Alfred Thayer Mahan

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783) Alfred Thayer Mahan

Consider by scholars as the single most influential book in naval strategy, Alfred Thayer Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: 1660-1783," is a history of naval warfare and sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that would have a profound influence on the world in the early part of the twentieth century. After the publication of this work the policies outlined in it would soon be adopted by the major military powers of the time ultimately causing the World War I naval arms race. Mahan published "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: 1660-1783" while he was President of the US Naval War College. In it he examines what factors lead to supremacy of the seas, focusing heavily on how Britain rose to Imperial dominance through the development of its navy. The book contains numerous descriptions of a series of European and American wars and how naval power was used in each. After the publication of this work the policies outlined in it would soon be adopted by the major military powers of the time ultimately causing the naval arms race of World War I.