The War of Jenkins’ Ear and the Spectre of French Universal Monarchy

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Anglo–Spanish War of 1739, commonly referred to as the War of Jenkins’ Ear, is generally explained as having been caused by public outrage at the depredations of the Guarda Costas without consideration of European politics. While Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole risked his political life to avoid war with Spain for fear that it would only benefit France and disrupt the British economy, the Country opposition, led by Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke, exploited the situation with a maritime vision of empire to bring down the government. This article, however, suggests that Bolingbroke’s Country party was no less troubled by the prospect of French universal monarchy than the Walpole ministry but that they pushed for war with Spain as an urgent precautionary measure. Once France decided to support Spain, they thought it would be extremely difficult and costly to separate them and re–establish the balance of power. They believed that owing to Hanoverian influence on British foreign policy, which culminated in the Anglo–French Alliance of 1716–1731, the Utrecht peace settlement had been significantly distorted in favour of the French, and a French–Spanish alliance was already in sight. Therefore, before it was too late, Spain had to be defeated and Austria befriended again.