," ▁oil ▁produ cers ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁The ▁strateg ic ▁goal ▁of ▁protect ing ▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁was ▁a ▁high ▁priority ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁and , ▁by ▁then , ▁had ▁expanded ▁to ▁the ▁oil ▁regions . ▁Dar win ▁arg ues ▁that ▁defence ▁strategy ▁pos ed ▁issues ▁of ▁how ▁to ▁recon cile ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁domestic ▁politics ▁with ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁a ▁global ▁Empire . ▁Dar win ▁arg ues ▁that ▁a ▁main ▁function ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁defence ▁system , ▁especially ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy , ▁was ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁over se as ▁emp ire ▁( in ▁addition ▁of ▁course ▁to ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁hom eland ). ▁The ▁army , ▁usually ▁in ▁co - operation ▁with ▁local ▁forces , ▁suppress ed ▁internal ▁revol ts , ▁losing ▁only ▁the ▁American ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence ▁( 1 7 7 5 – 8 3 ). ▁Ar mit age ▁cons iders ▁the ▁following ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁British ▁cre ed : ▁Protest ant ism , ▁ocean ic ▁commerce ▁and ▁master y ▁of ▁the ▁se as ▁provided ▁bast ions ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁That ▁freedom ▁found ▁its ▁institution al ▁expression ▁in ▁Parliament , ▁the ▁law , ▁property , ▁and ▁rights , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁export ed ▁throughout ▁the ▁British ▁Atlantic ▁world . ▁Such ▁freedom ▁also ▁allowed ▁the ▁British , ▁uniqu ely , ▁to ▁combine ▁the ▁class ically ▁in compatible ▁ide als ▁of ▁liberty ▁and ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁L