Geopolitics of American Sea Power in the 20th and 21st Century

Suppose a nation wishes to be taken seriously in international politics and project its influence and power globally.

If that is the case, it will require a powerful navy to meet the needs and requirements of its strategic goals, the long-term goals of policymakers, and the perceived national interests.

To make the correct choices, it’s first necessary to understand what a Navy is for and what it can do regarding geopolitics.

A Navy can control important international trade points and leverage its naval power against other nations (Think of the Brits in the 18th Century).

The Navy, particularly the British Navy of the 19th century and the American one of the 20th to the present day, policed the global oceans, thereby facilitating the viability of globalisation and prosperity.

Previously, if a nation could not access coal and steel, it would not be able to industrialise.

In previous centuries, governments operated on principles of imperialism and Mercantilism, a form of economic nationalism that sought to increase a nation’s prosperity and power through restrictive trade practices.

Its goal was to increase the supply of a state’s gold and silver with exports rather than to deplete it through imports. It also sought to support domestic employment.

The imperialist economic system meant that nations like Britain or France would…