The Influence of Sea Power upon History

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History is a history of naval warfare by United States naval officer and historian Alfred Thayer Mahan. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discussed the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. It is considered the single most influential book in naval strategy and its policies were quickly adopted by most major navies, ultimately leading to the World War I naval arms race. Mahan began the book with an examination of what factors led to supremacy of the seas, especially how Great Britain was able to rise to its near dominance. He identified such features as geography, population, and government, and expanded the definition of sea power as comprising a strong navy and commercial fleet. Mahan also promoted the belief that any army would succumb to a strong naval blockade. The book then goes on to describe a series of European and American wars and how naval power was used in each.