Mahan Sea Power Analysis

Mahan’s ideas on sea power are said in the reading to be revolutionary for his time. In 1865, the United States Navy went from being the world’s strongest sea power to the one the weakest. Many ships were sold off and funding for the Navy was cut drastically. This drought lasted for twenty years.
Mahan said the nation that controls the seas is the nation that controls communication. Because of this, Mahan says that a strong sea force is one that controls strategic points to in order to control the interior line. These places include where the Panama and Suez Canals are today. On top of that, he adds that military posts and bases should be placed throughout the world to extend the range of the fleet. These posts should have coal so the fleet can resupply and continue its journey. Mahan also emphasizes the importance of offensive power and technology. He says that the time of commerce raiding has surpassed, and the …show more content…
The nation is conveniently separated from continental Europe, and because of that, it is protected and it has greater access to the high seas. All throughout history, the nation has taken advantage of its location to expand its empire. The location of United States military bases today ensure that we are able to respond to crisis quickly and efficiently. It also ensures that we have a presence around the world which in turn spreads our influence.
Mahan’s final point was the importance of technology. The United States makes great use of technology today. We live in a world where new ideas and innovations are constantly made. Having access to these technologies makes our naval forces more powerful and efficient. We have more aircraft carriers than any other nation in the world, and because of that we have access to all waters. The aircraft carrier serves as our Navy’s primary means of power projection and its development changed the landscape of naval