---
title: "1 Sea power Quotes By Alfred Thayer Mahan"
description: "1 Sea power quotes by Alfred Thayer Mahan. Plus more from Alfred Thayer Mahan and more Sea power sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg"
---

> [“The history of sea power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war. The profound influence of sea commerce upon the wealth and strength of countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-though-by-no-means-solely-a/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg)

## More by Alfred Thayer Mahan

> [There has been a constant struggle on the part of the military element to keep the end- fighting, or readiness to fight-superior to mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/there-has-been-a-constant-struggle-on-the-part-of-the-military/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Free supplies and open retreat are two essentials to the safety of an army or a fleet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/free-supplies-and-open-retreat-are-two-essentials-to-the-safety-of-an/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Whether they will or not, Americans must now begin to look outward. The growing production of the country demands it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/whether-they-will-or-not-americans-must-now-begin-to-look-outward-the/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Organized force alone enables the quiet and the weak to go about their business and to sleep securely in their beds, safe from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/organized-force-alone-enables-the-quiet-and-the-weak-to-go-about/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Force is never more operative than when it is known to exist but is not brandished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/force-is-never-more-operative-than-when-it-is-known-to-exist-but-is/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [The study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/the-study-of-history-lies-at-the-foundation-of-all-sound-military/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Having therefore no foreign establishments, either colonial or military, the ships of war of the United States, in war, will be like land birds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/having-therefore-no-foreign-establishments-either-colonial-or/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [War, once declared, must be waged offensively, aggressively. The enemy must not be fended off; but smitten down. You may then spare him every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/war-once-declared-must-be-waged-offensively-aggressively-the-enemy/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [“The history of sea power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-though-by-no-means-solely-a/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [The surer of himself an admiral is, the finer the tactical development of his fleet, the better his captains, the more reluctant must he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/the-surer-of-himself-an-admiral-is-the-finer-the-tactical-development/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

> [Those far distant, storm-beaten ships, upon which the Grand Army never looked, stood between it and the dominion of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/those-far-distant-storm-beaten-ships-upon-which-the-grand-army-never/)

[Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Sea power Quotes By Alfred Thayer Mahan",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“The history of sea power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war. The profound influence of sea commerce upon the wealth and strength of countries was clearly seen long before the true principles which governed its growth and prosperity were detected. To secure to one's own people a disproportionate share of such benefits, every effort was made to exclude others, either by the peaceful legislative methods of monopoly or prohibitory regulations, or, when these failed, by direct violence. The clash of interests, the angry feelings roused by conflicting attempts thus to appropriate the larger share, if not the whole, of the advantages of commerce, and of distant unsettled commercial regions, led to wars. On the other hand, wars arising from other causes have been greatly modified in their conduct and issue by the control of the sea. Therefore the history of sea power, while embracing in its broad sweep all that tends to make a people great upon the sea or by the sea, is largely a military history...”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Alfred Thayer Mahan"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-though-by-no-means-solely-a/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The history of sea power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of…” — Alfred Thayer Mahan",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/",
            "name": "Sea power Quotes by Alfred Thayer Mahan",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alfred-thayer-mahan-40064_business_the-history-of-sea-power-is-largely-thou_2453631.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Sea power quotes by Alfred Thayer Mahan. Plus more from Alfred Thayer Mahan and more Sea power sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sea Power",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Alfred Thayer Mahan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-power/alfred-thayer-mahan/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
