Evolving from his lectures at the naval war college in. Instead they are the factors that lead a nation to become a sea power. In the forward to his book, mahan set forth his purpose to examine the general history of europe and america with particular reference to the effect. A wellestablished theory for the economic advantage of a nation is to produce goods and services and exchange them with other nations. They opportunely published their writings during the zenith of british power, which was built primarily upon the british navy. History of sea power one of contest between nations, therefore largely military, 1. Book cover of the 12th edition of thayer mahan s the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 mahan argued that british control of the seas, combined with a corresponding decline in the naval strength of its major european rivals, paved the way for great britains emergence as the worlds dominant military, political, and economic power. He was, however, an astute scholar, and the principles that he outlined as requirements for sea power are relevant today to air power, space power, and information dominance.
Indeed, he might be considered the thinker on sea power, the essential starting point for studying the course and conduct of war at sea and for understanding the strategic importance of the maritime. Mahan s study might concern the great age of sail or the rowed galleys of the ancient world. Mahan s thesis that for an nation to be great it had to be a sea power was immensely influential in the growth of the german navy prior to world war 1 and the expansion of the us into overseas areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Stavridis, now dean of the fletcher school of law and. The inuence of sea power upon history was mahans magnum opus and the basis of almost all of his later work. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a.
Mahan s lecture notes become the basis for his book, the influence of sea power upon history, published in 1890. The tale of mahanism begins at west point, where alfred thayer mahan was born to dennis and mary helena mahan on september 27, 1840. Dalam membangun sebuah negara yang memiliki kekuatan angkatan laut yang besar, menurut astawa 2004 sea power mahan. His core argument was that sea power was the key to empirebuilding. Apr 12, 2010 american history honors documentary research project. The seapower schools theories certainly do not embrace mahans original meaning. In 1890, between the civil war and the spanish american war, american naval historian and theorist alfred thayer mahan published the first edition of the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, a collection of the lectures he gave at the us. China focuses its national maritime strategy on mahan s sea power theory but understands that knowledge of mahan.
American history honors documentary research project. The author focuses on the unique characteristics of sea power and its strategic utility. Julian corbett and the development of a maritime strategy. Contained in its opening chapters was mahans sea power thesis, his. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601805 mahan, alfred thayer on. Pdf the influence of alfred thayer mahan upon the imperial. From 1865 to 1885, commerce raiding and coastal defense were the accepted strategies of the u.
Alfred thayer mahan s the influence of sea power upon history was a huge success in both america and overseas. Jul 07, 2004 conveyed in works such as the influence of sea power upon history and the problem of asia, the theories of mahan, a late19thcentury proponent of u. Alfred thayer mahan, a maritime historian, examines the united states relationship with naval forces in the past. In 1890, captain alfred thayer mahan, a lecturer in naval history and the president of the united states naval war college, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, a revolutionary analysis of the importance of naval power as a factor in the rise of the british empire. Ap human geography unit 4 vocab flashcards quizlet. Although not as well known, the influence of sea power upon history, written by captain alfred thayer mahan and published in 1890, was a groundbreaking study that explained how the british empire. View alfred thayer mahan research papers on academia. Sep 26, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Sea power, to mahan, was the key to ultimate victoryan insight neither properly appreciated nor addressed before. Review of mahan s the influence of sea power upon history theodore roosevelt october 1890. Writing as a naval officer in full sympathy with his profession, the author has not hesitated to digress freely on. In the books first chapter, he described the sea as a great highway and wide common with wellworn trade routes over which men pass in all directions. Sea power oxford research encyclopedia of international studies.
A wellestablished theory for the economic advantage of a nation is to produce goods and. The russian leadership and its view of the world with nikolas k. The future of sea power in the western pacific rand. Today, as noted, few naval officers read mahan beyond a couple of selections from the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, and this neglect of the modern navys intellectual founder is not new. Mahan s geopolitical philosophy has formed the basis of american sea power through the 20th century and now into the 21st. Sea power refers to the power exerted by a state through its capacity to use the sea for both military and civilian purposes. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. The interest of america in sea power, present and future mahan, a. His lectures at the college formed the basis for his two major works, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, published in 1890, and the influence of sea power upon the french revolution and empire, 17931812, published two years later. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Sea power as a strategic domain by me6 khoo kok giok abstract. His research revealed a correlation between a nations naval policy and their success, or ultimate failure, as a nation.
Still, these later works lacked the impact of the influence of sea power treatises. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan the diplomat. The american theorist we first consider, alfred thayer mahan, had a different thesis. Song i see dead people in boats from pirates of the caribbean. Mahan clearly linked the importance of sea power and command of the seas to the commercial and military success of a nation. Mahan s sea power thesis was tested and proven in combat. Mahans writings and lectures greatly influenced theodore roosevelt, henry cabot lodge, and other world leaders, including german emperor wilhelm ii, shaping global policy based on sea power at the. Mahan skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The book carried the grand title the influence of sea power upon history 16601783 and its author was a shy united states naval officerturned war college professor named alfred thayer mahan. Since men live upon the land and not upon the sea, great issues 3 ibid. By contrast, in britain mahan s works are now regarded as old and outdated. While mahan linked sea power with national power, corbett illuminated this relationship and displayed a keen understanding, developed through his own historical study, of the limits of sea power, and war more broadly, as an instrument of national policy. In the books first chapter, he described the sea as a.
Mahan was a prolific writer, as both an historian and a military professional. To become a major naval power, the united states began to replace its wooden sailing ships with. In this essay, he defines sea power with reference to alfred thayer mahan, an american historian and naval officer who was an expert on sea power in the late 19 th and early 20 centuries. The project gutenberg ebook, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by a. Mahan influenced not only the development of the theory of naval art but also the development of foreign policy in many countries around the world. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power upon. Mahan has often been criticized for his focus on sea power to the exclusion of all other forms of national power. Alfred thayer mahan stands out as one of the foremost thinkers on naval warfare and maritime strategy. Whoever rules the waves rules the world, mahan wrote. He saw history as a means of better preparing naval officers for command at sea by providing a framework which could improve their ability to learn from actual experience. An absolute must read for history and political science students. Mahans study might concern the great age of sail or the rowed galleys of the ancient world. China focuses its national maritime strategy on mahans sea power theory but understands that knowledge of mahan alone is not enough. His initial discussion is as much political is it is military.
Mahans geopolitical philosophy has formed the basis of american sea power through the 20th century and now into the 21st. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discussed the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. Moreover, chinese sea power is a type of maritime right pertaining to chinese sovereigntynot maritime power, much less maritime hegemony. Alfred mahan, the founder of the north american school of geopolitics, had introduced into the scientific circle such concepts as domination at sea, sea power and had developed the concept of sea power of the state for the first time. He stressed the interdependence of the military and commercial control of the sea and asserted that the control of seaborne commerce can determine the outcome of wars. The interest of america in sea power, present and future. Alfred thayer mahan s theory of sea power is the basis of much of modern geopolitical theory. In the influence of sea power upon history mahan lays out the six elements of what makes a nation a sea power, none of which explicitly involve combat. Mahan this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. September 27, 1840 december 1, 1914 was a united states naval officer and historian, whom john keegan called the most. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg.
Mahan, a naval strategist and the author of the influence of sea power upon history, argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of the worlds sea lanes. September 27, 1840 december 1, 1914 was a united states naval officer and historian, whom john keegan called the most important american strategist of the nineteenth century. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work by. Cambridge core regional history after 1500 the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. This has resulted in the notion that military power. Mahan s the influence of sea power upon history general. Mahans thesis that for an nation to be great it had to be a sea power was immensely influential in the growth of the german navy prior to world war 1 and the expansion of the us into overseas areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Alfred thayer mahan, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 in 1890. The meaning of sea power those trying to understand chinas naval ambitions should be wary of the tacticization of strategy. Sea power oxford research encyclopedia of international. Mahan influenced not only the development of the theory of naval art but also the development of. Mahan s background as a captain in the united states navy and as a naval historian gave him a background for his theory of the importance of naval power. Mahan s writings and lectures greatly influenced theodore roosevelt, henry cabot lodge, and other world leaders, including german emperor wilhelm ii, shaping global policy based on sea power at the beginning of the 20th century.
Sea power as a strategic domain ministry of defence. The two naval theorists attempted to adapt what they read about the theory of war to sea power. In the books first chapter, he described the sea as a great highway and wide common with wellworn trade routes over which men pass in. Mahan was not able to envision air power, space power, or information dominance that were to become critical elements of national power. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discusses the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. Gompert applies the sea power theory of american naval theorist alfred thayer mahan, the history of three rivalries between established and rising sea powers, and current u. Mahan tried to persuade us government to invest in the creation of a powerful navy, while corbetts aim as gb was already the major sea power of the world and deeply realized the need of a powerful navy was to write down in an organized, comprehensive and clear way the principles of maritime strategy. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer who wrote extensively on naval strategy and the history of sea power. Control of the sea, or lack thereof, determines the rise and fall of a nation. Memahami sea power theory dari alfred thayer mahan istilah sea power pertama kali muncul di akhir abad 19 oleh rear admiral alfred thayer mahan dalam bukunya the influence of sea power upon history, hal. In 1890 he published a book, the influence of sea power upon history. Sea power and american interests in the western pacific. From either point of view, mahan s contributions must be seen as part of the. Dec 11, 2011 mahans thoughts on the significance of the sea are profound and philosophical, and are relevant and persuasive even in changing times.
Zhang wenmu has said that in english sea power denotes maritime power, not maritime rights. The book brought mahan fame in his lifetime and ever since. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work. Alfred thayer mahan and sir julian corbett are viewed in many circles as the fathers of sea power theory and maritime theory. This is one of those unknown enormously influential books in history. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power. The influence of religion on alfred thayer mahan geissler, suzanne on. Mahan and sea power great strategists episode 4 us army.
Mahan s thoughts on the significance of the sea are profound and philosophical, and are relevant and persuasive even in changing times. Pg 95 naval strategy has for its end to found, support, and increase, as well in peace as in war, the sea power of a country. As a theorist of naval power, his oftenderided writings. Alfred thayer mahan and his strategic thought springerlink. Mahan believed that control of sea lanes would lead to national power. Even the greatest generals and most formidable land powers were ultimately helpless without control of the worlds major waterways. Today alfred mahan is more useful for understanding geopolitics. From his studies of naval warfare he drew principles of strategy that greatly influenced the development and employment of naval forces during the first half of the. Alfred thayer mahan, american naval officer and historian who was a highly influential exponent of sea power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It stated that sea power had been the deciding factor in the world dominance of the british empire. The ability to use the seas for transport and other civilian purposes such as fishing and, more recently, exploitation of resources on or under the sea bed has generated considerable debate. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914, widely recognized as the father of seapower theory, held that a world power needs overseas access to raw materials and. As mahan published his writings nearly 20 years earlier than corbett, his writings began as the more popular and influential of the two. Exsum of mahans theory of sea power mustangs monster.
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