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'''Alfred Thayer Mahan''' (1840 - 1914), an American sailor and writer, was the leading [[Military history|military historian]] in the world in the era before World War I.  His concept of "sea power" had an enormous influence in shaping the strategic thought of naval officials across the world, especially in the United States, Germany, Japan and Britain. His ideas still permeate the U.S. Navy.  

'''Alfred Thayer Mahan''' (1840 - 1914), an American sailor and writer, was the leading [[Military history|military historian]] in the world in the era before World War I.  His concept of "sea power" had an enormous influence in shaping the strategic thought of naval officials across the world, especially in the [[American naval history|American navy]], Germany, Japan and Britain. His ideas still permeate the [[United States Navy]].  

==Career==

==Career==

Mahan was born in West Point, New York; his father, [[Denis Mahan]] was an influential professor of military tactics at West Point, where he taught many of the generals who commanded in the [[American Civil War]]. After attending Columbia College in New York, the son entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1859, second in a class of twenty. His career as a line officer on blockade duty during the Civil War was uneventful. Mahan was considered below par for seamanship; he became commander in 1872 and captain in 1885, and with that rank retired in 1896 after forty years of service. A decade later he was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list, but signed his many books and articles, "Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan."  By the 1890s he had achieved international acclaim, particularly in Britain, where he had been given honorary degrees by Oxford and Cambridge. American recognition followed, with honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth. He was called from retirement to serve as a member of the Naval War Board for the [[Spanish-American War]], as a delegate to the first [[Peace Conference]] at The Hague, as an occasional lecturer at the Naval War College, and as witness before several congressional committees.  He was well known in military and naval circles, and was a friend and advisor of fellow naval historian President [[Theodore Roosevelt]].

Mahan was born in West Point, New York; his father, [[Denis Mahan]] was an influential professor of military tactics at West Point, where he taught many of the generals who commanded in the [[American Civil War]]. After attending Columbia College in New York, the son entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1859, second in a class of twenty. His career as a line officer on blockade duty during the Civil War was uneventful. Mahan was considered below par for seamanship; he became commander in 1872 and captain in 1885, and with that rank retired in 1896 after forty years of service. A decade later he was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list, but signed his many books and articles, "Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan."  By the 1890s he had achieved international acclaim, particularly in Britain, where he had been given honorary degrees by Oxford and Cambridge. American recognition followed, with honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth. He was called from retirement to serve as a member of the Naval War Board for the [[Spanish-American War]], as a delegate to the first [[Peace Conference]] at The Hague, as an occasional lecturer at the Naval War College, and as witness before several congressional committees.  He was well known in military and naval circles, and was a friend and advisor of fellow naval historian President [[Theodore Roosevelt]].

==see also==

==see also==

* [[Naval warfare]]

* [[Naval warfare]]

* [[Military history]]

* [[Military history]]

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

* Bowling, Roland Alfred.  "The Negative Influence of Mahan on the Protection of Shipping in Wartime: The Convoy Controversy in the Twentieth Century."  PhD dissertation U. of Maine 1980. 689 pp.  DAI 1980 41(5): 2241-A. 8024828  Fulltext: [[ProQuest Dissertations & Theses]]

* Bowling, Roland Alfred.  "The Negative Influence of Mahan on the Protection of Shipping in Wartime: The Convoy Controversy in the Twentieth Century."  PhD dissertation U. of Maine 1980. 689 pp.  DAI 1980 41(5): 2241-A. 8024828  Fulltext: [[ProQuest Dissertations & Theses]]

* Hattendorf, John B., ed.  ''The Influence of History on Mahan.'' Naval War College Press, 1991. 208 pp.   

* Hattendorf, John B., ed.  ''The Influence of History on Mahan.'' Naval War College Press, 1991. 208 pp.   

* Turk, Richard W. ''The Ambiguous Relationship: Theodore Roosevelt and Alfred Thayer Mahan'' (1987) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15126676 online edition]  

* Turk, Richard W. ''The Ambiguous Relationship: Theodore Roosevelt and Alfred Thayer Mahan'' (1987) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15126676 online edition]  

* Zimmermann, Warren.  ''First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power.'' (2002). 562 pp., chapter on Mahan

* Zimmermann, Warren.  ''First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power.'' (2002). 562 pp., chapter on Mahan

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[[Category:Military History]]

[[Category:Military History]]

[[Category:United States Navy]]

[[Category:United States Navy]]

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