Sea power as a strategic domain by me6 khoo kok giok abstract. 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. Mahans lectures, based on secondary sources and the military theories of jomini, became his seapower studies. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a.
These opening quotations form the foundation of alfred. Since alfred mahan, sea power has been closely linked with the nations. In the books first chapter, he described the sea as a. Stavridis, now dean of the fletcher school of law and. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. Mahans first book, published in 1890, was about 600 pages and included 30 illustrations maps and plans, or trackcharts, of sea battles, and can be downloaded from project gutenberg, file 529h. Dalam membangun sebuah negara yang memiliki kekuatan angkatan laut yang besar, menurut astawa 2004 sea power mahan diperlukan 6. By contrast, in britain mahans works are now regarded as old and outdated. In explanation of the phenomenal influence of mahans conceptualization of sea power, the sprouts write p.
Sea power the united states is in a position of world. Sea power refers to the power exerted by a state through its capacity to use the sea for both military and civilian purposes. 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. The influence of mahan on japanese naval thinking was profound, but it was not salutary. 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. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890. 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. Alfred thayer mahan, born september 27, 1840, west point, new york, u. Cambridge core regional history after 1500 the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. He now pronounces seapower evangelist alfred thayer mahan the natural strategic theorist of air power. Mahan s sea power theory if you have access to the sea s, you have power over other nations and more control over your own nation possibly through naval military colonization, conquering, discovering islands etc. China focuses its national maritime strategy on mahans sea power theory but understands that knowledge of mahan alone is not enough. As mahan published his writings nearly 20 years earlier than corbett, his writings began as the more popular and influential of the two. Ap human geography unit 4 vocab flashcards quizlet.
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. Mahan formulated his concept of sea power while reading a history book in lima. Mahans sole focus on sea power are valid, but it is important to understand that the requirements for the success of a nation and the principles upon which mahan based his writings on sea power are just as essential today to other elements of national power as they were essential in the late 19th century for sea power. The conception of command of the sea, which for convenience one may designate simply the capitalship theory, was not wholly original with mahan. Mahan believed that control of sea lanes would lead to national power.
French naval doctrine in 1914 was dominated by mahans theory of sea power and therefore geared. 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. How influential was the influence of sea power upon history. 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.
The future of seapower download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. History of sea power one of contest between nations, therefore largely military, 1. 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 twentieth century. Sea power describesanations ability to protect its political, economic, and military interests through control of the sea. 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. Theory of sea power by alfred mahan 1 reply 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. In the asiapacific region there has been significant expansion of seabased economies together with burgeoning naval power. It was alfred thayer mahan who first coined the term sea power. Navy ended about 1880, and by 1890, a renaissance was in full swing. Sea power, to mahan, was the key to ultimate victoryan insight neither properly appreciated nor addressed before. Sea power as a strategic domain ministry of defence.
The inuence of sea power upon history was mahan s magnum opus and the basis of almost all of his later work. Sea power and american interests in the western pacific. An analysis of chinas concept of sea power institute for security. Alfred thayers mahan s the influence of sea power upon history was a twovolume work that argued that sea power was the key to military and economic expansion. 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. For its time it was a tremendous success and extremely influential for most all large navies. Julian corbett and the development of a maritime strategy. It is said that it sold more copies on military theory than all of its predecessors including clausewitz combined. The two naval theorists attempted to adapt what they read about the theory of war to sea power. Aug 15, 2012 he now pronounces sea power evangelist alfred thayer mahan the natural strategic theorist of air power. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan the diplomat.
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. Mahan, through his most famous work, the influence ofsea power upon history 16601783, introduced the concept of sea power. The main collection of mahan manuscripts is in the library of congress, but for a guide to the complementary collection at the naval war college, see john b. Mahans study might concern the great age of sail or the rowed galleys of the ancient world. Mahan concluded that sea power is key to world power and requires the ability to safeguard ones own.
Measured in terms of a nations capacity to use the seas in defiance of rivals and competitors, it consists of such diverse elements as combat craft and weapons, auxiliary craft, commercial shipping, bases, and trained personnel. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. 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. The author focuses on the unique characteristics of sea power and its strategic utility. His research revealed a correlation between a nations naval policy and their success, or ultimate failure, as a nation. With particular focus on the asiapacific region, this book examines the rise and fall of sea powers. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer who wrote extensively on naval strategy and the history of sea power. December 1, 2014, was the 100th anniversary of the death of alfred thayer mahan, the renowned naval historian, strategist, and geopolitical theorist. 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. This is one of those unknown enormously influential books in history. The principal parts of sea power are naval power, ocean science, ocean industry, and ocean commerce. Pdf assesses the japanese adoption of mahanian concepts of sea power and decisive battle to the.
Sea power oxford research encyclopedia of international studies. Sea power oxford research encyclopedia of international. Mahan influenced not only the development of the theory of naval art but also the development of foreign policy in many countries. Gagasan sea power theory teori kakuatan laut dari alfred thayer mahan disusun oleh kelompok iii anggota. Hence theories about the naval warfare of the future are almost wholly presumptive. China focuses its national maritime strategy on mahan s sea power theory but understands that knowledge of mahan alone is not enough.
They opportunely published their writings during the zenith of british power, which was built primarily upon the british navy. Consequently, chinese experts study corbetts strategic theory, which is well balanced and introduced a broader perspective. Xu qi, lunhai quanli lunfa zhanzhi yu zhongguo haiquan shijian sea power theory. Pdf the influence of alfred thayer mahan upon the imperial. Sea power, means by which a nation extends its military power onto the seas. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power upon. Perhaps mahan would not have conceived a satisfying theory of sea power if he had not held an underlying belief in original sin. Mahan offered a focused naval strategy in an era when. The inuence of sea power upon history was mahans magnum opus and the basis of almost all of his later work. His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won immediate recognition, especially in europe, and with its successor, the influence of sea power upon. Mahan and sea power great strategists episode 4 us army. Mahan implied that powerful battle fleets should be used to crush 1 1 mahan, alfred thayer, the influence of sea power upon history 16601783.
Mahan was a prolific writer, as both an historian and a military professional. From either point of view, mahans contributions must be seen as part of the development of. 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. Sep 29, 2015 gagasan sea power theory teori kakuatan laut dari alfred thayer mahan 1. Aircraft used in the control of seaborne transportation function as an instrument of sea. May 29, 2014 the concepts surrounding the importance of naval forces, and the role which maritime issues play in global affairs, go back centuries. The future of sea power in the western pacific a merican interests in the western pacific depend on. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914, widely recognized as the father of seapower theory, held that a world power needs overseas access to raw materials and. The influence of sea power upon the french revolution and empire, 17931812 2 vols. Mahan provided a powerful argument for achieving and preserving sea power. Mahans perspective, also the means to generate sufficient wealth to maintain strong sea power. Contained in its opening chapters was mahan s sea power thesis, his. Influence of sea power upon history 16601783 abridged and influence of sea power upon the french revolution 17931812 excerpts capt.
Even the greatest generals and most formidable land powers were ultimately helpless without control of the worlds major waterways. One analyst of mahanian theory notes, central to the theory of sea. Still, these later works lacked the impact of the influence of sea power treatises. The international institute for strategic studies 5,858 views 1. Thayer mahans most famous book, the influence of sea power upon. Sea power asaconcept means more than military power at sea. Mahan s sole focus on sea power are valid, but it is important to understand that the requirements for the success of a nation and the principles upon which mahan based his writings on sea power are just as essential today to other elements of national power as they were essential in the late 19th century for sea power. Dec 11, 2011 mahans thoughts on the significance of the sea are profound and philosophical, and are relevant and persuasive even in changing times. Much like sun tzu, corbett employs a broad approach to warfare, which focuses on the combative nature of war but also diplomatic alliances, coalitions formed before and during a war. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of.
Mahan clearly linked the importance of sea power and command of the seas to the commercial and military success of a nation. The concepts surrounding the importance of naval forces, and the role which maritime issues play in global affairs, go back centuries. 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. Mahans sole focus on sea power are valid, but it is important to understand that the requirements for the success of a nation and the principles upon which mahan based his writings on sea power are just as essential today to other elements of national power as they were essential in. This has resulted in the notion that military power deployed at or from. How influential was the influence of sea power upon. Mahans thoughts on the significance of the sea are profound and philosophical, and are relevant and persuasive even in changing times. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by at mahan. Hattendorf, compiler, register of the alfred thayer mahan papers newport, 1987. Alfred thayer mahan and his strategic thought springerlink. Gompert applies the seapower theory of american naval theorist alfred thayer mahan, the history. Contained in its opening chapters was mahans sea power thesis, his.
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. 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. If you have access to the seas, you have power over other nations and more control over your own nation possibly through naval military colonization, conquering, discovering islands etc. The other possible religious influence on his naval theories was his belief in human depravity, an unpopular notion among contemporary intellectualsthat is, before the great war made cynics of them all. 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. Mahans geopolitical philosophy has formed the basis of american sea power through the 20th century and now into the 21st. Much was written by mahan 1 and much has been written about him. View alfred thayer mahan research papers on academia.
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