The use of Naval Power and Empire
Ok, this is going to be long, As with everything on this blog, it is my opinion, and my slant on history and how I as an individual see the world both now and in the past. Note I am not taking away from the sacrifice of those men and women who choose to serve in the worlds navies or their dedication and professionalism. Now I have that out of the way lets start.
When one talks of naval power, its is intrinsically linked with trade. More specifically sea trade. There has never been a successful nation on earth that has not had sea trade at its foundations. More specifically that trade by sea is the most efficient way of traveling vast distances. Naval power or militarized naval power is something of a necessity, to protect your wealth and the wealth of your trading nations. Pirates and other more aggressive nations will use force to break any type of sea trade.
The above is a simplification of what really happens of course, some nations set out militarily but end up generating wealth by trade. The role of politics in these events is the topic of another long post in the future. You have been warned.
Firstly lets look at some history. In ancient times naval power was simply an extension of any land based army. Greece rose to prominence buy building a navy and it wasn't long after that that she had an entire trading empire. Her ability to project military strength over vast distances had city states clamoring to join up and have the protection. Trade is what made the Greeks wealthy, and democracy is their gift from the past.
No talk about history and naval power would be complete without talking about the Royal Navy, for nearly 400 years the most powerful naval force in the world. Britain had a empire that spanned the globe. Every where the east India trading company went so went the British navy. Her role to suppress and protect British trade interests around the globe. By the time of the First world War she was massive her ability to go to sea unequaled. But in her finest hour she was also in decline. The world was changing and so was naval power.
For centuries the ships of the line the great battleships of the Napoleonic wars, the Dreadnaughts, the Fast Battle Cruisers were the most powerful weapon in the world. They were so costly it could send a country broke just to build one. Then after pearl harbor everything changed. The Japanese had proven that air power was something to be reckoned with. At midway the first major engagement both sides mauled each other but it was an emphatic win to the USA. Japan would never recover.
So how is naval power used, to ensure free trade. Today the world is crossed by mighty carrier task forces of the united states. They are able to deter pirates and show rouge states that their actions will not go unchecked. However I think that the classic use of naval power came about in the Cuban crisis. the USSR was sending Nuke weapons to Cuba, and the USA was having none of it. The Navy was ordered to blockade Cuba, and it worked, not a shot was fired but the naval threat turned around the nukes and the Russians went home.
The USA wasn't the first to do it, not by a long shot, but it proves emphatically that naval power can influence the outcome of political events, and bring bad situations to an end. The USA has used its naval power many times since the end of the second world war, a couple of times in support of Israel and also used its aircraft to fly into places like Libya.
We in the west have come to be the most dominant societies on earth because of the trade that happens under the protection of such naval assets. With China rising in prominence we will see a shift again as the USA and her allies move to check any kind of naval threat from China. Though none exists now that may not always be the case.
The threat of military force, and the ability to project that keeps free trade in check. It stops aggressive nations from following through on threats and keeps peaceful nations secure. More recently Naval assets have been deployed against piracy around the gulf states, carriers with their extreme reach able to patrol major sea lanes for extended periods, with the help of its own task force.
Naval power will continue to be the ultimate extension of the power of state, it is a versatile enforcer or peace keeper, with the ability to cut off supplies or suppress acts of piracy. Whoever rules the waves ultimately rules global trade.
When one talks of naval power, its is intrinsically linked with trade. More specifically sea trade. There has never been a successful nation on earth that has not had sea trade at its foundations. More specifically that trade by sea is the most efficient way of traveling vast distances. Naval power or militarized naval power is something of a necessity, to protect your wealth and the wealth of your trading nations. Pirates and other more aggressive nations will use force to break any type of sea trade.
The above is a simplification of what really happens of course, some nations set out militarily but end up generating wealth by trade. The role of politics in these events is the topic of another long post in the future. You have been warned.
Firstly lets look at some history. In ancient times naval power was simply an extension of any land based army. Greece rose to prominence buy building a navy and it wasn't long after that that she had an entire trading empire. Her ability to project military strength over vast distances had city states clamoring to join up and have the protection. Trade is what made the Greeks wealthy, and democracy is their gift from the past.
No talk about history and naval power would be complete without talking about the Royal Navy, for nearly 400 years the most powerful naval force in the world. Britain had a empire that spanned the globe. Every where the east India trading company went so went the British navy. Her role to suppress and protect British trade interests around the globe. By the time of the First world War she was massive her ability to go to sea unequaled. But in her finest hour she was also in decline. The world was changing and so was naval power.
For centuries the ships of the line the great battleships of the Napoleonic wars, the Dreadnaughts, the Fast Battle Cruisers were the most powerful weapon in the world. They were so costly it could send a country broke just to build one. Then after pearl harbor everything changed. The Japanese had proven that air power was something to be reckoned with. At midway the first major engagement both sides mauled each other but it was an emphatic win to the USA. Japan would never recover.
So how is naval power used, to ensure free trade. Today the world is crossed by mighty carrier task forces of the united states. They are able to deter pirates and show rouge states that their actions will not go unchecked. However I think that the classic use of naval power came about in the Cuban crisis. the USSR was sending Nuke weapons to Cuba, and the USA was having none of it. The Navy was ordered to blockade Cuba, and it worked, not a shot was fired but the naval threat turned around the nukes and the Russians went home.
The USA wasn't the first to do it, not by a long shot, but it proves emphatically that naval power can influence the outcome of political events, and bring bad situations to an end. The USA has used its naval power many times since the end of the second world war, a couple of times in support of Israel and also used its aircraft to fly into places like Libya.
We in the west have come to be the most dominant societies on earth because of the trade that happens under the protection of such naval assets. With China rising in prominence we will see a shift again as the USA and her allies move to check any kind of naval threat from China. Though none exists now that may not always be the case.
The threat of military force, and the ability to project that keeps free trade in check. It stops aggressive nations from following through on threats and keeps peaceful nations secure. More recently Naval assets have been deployed against piracy around the gulf states, carriers with their extreme reach able to patrol major sea lanes for extended periods, with the help of its own task force.
Naval power will continue to be the ultimate extension of the power of state, it is a versatile enforcer or peace keeper, with the ability to cut off supplies or suppress acts of piracy. Whoever rules the waves ultimately rules global trade.
There's a mouthful here...what about air power?
ReplyDeleteObviously carriers are a part of that equation...you can't have carriers without escorts...etc.
Hmmm
The extent that naval power is still needed is by extension the aircraft carrier. The aircraft still need a place to land and take off often hundreds of miles from any static base. Being mobile they are a hard target to take out of the equation ensuring air power can be used.
DeleteNaval air power is an extension of naval power and its influence.
Escorts provide essential services to the carriers and act as a picket against inbound attacks taking the hit themselves to keep the carrier in the fight if that is what is needed.
A navy is complex and therefore its roll is complex, I tried as much to simplify things rather than end up with a term paper.
Nice to see u back