THE TECHNOLOGY, DOCTRINE, AND POLITICS OF U.S. COAST DEFENSES, 1880-1945: A CASE STUDY IN U.S. DEFENSE PLANNING (ARTILLERY, WEAPONS PROCUREMENT, ARMY, ARCHITECTURE, UNITED STATES)

During the period of "modern" coast defenses, analysts generally considered them an important component of the defenses of the United States. Nonetheless, there was often no consensus between the defense theorists, the politicians, and the military professionals concerning how or where the fortifications should be built or how effective they might prove in the event of war. Many of the reasons for a lack of consensus on coast defenses have analogues in debates on defense matters in the last quarter of the twentieth century.The study concludes that military professionals of the Army and the Navy tended to follow parochial service interests in recommending how the coasts should be defended. Congressmen usually made decisions on coast defenses based on the perceived benefits of proposed legislation to their constituents, rather than the national need for coastal defense. In no case in peace-time was there a rational and coherent analysis of potential threats to the coasts and the technology available for defense coupled with appropriations adequate to carry out the recommended courses of action.As new technology became available for coast defense, the nation never conducted a reappraisal of the need for an integrated force of diverse weapons to perform the mission. Fortifications were retained long beyond obsolescence, and the new weapons were never properly integrated into their potential roles.In the late twentieth century, politicians and military professionals often act in ways analogous to their roles concerning coast defenses. Unfortunately for the nation, the outcome is often similar--wasted resources and inefficient, inappropriate forces and weapons.The study examined the technology of fortifications and armaments available for coast defense in the United States and Europe during each period of change between 1880 and 1945, and analyzed the internal and external political developments which influenced legislation on coast defenses in the United States. Primary sources included congressional and military archival files, popular and service publications, and technical papers concerning weapons. With respect to defense planning after 1970, primary sources were reports of defense-related commissions, investigations, and hearings. Secondary sources included books, articles, and monographs on defense matters since 1880.