Page 20 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

SEA POWE R AN D NATI O NAL SECURITY 25

most famous statement is that "war is not merci), il political act,
but also a real political instrument, a continuation of policy car-
ried out by other means." He continually asserted that military and
political strategy Illllst go hand in hand.
Clausewitz recognized the concept of "limited aims for limited
warfare:' with the purpose of wearing down an opponent. In other
words, he saw beyond the battlefield toward the enforcement of
policy over all enemy. A later strategist, Hans DelbrUck, a German,
further clarified Clausewitz's meaning. He showed that Clausewitz
had defined two methods of conducting war: annihilation of the
enemy in decisive battle, and limited warfare or strategy of exhaus-
tion. In the latter concept, the commander could move between
battle and maneuver. The politicll object of war could be obtained
by Illeans other than aU-out battle, such as by occupying territor)'.
blockade, or destroying crops and COlllmerce.
In the mid-nineteenth century. technology and social re\'o-
lution made their imprint on strategic thinking. The Industrial
Revolution resulted in an e\'cr-increasing list of innovations that
would facilitate wart:lI'e on i.l glob;:ll scale: propulsion s),stems, com-
munications, and means to project power o\'erseas. Educational
s)lstems were developed to train professional officer corps, and
the social concepts of the day were used to shape the attitudes and
nptitudes of people. Foremost of the philosophers of the time who
added a whole new dimension to modern strategy was Karl J\·larx,
the writer of Das Knpitnl. the basis of modern comlllunism.

Schools of Strategy

There are three traditional schools of strategic thought: maritime, Acclaimed as the greatest American naval strategist, Alfred Thayer
Mahan published his famous text on naval history and strategy in
continental, and aerospace. These theories will be briefly sum-
1890. It revolutionized naval thought, and had a profound influence
marized below from the strategic standpoint. AU have their mer- on the theory of warfare and on the development of naval policy and
its, depending upon the nations that have embraced them, and all strategy in the United States and abroad.
have had some details of their original theses altered to reflect cur-
rent circumstances.
malld of the seas could best acquire the trade, wealth, and resources
of the world and be more likely to win future wars. He applied
The Maritime School
Frederick the Great's concept of interior lines of communication to
In the late ninetL'enth cenhlry, the great American naval strate- naval stmtegy, arguing that central position in the world's se<Js was
gist Alfred Thayer Mahan, then president of the Naval IVar College even more important than cenlml continentlll position. He \'iewed
in Newport, Rhode Island, de\'eloped a str<ltegic theory that would concentration of naval forces and command of the sea approaches
revolutionize na\'al strategic thought. In 1890, atter extensive shldies as fundamental to the United States' attainment of insular safety,
of the strategies of Napoleon, Jomini, Clauscwitz. and the English natiollal greatness, and prosperity.
admiral Lord Nelson, he published a brilliant text on naval history President Theodore Roosevelt and the U.S. No,1' quickl)'
and strategy, The il/jllIel/ce of Sen POlI'er IIpOI/ Histor)', 1660--1783. adopted Mahan's thear)' of naval strategy and the usc of the Navy as
This book, and subsequent writings by Mahan, had a profound an instrumcnt of national power. \,"hen the United States acquired
influence on the theory of wart~lfe and on naval policy and strategy overseas possessions as the result of the Spanish-Amcricm \Var
in the United States and abroad from that time forward. in 1898, our strategic position was dramatically changed, and the
Mahan advocated a large navy. overseas bases, and national nation emerged as a world power. This would pernwnently alter
greatness through sea power. He emphasized the significance of the stmtegic balance of power ilillong the nations of the world.
commerce in w<Jr, and of economic wi.lrfare through the ilpplication The geography of the Eilrth hilS not changed since J\·lahan's
of sea power. He was convinced that a coalition of nations in COI11 - writing, though politics and weilpons have. There is 110 question