The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812

Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812 argues that control of the seas was crucial to the outcome of this period. Mahan, an American naval officer and historian, emphasized the interdependence of military and commercial control of sea routes. He contended that the nation that controlled sea commerce could determine the results of wars. This work, published in 1892, influenced naval buildup in Great Britain and Germany prior to World War I. The French navy, weakened by emigration and indiscipline, struggled against the British navy, which maintained command of the seas through strategic blockades and construction programs. Britain's naval supremacy, exemplified by the Battle of Trafalgar, was instrumental in its stand against Napoleon.12345