Maritime power

A Maritime power is a nation with a very strong navy, which often is also a great power, or at least a regional power. A Maritime power is able to easily control their coast, and exert influence upon both nearby and far countries. A nation that dominates the world navally is known as a maritime superpower.

Maritime power

Emerging

Many countries that become maritime powers, become strong in order to defend themselves from an extant threat, such as the USSR did during the Cold War, in order to defend themselves from the United States Navy. In this scenario, it is common for the emerging maritime power to focus largely upon area denial tactics, rather than power projection.[1]

Possible

Actual

Maritime powers are often much more involved in global politics and trade.[2]

History

Due to its status as an island nation which needed naval protection against continental European states, Britain's fleet of naval and trade ships were already several times larger than that of its closest rival before the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Britain was only able to maximise the economic advantage of the Industrial Revolution by using the same naval power to convince or force other countries to purchase their factory-manufactured goods.[3]

Historic Maritime powers

• The Republic of Venice dominated trade on the Mediterranean Sea between Europe, North Africa and the Levant during the High Middle Ages.
• The Republic of Genoa was the main maritime and commercial power of the Mediterranean Sea during the Late Middle Ages.
• The Portuguese Empire started the Age of Discovery and European overseas exploration. It was the first global empire in history and the most powerful empire during the XVth and XVIth centuries.
• The Spanish Empire, was one of the first global empires and the most powerful empire during the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries.
• The Dutch Republic held a virtual monopoly in global commerce and trade routes during the second half of 17th century.
• The British Empire was at one point a [[Superpower], alongside being a Maritime power (XIXth century).
• The Soviet Union. Although the USSR traditionally had a strong focus on land, a period of rapid naval expansion allowed them to dominate their area.[4]
• The German Empire In 1910 the German high seas fleet was the one most powerful navy as they built many ships and had the biggest submarine fleet in the world, with 120 submarines in total. {they were only 2nd by the British Royal Navy}

Current Maritime powers

• China.^[G20][BRICS][4] China is considered a great power by many scholars, and is considered by many scholars to be an emerging global superpower.[5][6][7][8][9]
• France.^[G7][G20][10] France is also a great power with its nuclear powered aircraft carrier and a large surface fleet.[11]
• India.^[G20][BRICS][12][13][14][15] India is a great power with blue-water capabilities.
• Japan.^[G7][G20] Japan is also a great power, although their maritime power is greatly weakened when compared to the Imperial Japanese Navy.[16][17][18]
• Russia.^[G20][BRICS][19] Russia is also a great power, and has been characterized as a potential superpower.[20][21]
• United Kingdom.^{[G7][G20][A][B]} Royal Navy is considered a Blue water navy[22]
• United States of America.^[G7][G20][4] According to almost all scholars, America is the lone superpower of the 21st century, and according to some it is a hyperpower.[23][24][25][26][27][28]

See also

• Command of the sea
• Maritime republics
• Naval power
• Thalassocracy

Notes

^ Nation is a member of the Group of Twenty.[29]

^ Nation is a member of the Group of Seven.[30]

^ Nation is a member of BRICS.[31]

References

1. "Stephen Biddle on Strategy in the Western Pacific". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
2. "Can Israel become a maritime power?". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
3. David Sanders; David Patrick Houghton (2016). Losing an Empire, Finding a Role: British Foreign Policy Since 1945. Macmillan International Higher Education. p. 32. ISBN 1137447133.
4. "Who rules the waves?". The Economist. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
5. Muldavin, Joshua (9 February 2006). "From Rural Transformation to Global Integration: The Environmental and Social Impacts of China's Rise to Superpower". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
6. "A Point Of View: What kind of superpower could China be?". BBC. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
7. John, Emmanuel (2019-06-13). "China: Emerging superpower". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. "Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index". www.lowyinstitute.org. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
9. Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Many Germans believe China will replace US as superpower: survey | DW | 14.07.2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
10. "French Maritime Strategic Thought On the Indo-Pacific". Center for International Maritime Security. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
11. Levy, Jack S. (1983). War in the modern great power system : 1495-1975. Lexington, Ky.: University press of Kentucky. p. 29. ISBN 978-0813101644.
12. Scott, David (Winter 2007–2008). "India's drive for a 'blue water' navy" (PDF). Journal of Military and Strategic Studies. 10 (2): 42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-28.
13. "Indian Ocean: Reviving IOR-ARC forum". Strategic Affairs. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
14. Pubby, Manu (18 July 2007). "India activates first listening post on foreign soil: radars in Madagascar". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
15. Gilboy, George J.; Heginbotham, Eric (12 Mar 2012). Chinese and Indian Strategic Behavior: Growing Power and Alarm. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. pp. 175–176.
16. "The Seven Great Powers". American-Interest. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
17. T. V. Paul; James J. Wirtz; Michel Fortmann (2005). "Great+power" Balance of Power. United States of America: State University of New York Press, 2005. pp. 59, 282. ISBN 0-7914-6401-6. Accordingly, the great powers after the Cold War are Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the United States p.59
18. Baron, Joshua (January 22, 2014). Great Power Peace and American Primacy: The Origins and Future of a New International Order. United States: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-137-29948-7.
19. "The Baltic: Grey-Zone Threats on NATO's Northern Flank". Center for International Maritime Security. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
20. "Russia is a Superpower CNN, US Senators telling the truth". CNN News. August 30, 2008.
21. "What's Looming in Ukraine Is more Threatening than Georgia". Der Spiegel. October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
22. "The Royal Navy Deployed Forward Operating Globally" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk/. Royal Navy. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
23. Tony Judt; Denis Lacorne (June 4, 2005). With Us Or Against Us: Studies in Global Anti-Americanism. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4039-8085-4.
24. Richard J. Samuels (December 21, 2005). Encyclopedia of United States National Security. SAGE Publications. p. 666. ISBN 978-1-4522-6535-3.
25. Paul R. Pillar (January 1, 2001). Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy. Brookings Institution Press. p. 57. ISBN 0-8157-0004-0.
26. Gabe T. Wang (January 1, 2006). China and the Taiwan Issue: Impending War at Taiwan Strait. University Press of America. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-7618-3434-2.
27. Understanding the "Victory Disease," From the Little Bighorn to Mogadishu and Beyond. DIANE Publishing. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4289-1052-2.
28. Akis Kalaitzidis; Gregory W. Streich (2011). U.S. Foreign Policy: A Documentary and Reference Guide. ABC-CLIO. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-313-38375-5.
29. "G20 | Homepage". www.g20.org. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
30. "G8 Information Centre". www.g8.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
31. "JOINT SITE OF MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BRICS MEMBER STATES". infobrics.org. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.