Victory Without Peace: The United States Navy in European Waters, 1919-1924

Victory Without Peace focuses on the U.S. Navy's post-World War I era activities in European and Near Eastern waters, including deploying warships and withdrawing demobilized forces. Despite congressional appropriations challenges, the Navy was pressured to deploy necessary forces by the State Department and Herbert Hoover.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2018
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Victory Without Peace delves into the significant role of the United States Navy in European and Near Eastern waters during the post-World War I era. As key participants in the Versailles peace negotiations, the Navy was entrusted with the critical task of implementing the naval provisions of the Armistice while also ensuring stability and peace. U.S. warships were dispatched to various regions, including the Near East, Baltic, Adriatic, and Northern Europe, while simultaneously withdrawing its demobilized forces from European waters. This marked a historic moment when the U.S. Navy made its first significant contribution to peacetime efforts, a precedent that continues to this day.

However, the Navy's deployment into these regions faced several challenges. Congressional appropriations posed obstacles by demobilization, general naval policy, postwar personnel, and operating funds reductions. Despite initial reluctance to allocate postwar assets to seemingly unimportant European and Near Eastern waters, the Navy was pressured by the State Department and the influential leader of the American Relief Administrations, Herbert Hoover, to deploy the necessary forces. Most of these forces were withdrawn by 1924, and the European Station adopted the traditional policy of showing the flag.

The deployment of U.S. warships into European and Near Eastern waters during the post-World War I era was a complex and multifaceted endeavor. It marked a significant milestone in the Navy's history, showcasing its commitment to peacekeeping and international security. However, the challenges faced by the Navy in achieving its objectives underscore the complex interplay between political, military, and economic factors that shaped the post-war world.

Weight: 992g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781682470145