Navy essays

Navy essays During the Civil War the size of the United States Navy jumped from about twenty to thirty ships to a few hundred. This massive increase in size signified the height of U.S. Naval power, but to many peoples dismay, after the Civil War the government began to disband the ships. Later only a few ships were still armed and fit for battle because of lack of definite interest in a strong navy. Moreover the Naval Department was hurt by political corruption. The Grant era following the Civil War was notorious for its corruption and it helped bring a tainted image to the navy. Ensuing were long political battles over funding situations and the status of the navy, and influential officers were dragged into petty arguments over a struggle for power. This was a grave time for the U.S. Navy and as the U. S. Naval presence declined, the waters began to fill with flags of the enemy, and this in turn left a question of the future of the United States role in the seas. This also gave Alfred Thayer M ahan a great opportunity to present his concepts of a modern navy and the navys importance in the world politics and commerce. Many people believe Mahan wrote his books primarily to preserve open lanes for trading commerce, and to make the seas safe for conducting business. Although this may have been one of his motives, Mahans motives were part of a much broader movement and universal. Mahan sought to promote American interest in an idea that his era is known for: Expansionism. Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote the book The Influence of Sea Power in 1890, which conveyed his thesis for the importance of the navy: Sea power in the most useful and powerful instrument in the establishment and dominance of nations. The ideas of manifest destiny and insular imperialism in the late 19th century were based solely in the nations sea power. No country could ever become an influential actor in world affairs without a strong sea base. The boo...