1. Alfred Mahan and the Sea Power Theory
Malakai maher

2. Biography of Alfred Thayer Mahan
Born in 1840, in West Point, New York
Studied at Columbia for two years
Graduated from the Naval Academy in 1859
Served as an officer in the Civil War
Mahan studied 17th - 19th century European naval conflicts
The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

3. Sea Power Theory
Control of the sea is key to a nation’s political, economic, and military interests
Sea power involves:
Naval power
Ocean commerce
Ocean industry
Large population

4. 18th-19th century Great Britain
Overseas Commerce
East India Company dominated trade with India, China, and South-East Asia
Colonial exports accounted for much of Great Britain’s wealth
Navy
The Royal Navy was the most powerful Navy in the world until surpassed by the United States during World War II
Industry
Population boom as a result of the industrial revolution
Ability to build a large fleet

5. Significance
Theodore Roosevelt counted Alfred Thayer Mahan as a close friend and advisor
Kaiser Wilhem II ordered Mahan’s books to be translated and stocked on board his navy’s ships
Read throughout Europe and Japan

6. Sources
mpire_seapower_01.shtml
visionary.htm