The Emergence Of American Modern Sea Power (1918-1941)

The United States was emerging as a world power at the turn of 19th century and 20th century, as that time, the sea power of the U. S. was developing quickly. In this dissertation, the development of American sea power was studied in terms of thoughts, systems and power. The three-dimensional looks at the American sea power was evolved not only in time but logically .The thoughts about developing navy lay a foundation in concept and ideology , while the systems put the concepts and ideas to the political policy and practices, As a result, Power was an end of Navy's development. The dissertation is divided into four chapters:The first chapter analyzed the motives for the development of the United States Navy. In the end of 19th century, with the deep development of the Industrial Revolution, the world was benefited from the power of the industrial revolution and also trapped by the maelstrom of arms race led by technological innovations. In the end of 19th century, U.S. had expanded in the mainland, while the western frontier was "off" .That showed U.S. needed a new frontier to be expanded . The rapidly building of German navy and the rigid competitions among European powers in the Middle East and Central Asia attracted the United Kingdom's attentions from other region. In order to resist German navy, Britain had to work together with Japan in the Far East and Japan, and support U.S. in America land. The changes of international situation gave the best opportunity to American navy to develop. Since 1880s, American academe started to pay attention to navy and advocate the development of the Navy. The navalism historians re-interpreted the war of 1812 in a new perspective. They insisted the failure of the second war between U.S. and Britain in 1812 attributed to the weakness of American Navy. They belittled Army and constructed a great navy's image. Navalism historian's viewpoints were accepted by academic works and textbooks, at the end , some entertainment magazines would like to report the Navy's everyday life. The thoughts about navy in American society shaped public opinion needed by navy's re-building.The second chapter analyzed ideological foundation of the United States Navy's development. If the contributions of American Navy's emergence did not only belong to Mahan and Theodore Roosevelt, both of them could be called as two wheels which promoted American navy. Mahan is the founder in naval strategy who had written many books and papers about navy strategy and sea power. His work"he Influence of Sea Power upon History"had become a classic of the classic. As a scholar and theorist, Mahan had gotten great achievements. He was not only a naval strategist, but also a great historian. Theodore Roosevelt was interested in navy development in all his life. As early as in 1883, he published the "the Naval Action of 1812" which pioneered a newer research on the Navy's actions and the role of navy. The book was used as appointed textbook by naval war college built in 1884. Roosevelt was knowledgeable, and also a pragmatic politician. He had served as assistant secretary of the Navy and the President, which allowed him to put his own theory and insight into political practices. When President Roosevelt leave off his post, American navy became the second naval power after Britain. It can be said that the two persons were founders of U.S. Navy.The third chapter analyzed the innovations of system from command system to personnel training which adapted to the arrival of the industrial age. Along with the establishment of the new U.S. Navy, the Navy carried out fundamental reforms in command system. As Mahan said, the navy's experience from sail to steam was not just a change in technology but also in management systems and ideas. In the command systems, the Navy opened an age of specialization of command. The construction of the ships conformed to the world trends which large-scale battleship had played a leading part. The Naval War College which was the first one in the world had not only educated many excellent sailors and officers, but also nurtured new concepts and new ideas.The forth chapter analyzed the influences of the development of navy in perspective of power. American-Spanish war was considered a turning point in the history of the United States regardless of the economic or the military or diplomatic aspect. That year is a landmark of significance. Looking through that period, we can find a logic: towards the deep ocean, the United States was going to be a global maritime power, Beginning from the war between U.S. and Spain, the United States finally was able to contain the Caribbean, and set a foot to the other side of Pacific and occupied the Philippines, annexed Hawaii which was an important springboard for the United States to get into the Far East and the West Pacific, monopolized the Panama Canal which was a convenient way connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic. At that time, the United States had become truly two-oceanic country. Along with a series of expansion, the United States jumped from a continental country to a global power.The conclusion analyzed the relationship among navy oversea expansion and the rise of power to sum up a conclusion. The rise of a great power is not the result of a single factor. For the United States, the navy - expansion - rise can be composed of a sequence of the development. The navy and oversea expansion, if not a sufficient condition for the rise, it was also a necessary condition.