Mahan Sea Power

MALAYSIAN ARMED FORCES STAFF COLLEGE
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DEFENCE STUDIES
TUTORIAL GROUP 4
STRATEGIC STUDIES AND SECURITY AFFAIRS IN ASIA REGION, TOPIC 5
IS ALFRED THAYER MAHAN’S
GEOPOLITICAL THINKING STILL
RELEVANT TODAY
MEJ AHMAD FAROUQ BIN AMIR (8233033)
MEJ GEORGE TAN HONG SHEN (8233062)

AIM
To evaluate the relevancy of Mahan’s geopolitical
thinking in 21st century through
global trade and naval power
and a comparison using DIME analysis tool
2

SCOPE
• Introduction
• Mahan’s Geopolitical Tenets
• Global Trade Form
• Naval Power Comparison
• DIME Analysis
• Mahan’s Weaknesses
• Conclusion
3

INTRODUCTION
4
Who
 Classical Geopolitical Thinkers:
• Alfred Thayer Mahan, Halford Mackinder, Nicholas J Spykman
What  Sea power
Why  Grand strategy – military strategy elements – sea power
When  Late 19th century
Where
 US – applied by German during WW2.
 21st century?
How  DIME analysis

INTRODUCTION
5
“Control of the sea by maritime commerce
and naval supremacy means predominant
influence in the world … (and) is
the chief among the merely material
elements in the power and prosperity
of nations”
Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1890
Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan
(1840 – 1914)
Naval Strategist & Geopolitics
Source:
https://www.fpri.org/article
/2016/08/influence-
thinkers-ideas-history-
case-alfred-thayer-
mahan/
“he that commands the sea, commands the
trade, and he that is lord of the trade of the
world is lord of the wealth of the world.”
H. M.’s Servant Sir Walter Raleigh, 1829

MAHAN’S GEOPOLITICAL TENETS
6
Success
of a
Nation
Production Shipping Colonies
 Having resources &
process into products
 Ports to trade effectively
 Means to transport/trade
 Quickest & cheapest way
 Control of routes – control
economy
 Provide options for trade &
resources
 More ports to resupply
 Need strong navy to protect –
SEA POWER

MAHAN’S GEOPOLITICAL TENETS
7
Elements
of
Sea Power
Political
Structure
Geographical
Position
Physical
Conformation
Extent of
Territory
Population
Size
National
Character
 Government shape
its nation – policy
for sea power
 Responsible for
national character
o Disposition of naval forces
o Provide strategic position to
attack / defend trade routes
 Aptitude for
commercial pursuits
 Support
government policy –
sea power
> Natural resources &
climate
> Contour of coast,
number & quality of
harbours determine
ease of sea access
 Those who followed
callings to the sea –
with potential to join
navy
 The need for
‘coaling stations’ to
resupply
 Larger territory –
further journey &
more trade options

GLOBAL TRADE FORM
8
Source: IHS Global Insight, Inc., World Trade Service. Does not include intra-EU trade.
https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter7/transborder-crossborder-
transportation/world-trade-modal-share/
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=International_trade_in_goods_by_mode_of_transport
Source: https://hbs.unctad.org/maritime-transport/

NAVAL POWER COMPARISON
9
Source: https://www.wdmmw.org/ranking.php
Source: https://ceoworld.biz/2022/03/31/economy-rankings-largest-countries-by-gdp-2022/
“Control of the sea by maritime commerce and naval
supremacy means predominant influence in the world”
Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1890

NAVAL POWER COMPARISON
10
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/02/26/10-maps-that-explain-russias-strategy/?sh=649eb94c23ec
• Russian European Peninsula is surrounded by
 The Baltic and North Seas
 The Atlantic Ocean
 The Mediterranean and Black Seas.
• 3 potential points to access global maritime
trade.
 through the Black Sea and the Bosporus,
a narrow waterway controlled by Turkey
that can easily be closed to Russia.
 from St. Petersburg, where ships can sail
through Danish waters, but this
passageway can also be easily blocked.
 Arctic Ocean route, starting from
Murmansk and then extending through the
gaps between Greenland, Iceland, and the
United Kingdom.

DIME ANALYSIS
11
VIETNAM LAOS
DIPLOMATIC
Socialist, Communist State
International relations with ASEAN, China and US
INFORMATIONAL
• Natural resources – earth
minerals
• Population concentrate on
coastline and Mekong River
• Natural resources – Timber
• Population concentrate on
Mekong River
MILITARY
• 470,000 troops (40,000 Navy)
• Defence budget – 2.3% GDP
(2017)
• 30,000 troops (NIL Navy)
• Defence budget – 0.2% GDP
(2017)
ECONOMIC
• GDP – USD 415.5 billion
• Rank 36 globally
• International trade - US, Japan
and South Korea
• Rank 115 globally
• International trade – limited to
Thailand, China, Vietnam
Mahan tenets:
Production
Colonies
Shipping
Source: https://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/vietnam.laos

DIME ANALYSIS
12
Source: https://hbs.unctad.org/gross-domestic-product/
• Switzerland also landlocked
• Maintains good diplomatic
relations with neighbour
country (Germany, Austria,
Italy, France)
ELEMENTS OF SEA POWER
o Geographical Position
o Physical Conformation
o Extent of Territory
o Population Size
o National Character
o Political Structure

MAHAN’S WEAKNESSES
13
Weakness
of Mahan’s
Theory
Power projection was ignored
– reliance on land
Did not anticipate the
power of submarine
 Flexibility in alliance and basing, sea
powers suffer from credibility gap that
weakens their staying power in faraway
lands
 Missed out technology advances
in 20th century

RECAP - MAHAN THEORY
14
Success of a
Nation
Production
Shipping
Colonies
Elements of
Sea Power
Political
Structure
Geographical
Position
Physical
Conformation
Extent of
Territory
Population
Size
National
Character
• Alfred Thayer Mahan, published The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783 in 1890.
• Mahan’s writings and lectures greatly influenced Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and other world
leaders, including German Emperor Wilhelm II, shaping global policy based on sea power at the beginning of
the 20th century.

CONCLUSION
15
Alfred Thayer Mahan’s geopolitical thinking is still relevant today
However, in 21st century context,
sea is not the only modes of transport.
Land and air modes of transport are improving,
in terms of technology and accessibility,
could one day overwhelm the importance of sea/maritime.

REFERENCES
1. A. Dimitropoulou. (2022, March 31). Economy Rankings: Largest countries by GDP, 2022. CEOWORLD
Magazine. https://ceoworld.biz/2022/03/31/economy-rankings-largest-countries-by-gdp-2022/
2. G. Friedman. (2016, February 26). 10 Maps That Explain Russia’s Strategy. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/02/26/10-maps-that-explain-russias-strategy/?sh=649eb94c23ec
3. Global Naval Powers Ranking (2023). (n.d.). Retrieved 18 February 2023, from
https://www.wdmmw.org/ranking.php
4. Iliopoulos, I. (2009). Strategy and Geopolitics of Sea Power throughout History. International trade in goods
by mode of transport - Statistics Explained. (n.d.). Retrieved 18 February 2023, from
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=International_trade_in_goods_by_mode_of_transport
5. J.P Rodrigue. (2020). Modal Shares of World Trade by Volume and Value, 2008 | The Geography of
Transport Systems. Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429346323
16

REFERENCES
6. Parker, R. D. (2003). 3. ADA526258. Mahan for the Twenty First Century: His Principles Still Apply to
National Power. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA526258.pdf
7. Sumida, J. (1999). Alfred Thayer Mahan, geopolitician. Journal of Strategic Studies, 22(2–3), 39–62.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01402399908437753
8. Vietnam vs. Laos - Country Comparison. (n.d.). Retrieved 18 February 2023, from
https://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/vietnam.laos
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BACKDROP
THANK YOU
18

Mahan Sea Power

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