Mahan and Turner and U.S. Essay

What he postulated was that their greatness came from the control of the sea, especially the vital sea lanes and points, such as coaling stations for the steamship navies of the world. He felt that this had never been fully appreciated before and that it was his job to expound upon it.

His work began in lecture format and later found its way into published book form. This led to his publication of The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783 which became a classic text and basis for American imperialism. This and other succeeding works pounded home the need for a strong battleship navy to control the critical lines of communication for a maritime empire. Unlike many proponents of U.S. overseas involvement, Mahan did not coat his ideas in philosophically pleasing clothing. Very much the Social Darwinist, he had no problems arguing that in a world of struggle for survival between great powers, national power depended upon naval supremacy. Instead he dealt with the naked power realities of the multi-polar world of the time. He advocated overseas colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific linked by a U.S. controlled Panamanian Canal. According to Mahan, strong powers had a special responsibility to dominate weak powers. We had to keep the peace (Nash, Jeffrey, Howe et. al. 638) .

Mahan went further and argued that navies needed strategically located repair and coaling stations for the steamship navies. Those facilities would not be dependable for the U.S. Navy in foreign hands. This approach advocated a rationale for the American acquisition and holding of these facilities. Mahan's theories exerted a great deal of influence upon the great naval arms race of his day. In particular, he was a heavy influence upon President Theodore Roosevelt (Burner, Bernhard and Kutler 661).

Works Cited:

Burner, David; Bernhard, Virginia and Stanley I. Kutler. A History of the United States.

6th Combined Edition. St. James: Brandywine Press, 2000. 661.

Nash, Gary B.; Jeffrey, Julie Roy; Howe, John R. et al. The American People: Creating

a Nation and a Society. 5th Edition. New York: Longman,…