‘War, once declared, must be waged offensively, aggressively. The enemy must not be fended off, but smitten down. You may then spare him every exaction, relinquish every gain; but till down he must be struck incessantly and remorselessly.’
The Interest of America in Sea Power, Present and Future is an examination of the enduring link between naval power and national prosperity, and how this link should shape the policies and strategies of the United States. In this book, Mahan examines the domestic industrial and economic conditions of the United States alongside the changing global geopolitical landscape. Mahan believes that the growing industrial and economic might of the United States can no longer be contained within its borders and that it needs to expand its naval influence in order to secure its commercial and international interests. As one of the most influential naval strategists of his time, Mahan greatly influenced the United States’ maritime policies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the ideas expounded in this book are still relevant to this day.
Alfred Thayer Mahan was an American naval officer, historian, and one of the most influential naval strategists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.