gunboat diplomacy

Diplomacy involving intimidation by threat or use of military force.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

gunboat diplomacy

(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) diplomacy conducted by threats of military intervention, esp by a major power against a militarily weak state

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

gun′boat diplo′macy

diplomatic relations involving the use or threat of military force.

[1925–30]

gunboat diplomacy

- Foreign policy carried out with the backing of the threat or use of military force.

gunboat diplomacy

The use of threats of military force, especially by a strong country to a weaker one, in diplomatic relations.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

gunboat diplomacy - diplomacy in which the nations threaten to use force in order to obtain their objectives

power politics

diplomacy, diplomatic negotiations - negotiation between nations

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References in periodicals archive

What was once known as gunboat diplomacy might today be better labeled "carrier diplomacy." This is the subject discussed by Douglas Smith, head of the Strategy and Policy Division of the College of Distance Education at the Naval War College, and Kent Coleman, a serving Navy officer.

The Influence of Airpower upon History: Statesmanship, Diplomacy, and Foreign Policy since 1903

"gunboat diplomacy") from the days of Alfred Thayer Mahan through the recent studies of James Cable and Edward Luttwak.

From the editors

What is the residue of our gunboat diplomacy? Thousands of homes damaged, infrastructure destroyed, needing billions to rebuild; hundreds of casualties, including women and children, on both sides of the divide, and hospitals overflowing, lacKing drugs or medical supplies.

Flawed victory; & COMMENT DEBATE YOUR LETTERS TO THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF WALES

Birmingham City Council's deputy leader Paul Tilsley was one of 91 Liberal Democrat councillors to publicly attack Mr Pickles over his "gunboat diplomacy" and "draconian" budget cuts in an open letter three months ago.

Council forks out for'cuts event'

Council leaders including Newcastle's David Faulkner accused the minister of "gunboat diplomacy" and called for an change in the speed of the cuts.

LABOUR ATTACK LIB DEMS

But gunboat diplomacy will merely increase the violence instead of effectively stopping the piracy in the long term."

The reasons behind piracy: piracy off the Somali coast has been headline news, but the media have neglected to say why the pirates do what they do. According to Somali accounts, the pirates have been hitting back at an international community that has allowed illegal fishing by international vessels in Somali waters, which has resulted in the near death of the local fishing industry. Massip Farid Ikken reports

Don Pacifico; the acceptable face of gunboat diplomacy.

Don Pacifico; the acceptable face of gunboat diplomacy

Others think this is little more than gunboat diplomacy, designed to force the Lebanese opposition and its foreign backers to quit putting obstacles in the way of a long overdue presidential appointment.

Harbingers of war?

GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY MAY BE GOOD POLITICS BUT IT'S DUBIOUS POLICY TO A CLOSE FRIEND (The Australian, Sydney)

Asian editorial excerpts

The American effort began in 1904, after some gunboat diplomacy by Theodore Roosevelt established Panama as a nation independent of Columbia.

Reflections on plans to widen the Panama Canal