Signals at sea: Gunboat diplomacy in the modern era People watching the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely depart the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on October 30, 2025. The warship had docked for joint exercises near the Venezuelan coast amid heightened U.S. pressure on Venezuela, illustrating how naval deployments continue to function as tools of diplomatic signaling. (more) gunboat diplomacy international relations Written by Katie Angell Katie Angell is Associate Editor at Encyclopedia Britannica, covering topics related to Latin America. She holds an MA from Vanderbilt University and is pursuing a PhD in Political Science. Katie Angell Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 25, 2026 •History gunboat diplomacy, refers to the use or threat of military force, most often naval power, to influence or coerce other states without engaging in full-scale war. Rather than initiating sustained ground warfare or formal declarations of war, the practice relies on intimidation and the visible projection of force to pressure governments into negotiation, secure concessions, impose favorable trade terms, or shape political outcomes. It is most closely associated with the naval practices of imperial powers...

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