He graduated from the United States Naval Academy on 1859 and joined the army for life. He started as a lecturer in history and strategy at Newport Naval Academy. 1886 to 1889 and 1892 to 1893 served as the principal of the school twice.
1898, served as commander of the Spanish-American War; 1899, he represented the United States at the Hague disarmament conference, but resolutely opposed disarmament; From 1902 to 1903, he was promoted to the president of the American Historical Society. Dedicated to the establishment of American sea power all his life.
Extended data
Mahan believes that sea power is the most important thing for a country's strength. The main routes of the ocean can bring a lot of commercial benefits, so there must be a strong fleet to ensure the sea power and enough merchant ships and ports to take advantage of this benefit. Mahan also emphasized the value of marine military security, arguing that the ocean can protect the country from fighting at home, and the influence of sea power on war is greater than that of the army.
He advocated that the United States should establish a powerful ocean fleet to control the Caribbean Sea and the waters near the Isthmus of Central America, and then control other oceans, so as to further utilize the maritime interests of Southeast Asia and China together with the great powers.
Mahan's sea power theory has a great influence on the policies of governments in the future. American President theodore roosevelt's "big stick policy" to control Central America is based on Mahan's theory. Until the end of the cold war, the deployment of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region was based on Mahan theory.
Baidu encyclopedia-sea power theory
Baidu Encyclopedia-Alfred Thiel Mahan