Alfred Thayer Mahan and the Impact of the Seas on World Dominance Natalie Blodgett

Early Life and Education His father was a professor at the United States Military Academy. He attended an evangelical college prep school and then did two years at Columbia. Against his parents’ wishes, he transferred to the US Naval Academy.

Naval Career He served for the Union in the Civil War starting as a lieutenant. He was eventually promoted to a commander and then a captain in 1872 and 1885. He was appointed as a lecturer of naval tactics and history at the US Naval College in Newport, Rhode Island in 1885. It was in this position that he elaborated on his theory in books and articles.

Naval Dominance Theory Featured in The Influence of Seas Power Upon History (1890) Mahan thought that the key to world control was control of the ocean and certain “chokepoints” By mastering the seas countries could also gain huge benefits from trade Six Fundamental Elements of Sea Power: Geographical Position Physical Conformation Extent of Territory Size of Population Character of the People Character of Government

The British Empire Activity One of Mahan’s main examples was Great Britain and how they were able to build their empire by utilizing sea power On the next slide, there is a map of the world Which areas do you think would be most crucial in getting control of the sea and world dominance?

Influence His ideas on naval dominance influenced US actions in the 1900s with the world wars and still influence the size of our navy today. China is starting to boost their navy, according to his theory. Great Britain also was influenced by it.

Textbook Alfred Mahan is not in our textbook  

Citations Information: Photos: Cropsky, Seth. "Mahan's Naval Strategy: China Learned It. Will America Forget It?" World Affairs Journal. American Peace Society, 1 Apr. 2012. Web. "Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power upon History: Securing International Markets in the 1890s - 1866–1898 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." Office of the Historian. Office of the Historian. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. "The Geopolitical Vision of Alfred Thayer Mahan." The Diplomat. The Diplomat. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. Photos: http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-150521/Alfred-Thayer-Mahan https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_large_blank_world_map_with_ocea ns_marked_in_blue.svg http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/the-geopolitical-vision-of-alfred-thayer- mahan/