The Crimean War effectively ended the naval alliance that had begun during the reign of Peter the Great. It had flourished throughout the eighteenth century because of Britain’s unquenchable thirst for naval stores, over which Russia had gained a virtual supply monopoly. The inability of the British government to secure, throughout that century, an alternative mass supply source created a relationship with Russia that Britain could not afford to break. In turn, a balance of trade, highly favourable to Russia, and primarily resulting from the export of naval stores into British ports, gave Russia little reason to jeopardise the continuance of that trade. Yet, it was clear, even in the eighteenth century, that all was not well. Given that it was the stores imported from Russia, once these materials had been manufactured into masts, rigging, sails and iron internal support pieces, that ensured the ability of Britain’s commercial and naval ships to put to sea, there was concern in Britain that, for the future good of the nation, this monopoly would have to be broken. In turn, while the trade was commercially profitable, Russia too was placed in a position of dependency, much like a colony supplying an imperial colonial power; with the raw materials sucked out of Russia, while bringing into Russia much needed capital, the trade was seen to be bringing to Britain a much greater level of profit. That such causes of potential aggravation did not unduly upset matters during the eighteenth century mainly resulted from a joint fear of France, Britain’s hereditary enemy and one allied to Russia’s primary foe, the Ottoman Empire. However, the changes wrought in Europe upon the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte heavily impacted upon both the economic relationship between Great Britain and Russia and Britain’s relationship with France. In place of their former enmity, Britain and France were now often working together in an apparent relationship of harmony, the two intent upon securing the continuance of peace across Europe. Thus, Great Britain and Russia now had no joint enemy against which they were united. Equally important, however, was not only an ending of the Russian monopoly over the supply of naval stores into British ports, but a long-time period of peace that saw fewer British warships at sea, so reducing the overall quantity of naval stores that had to be imported.