1. Rising Navies and New World Order
Victoria Daigle
Faculty Sponsor: Marc Hutchison
May 2011

2. China’s Political Rise
China has established itself as a regional hegemon, creating a power-projecting navy.
In April 2011, Chinese news sources announced the creation of an aircraft carrier.
Sources propose the ship will be ready to set sail later this year.

3. Does the U.S. need to fear China’s developing naval program?
Varyag, China’s aircraft carrier
Varyag China’s Aircraft Carrier
Does the U.S. need to fear China’s developing naval program?

4. Power Cycle of Maritime Supremacy
Power Cycle Theory contends that power transitions within the International community are inevitable.
States follow a course of ascension of power, maturity and dissension of power.
Agenda Setting/
Delegitimation
Coalition Building/ Deconcentration
Macrodecision/
Global War
Execution/
World Power
(Portugal)
(Netherlands)
(Britain)
(Britain II)
(United States)

5. Action Between Ships in the First Dutch War, 1652-1654
Anglo-Dutch Rivalry The Anglo-Dutch Wars and British Maritime Supremacy
Action Between Ships in the First Dutch War,
Abraham Willaerts
Action Between Ships in the First Dutch War,
Abraham Willaerts

6. Britain’s rise to Maritime Supremacy
Agenda Setting: Britain claimed division of trade with the United Provinces as motive for naval build up.
Coalition Building: Britain had formed alliances against the Dutch monopoly on trade.
Global War: The Anglo-Dutch Wars and its unsolved conflicts brought both states into debt.
World Power: Britain experienced trade increases and by 1715, Britain had surpassed the United Provinces, achieving maritime supremacy.

7. Anglo-German Naval Arms Race and Britain’s hold on Supremacy
British Dreadnought

8. Anglo-German Rivalry
Agenda Setting: German industrialization also led to naval developments.
Coalition Building: Germany completed a detailed naval program that would increase its presence in the international community.
Global War: British increased naval production, threatening Germany’s strategies. Britain calls for a naval holiday, however Germany does not concede.
World Power: Political constraints and the outbreak of World War I prevented Germany from becoming a sea power.

9. U.S. Japan Rivalry and U.S. Maritime Supremacy
Bombing at Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941

10. U.S. Rise to Maritime Supremacy
Agenda Setting: Post WWI the U.S. retained its position as a world power.
Coalition Building: The Washington Treaty and the successive London Naval Treaty created arms limitations, keeping other naval programs below parity with the U.S. and Great Britain.
Global War: The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 broke the tension between the United States and Japan into physical conflict.
World Power: At the close of WWII, the U.S. achieved maritime supremacy.

11. Conclusion
Historical case studies show finite periods of maritime supremacy.
China’s developing naval program should not cause concern for the U.S.
As part of the power cycle, the U.S. must inevitably begin its descent from maritime supremacy, just as other powers have done.