Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century
by
Christopher M. Bell and Bruce A. Elleman, eds.
- ISBN:
-
0714654604
- Format:
-
Hardcover, 288 pages
- Publish Date:
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July, 2003
- Publisher:
-
55
- Other Format(s):
-
Paperback, eBook
Few navies were immune from mutiny in the twentieth century, but the question of how and why naval discipline sometimes breaks down has received little scholarly attention. This books brings together a set of readable and up-to-date essays examining mutinies in the navies of Russia (the "Potemkin"
mutiny, 1905), Brazil (1910), Austria-Hungary (1918), Germany (1918), France (1919), Australia (1919), Chile (1931), Great Britain (the Invergordon mutiny, 1931), the United States (the Port Chicago mutiny, 1944), India (1946), China (1949), and Canada (1949).
The nature of these incidents varied widely, but all represented a deliberate assault on naval or political authority. The objectives of the mutineers ranged from limited reforms of a purely naval nature to overtly political goals and, in rare cases, to outright revolution. The Foreword to this volume was written by Professor John B. Hattendorf, Ernest J. King Chair of Maritime History at the U.S Naval War College. The first 12 chapters address the causes of a particular mutiny, its long- and short-term repercussions, and the course of the mutiny itself. Taking advantage of new research and methodologies, the contributors provide something of value to both the specialist and the non-specialist reader.
"Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century" concludes with an essay by the editors that sheds important new light on the dynamics at work in the outbreak, development, and resolution of modern naval mutinies. It shows that mutinies in democratic, Western states usually differed fundamentally from those in authoritarian regimes or less developed societies. In the former, incidents were usually short-lived and non-violent. They tended to spread easily from ship to ship, but the mutineers' demands remained moderate and limited. In the latter, mutinies were less frequent, but were more often characterized by violence, escalating demands, and revolutionary intent.
Looking forward, the editors conclude that the days when sailors might rebel against their immediate superiors to seize control of a warship are probably long gone. But as long as Western states rely on broad and imprecise definitions, incidents will continue to occur that meet all of the legal criteria for mutiny, even if there is a reluctance to use the term. The potential for major naval mutinies probably remains, however, in non-democratic states like China and throughout the developing world.