ARMED NEUTRALITY. The term "armed neutrality" has been applied to the collective action of the neutral states which employ their armed strength for the purpose of compelling belligerents to respect their rights. There have been two well known examples of armed neutralities, namely those of 1780 and 1800. Both were formed mainly for the purpose of bringing pressure to bear upon Great Britain to compel her to respect the rights of neutral powers during the war in which she was then engaged and for placing a check upon her exaggerated assertion of bel ligerent claims. Neutrals complained that in consequence of her naval supremacy she com mitted unwarranted aggressions upon neutral commerce, in particular that she seized enemy non-contraband property in neutral ships, ex tended the doctrine of contraband beyond all reason and maintained blockades which were illegal because of their ineffectiveness. Among the parties to the first armed neutrality were Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, France, Hol land, Prussia, Austria, Portugal and the two Sicilies.
It adopted a declaration that enemy goods in neutral vessels, contraband of war excepted, were not liable to capture; that a blockade to be legal must be effective, that is to say, vessels of the blockading squadron must be placed suf ficiently near the blockaded port to make en trance to it dangerous; and other similar rules in the interest of neutrals were laid down.
The second armed neutrality of 1800 was a similar arrangement for similar purposes. The objects of both were partially realized but it is significant that when the parties became bel ligerents themselves, as most of them did shortly afterward, they abandoned for the most part the principles which as neutrals they had striven to enforce. See NEUTRALITY.