During the Great Eastern Crisis in 1877–1878, increased tension between Britain and Russia over the latter's declaration of war on Turkey focused attention on the lack of defences for Britain's only naval station on the western seaboards of both North and South America.
During the Great Eastern Crisis of 1877–1878, heightened tensions between Britain and Russia over Russia's declaration of war on Turkey brought to light the vulnerability of Britain's only naval station in North and South America.