world closing up before our eyes, it becomes clear that the livelihood of our population may depend on keeping Australia, and Canada, and South Africa open to our traders.’ In essence, then, it was evident that there was a strong notion amongst Parliament, and businessmen, that global expansion of empire was to be the saviour of Britain’s economy. An equally important point is that Britain also needed to expand her empire because of increased competition. Before the outset of the 1880s, many European states were struggling to unite and become ‘viable nations’, let alone worry about the privilege of having an empire on its doorstep. ‘In this gigantic free-range farm for breeding better Britons, she had ‘all she needed to eclipse every rival that envied her.’ It was the rivalry which made the matter urgent.’ In short, then, Britain’s colonial pursuits were due to a need of securing markets in a space where competition is expanding rapidly.