The project gutenberg ebook, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by a. Influence upon foreign nations yet mahan s influence was not restricted to the united states. Pdf the influence of alfred thayer mahan upon the imperial. Pdf 46686606alfredthayermahantheinfluenceofseapower. 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. While naval power was seen as influential for a nation, most countries utilized their strength in ground forces. In the books first chapter, he described the sea as a.
The result of 17 years of work, god and sea power begins provocatively. He used it in his principal work, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783,published in 1890. Considering sea power as the most important factor in the formation of world domination, a. Alfred thayer mahan s the influence of sea power upon history was a huge success in both america and overseas. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer who wrote extensively on naval strategy and the history of sea power. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by at mahan. 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. This is one of those unknown enormously influential books in history. In this book he argued for the paramount importance of sea power in national historical supremacy. If extended from two dimensions to three, mahans opening paragraph from chapter i of the influence of sea. His core argument was that sea power was the key to empirebuilding. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power. American history honors documentary research project. When a nations prosperity depends on shipborne commerce and the amount of trade available is limited, then competition follows, and that leads to a naval contest to protect the trade.
From 1865 to 1885, commerce raiding and coastal defense were the accepted strategies of the u. Mahan on sea power, 1890 to turn now from the particular lessons drawn from the history of the past to the general question of the influence of government upon the sea career of its people, it is seen that that influence can work in two distinct but closely related ways. It was during this period he assembled the material to write his influential the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. 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. 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. Sea power, mahan and the western pacific the strategist. Cambridge core regional history after 1500 the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. Song i see dead people in boats from pirates of the caribbean. The influence of sea power on china, or the influence of mahan on yoshihara and holmes. This time around one of the items on my reading list was a revisit of a 1911 essay the panama canal and sea power in the pacific by the great sea. Contained in its opening chapters was mahans sea power thesis, his. Mahans study might concern the great age of sail or the rowed galleys of the ancient world.
These struggles for world power and naval mastery were viewed by mahan as a twentiethcentury replay of the wars that he had described in his volumes on the influence of sea power upon history. When land powers look seaward, mentioned that china highly appreciated mahans the influence of sea power upon history, 1660. 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 sealanes. Sep 26, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg.
Pdf mahan on naval strategy download full pdf book download. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. In alfred thayer mahan his college lectures as the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. From either point of view, mahans contributions must be seen as part of the development of. Sea power as a strategic domain ministry of defence. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. The influence of religion on alfred thayer mahan geissler, suzanne on. The book, which came at a time of great technological improvement in warships, won. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power upon. If extended from two dimensions to three, mahans opening paragraph from chapter i of the influence of sea power upon history, 166017822 applies equally. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of. These coming struggles were likely to produce dramatic shifts in the power balances among the great powers. The influence of sea power on china, or the influence of.
The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work. Even the greatest generals and most formidable land powers were ultimately helpless without control of the worlds major waterways. 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. Alfred thayer mahan, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 in 1890. This matters because suzanne geissler presents her new book as an attempt to set the record straight. Mahan and sea power great strategists episode 4 us army. 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. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 alfred thayer mahan first, in peace. 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. Still, these later works lacked the impact of the influence of sea power treatises. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 was published in 1890, chronicles the history of naval warfare, with a particular emphasis on the role and significance that sea power held. 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.
Not since alfred thayer mahans legendary the influence of sea power upon history have we had such a powerful reckoning with this vital subject. The influence of mahan, the proponent of sea power, is felt on the current ambitious. This lesson has been designed to provide you with a summary of alfred mahan s the influence of sea power upon history, including its impact modern history and naval thought. 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. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work by. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by alfred thayer mahan, 1918, little, brown edition, 12th ed. Whoever rules the waves rules the world, mahan wrote.
Mahan was primarily a historian, and was therefore not very astute at peering into the future to see how the sea power principles of the past could affect the 20th and 21st centuries. Mahans thesis that for an nation to be great it had to be a sea power was. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. By contrast, in britain mahans works are now regarded as old and outdated. Mahan this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. Apr 12, 2010 american history honors documentary research project. The project gutenberg ebook, the influence of sea power upon. The government by its policy can favor the natural growth of a peoples industries and its tendencies to seek adventure and gain by way of the sea. The book earned mahan critical acclaim immediately, and it remains an. Alfred thayer mahan, born september 27, 1840, west point, new york, u. 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. The inuence of sea power upon history was mahans magnum opus and the basis of almost all of his later work. These coming struggles were likely to produce dramatic shifts in.
Admiral stavridis sees the shapes of the seven seas. Much was written by mahan 1 and much has been written about him. 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. Maritime strategy is part of the growing body of literature that examines chinas expanding naval capabilities. One of the things i like most about the summer break is the opportunity to catch up on some reading. Alfred thayer mahan, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 boston. The influence of mahan upon sea power mark russell shulman kenneth j. The influence of sea power upon history was simultaneously published in britain, where it was wellreceived and further encouraged that nations naval rebuilding program which had recently begun following a.
Mahan, the influence of sea power upon history 16601783. Influence upon foreign nations yet mahans influence was not restricted to the united states. Sea power, to mahan, was the key to ultimate victoryan insight neither properly appreciated nor addressed before. Mahan identified six main factors which influence the naval power of the state.
The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by alfred. Pdf mahan on naval strategy download full pdf book. 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. To become a major naval power, the united states began to replace its wooden sailing ships with. 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. Mahans book became an instant success in military circles in the united states and around the world.
Mahan did for seapower what clausewitz did for war on land. Captain alfred thayer mahan, usn, was the first person to use the term sea power. Mahan came to the conclusion that the one who owns the sea possesses all mahan a. Alfred thayer mahan and his strategic thought springerlink. Mahans the influence of sea power upon history 16601783 for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. Review of mahans the influence of sea power upon history theodore roosevelt october 1890. Mahan was the son of a professor at the united states military academy at west point, new york. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan the diplomat. 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 beginning of the 20th century.
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