The Naval Strategy of Alfred Thayer Mahan

Why is Mahan's naval strategy so associated with battleship duels? This video aims to provide an overview of the strategic thought of Alfred Thayer Mahan, a late-19thC American naval strategist most famous for his advocacy of a big fleet and the idea of 'decisive battle'. This video shows that these 2 elements form only a part of Mahan's thinking, with the key element being the use of 'sea control' to strangle an enemy's economic power. This allows us to assess Mahanian thinking beyond the WWI and WWII-era battleship era.

SCRIPT: https://strategosstuff.blogspot.com/2...

All errors are my own.

▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Start
1:09 - Alfred Thayer Mahan
2:54 - The Grand Strategy: Sea-Based Trade
7:07 - The Strategic Level: Sea Control
10:31 - The Operational Level: Decisive Battle
18:31 - The Policy Level: Elements of Sea Power
23:14 - Corbett's Response: Mahanian Theory & Its Critics
27:26 - Conclusion

▬ SOURCES ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Mahan A. The Influence of Sea Power Upon History. Dover Publications 1987.
Mahan A. Mahan on Naval Warfare. Dover Publications 2011.
Mahan A. The Interest of America in Sea Power. Waldo Specthrie Press 2014.

Holmes J. 'Air Power Meets Alfred Thayer Mahan'. The Diplomat 05/08/2012.
Paret P; Craig G et al. Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Modern Age. Princeton University Press 1986.
US Government. Guide to the Career and Work of Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan. Progressive Management 2016.

Symonds C. The US Navy. Oxford University Press 2015.
Higham R; Harris S (eds). Why Air Forces Fail. The University Press of Kentucky 2006.

Corbett's Theory
   • Sir Julian Corbett, Limited War, and ...  

▬ ATTRIBUTIONS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Wikipedia (Basic facts)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_... (BTU/Ton-mile comparison)
https://www.maritimeuk.org/value/ (UK Maritime Economy)
Faulkner M. War at Sea: A Naval Atlas 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press 2012. pp.32-33 (U-Boat Warfare)

Made using Powerpoint 2013, Audacity and Adobe Premiere Pro.