Mahan argued that mere commerce destruction could never win a war, that success depended upon securing command of the seas with fleets of capital ships, and demonstrated this theory by analyzing the long, effective record of britains royal navy. He used it in his principal work, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783,published in 1890. He stressed the interdependence of the military and commercial control of the sea. His core argument was that sea power was the key to empirebuilding. 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. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. Also like sun tzu, corbett places equal if not greater emphasis on the. American history honors documentary research project. The capabilities of japan s naval forces proved that naval power was national powerthe basic tenet of mahan s worksand annihilated americas naval capabilities in the process. 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. The young kaiser read eagerly mahan s influence of sea power upon history 1890, distrib uted it among the ships of his still embryonic navy, and fed his ambitions on the doctrines of this epochmaking work. Captain alfred thayer mahan, usn, was the first person to use the term sea power. William livezey, mahan on seapower oklahoma city, ok.
Scholars considered it the single most influential book. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, some principles of maritime strategy, command of the air, winged defense roots of strategy by david jablonsky and a great selection of related. In 1890, united states navy captain alfred thayer mahan published a book titled the influence of sea power upon history. Influence sea power upon history 1660 1783, first edition. The book brought mahan fame in his lifetime and ever since. His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won immediate recognition, especially in europe, and with. The naval officer in question is alfred thayer mahan 18401914 who, in 1890, published the results of his extensive study of history, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. Mahan armed the naval and national philosophy that the british had pursued for centuries, reviving the interest of the british in their own navy. Mahan s lecture notes become the basis for his book, the influence of sea power upon history, published in 1890. Alfred thayer mahan, a prominent theorist on seapower and early geopolitician, encapsulated his ideas in his classic book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, published in 1890. Alfred thayer mahanfather of sea power elson liu senior division.
Sep 01, 2004 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. Read this excerpt from his subsequent book, the interest of america in sea power, to better understand mahan s theory and how it influenced the development of an. Cambridge core regional history after 1500 the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. Mahans thesis that for an nation to be great it had to be a sea power was.
This novel persuasively laid the foundation for continued expansion and its popularity accelerated developments in expanding us control outside of the nations borders. The influence of the government will be felt in its most legitimate manner in maintaining an. Mahan s emphasis on big fleets and decisive battles have led some to dismiss mahan as hopelessly out of date, but mahan was also writing about broader political questions about the. Mahan this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. In 1885 he was appointed lecturer in naval history and tactics at the us naval war college, and became president of the institution between 18861889. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. It is said that it sold more copies on military theory than all of its predecessors including clausewitz combined. The influence of sea power upon history, 1660 1783 by. Excerpts from alfred thayer mahans the interest of america. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 naval historian columbia college 185418567 by arguing that sea powerthe strength of a nations navywas the key to strong foreign policy, alfred thayer mahan shaped american military planning and helped prompt a worldwide naval race in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Oct 22, 2010 the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 is an influential treatise on naval warfare written in 1890 by alfred thayer mahan.
The influence of sea power upon history wikisource, the. 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. As a prolific author, mahan used the print media, the dominant form of communication in the early twentieth century, to influence the american public, government and the united states navy. The influence of sea power upon history 1890 alfred. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power upon. The influence of sea power upon history 16601783 researchgate.
You could easily write a recursive book about the influence of the influence of sea power upon history upon history. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by at mahan. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 alfred thayer mahan first, in peace. This edition includes major parts of two books by renowned naval historian alfred thayer mahan, along with an introduction by antony preston. Excerpts from the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 by alfred thayer mahan first, in peace. 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. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by. 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.
Librivox recording of the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by alfred thayer mahan. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by a. It details the role of sea power throughout history and discusses the various factors needed to support a strong navy. 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. Germany also followed mahan s guidelines for imperialism. Mahan wanted to be able to compete with powerful european countries. Excerpts from the influence of sea power upon history, 1660. 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. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer, considered one of the most important naval strategists of the nineteenth century.
The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by alfred thayer mahan, 1890 in the influence of sea power upon history, alfred thayer mahan studied the rise and fall of naval powers. In 1890, mahan published his book, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, some principles of maritime strategy, command of the air, winged defense roots of strategy by david jablonsky and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by alfred. Mahan wanted to show that navies decided wars, even between land powers, and many powerful and influential people listened. Excerpts from alfred thayer mahans the interest of america in sea power. Pdf the influence of alfred thayer mahan upon the imperial. Alfred thayer mahan s the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 alfred thayer mahan was an advocate for sea power and western imperialism. From 1865 to 1885, commerce raiding and coastal defense were the accepted strategies of the u.
Influence of sea power upon history 16601783 abridged and influence of sea power upon the french revolution 17931812 excerpts capt. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 alfred. Download citation the influence of sea power upon history 16601783 the author of this book, alfred thatcher mahan, is to naval warfare what clausewitz. Sep 26, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Jan 05, 2016 the present work is the first fulllength study of mahans religious faith. Alfred thayer mahanfather of sea power on december 7th, 1941, the implications of alfred mahans naval philosophy were revealed to the united states. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In addition to his books on the history of naval warfare. Mahan believed that the us should build a formidable navy and expand its maritime capabilities to be a major seapower that could mirror. The united states was forced to recognize that sea power and world involvement were crucial to national security. Alfred thayer mahan was an advocate for sea power and western imperialism. Song i see dead people in boats from pirates of the caribbean. Mahan and sea power great strategists episode 4 us army. 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.
In this fourth episode of war rooms special series on great strategists, patrick bratton explores alfred thayer mahans the influence of seapower upon history and its relevance to the 21st century. Mahan considered despotic power whose effectiveness is measured by force levers of influence, but its stability loses its power immediately after the changes in government. In 1890, he published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 in which he argued that a nations greatness and prosperity comes from maritime power. The government must support the formation and the development of the navy involving human and material resources. 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. Read in english by jim locke the influence of sea power upon history. 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. To affirm the importance of distant markets, and the. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 served in the civil war and twice served as the president of the united states naval war college, beginning shortly after the college was founded. Alfred mahan was an admiral in the us navy who wrote the influence of the power of the sea. Mahan did for seapower what clausewitz did for war on land.
Alfred thayer mahan s the influence of sea power upon history was a huge success in both america and overseas. He concluded that supremacy at sea was essential for a nations political and commercial success. 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. Indeed it can be argued that his influence continues to be exerted even today. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan one hundred years later, the insights of the american strategist continue to have extraordinary relevance today. Understanding this allows us to understand the centrality of seapower to the promotion of the interests of the state and its survival. Maurer is a senior fellow of the foreign policy research institutes program on national security, sits on the board of editors for fpris journal, orbis, and serves as the alfred thayer mahan professor of grand strategy in the strategy and policy department at the naval war college in newport, rhode island. Alfred thayer mahan, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 boston.
The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 free pdf books from bookyards, one of the worlds first online libraries to offer ebooks to be downloaded for free. Demonstrating through historical examples that the rise and fall of seapower and of nations has always been linked with commercial and military command of the seas, mahan describes successful naval strategies employed in the past from greek and roman times through the napoleonic wars. How influential was the influence of sea power upon history. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by. Alfred thayer mahan, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 in 1890. 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. Alfred thayer mahan introduction alfred thayer mahan s study of history led him to strongly believe that a nations sea power determined its economic wealth and international prominence. 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. Whoever rules the waves rules the world, mahan wrote. This is one of those unknown enormously influential books in history. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 navy.
Several ships, including the uss mahan, were named in his honor. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Mahans emphasis on big fleets and decisive battles have led some to dismiss mahan as hopelessly out of date, but mahan was also writing about broader political questions about the maritime domain. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan the diplomat. Also like sun tzu, corbett places equal if not greater emphasis. The project gutenberg ebook, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by a. Mahan remains one of the finest strategic theorists. The project gutenberg ebook of the influence of sea power. December 1, 2014, was the 100th anniversary of the death of alfred thayer mahan. 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. His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won immediate recognition, especially in europe, and with its successor, the influence. Although many studies have addressed his influence upon a specific topic, none have examined his influence through a single print media outlet. Dec 30, 2014 one hundred years later, the insights of the american strategist continue to have extraordinary relevance today.
The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by alfred thayer mahan, 1918, little, brown edition, 12th ed. In this fourth episode of war rooms special series on great strategists, patrick bratton explores alfred thayer mahan s the influence of seapower upon history and its relevance to the 21st century. The russian leadership and its view of the world with nikolas k. For its time it was a tremendous success and extremely influential for most all large navies. Influence upon foreign nations yet mahans influence was not restricted to the united states. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work. Alfred thayer mahan s the influence of seapower upon history is well known to students of naval history and strategy, but his other writings are often dismissed as irrelevant to todays problems.
Mahan became known as one of the leading spokesmen for the age of american imperialism. The present work is the first fulllength study of mahan s religious faith. By the end of the 1890s, the united states had embarked on its journey as an imperial power. Mahan, the influence of seapower upon history, 22526. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 kindle edition by mahan, a.
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. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 dover. Mahan was a geopolitician, who possessed clear ideas on how the world worked. Apr 17, 2012 the first and most obvious light in which the sea presents itself from the political and social point of view is that of a great highway.
Mahan proposed that there were six conditions required for a nation to have sea power. The government by its policy can favor the natural growth of a peoples industries and. This collection of five of mahan s essays, along with benjamin armstrongs informative introductions. The interesting and significant feature of this changing attitude is the turning of the eyes outward, instead of inward only, to seek the welfare of the country. Apr 14, 2015 mahan placed seapower within its global economic context. The capabilities of japans naval forces proved that naval power was national powerthe basic. A mackindermahan geopolitical view of chinas belt and road. An absolute must read for history and political science students. Pdf assesses the japanese adoption of mahanian concepts of sea power and decisive battle to the development of the imperial navys warfighting.