Profiles in Strategy

Episode 28: Naval Theorists: Mahan and Corbett

May 19, 2023
Milan Vego, operational thinker from the U.S. Naval War College; Kevin McCranie, naval historian comparing Mahan and Corbett; James Holmes, maritime theorist and historian. They contrast Mahan’s concentrate-and-decide logic with Corbett’s joint, sea-as-a-means approach. They untangle myths about offense versus defense, explain fleet-in-being and commerce raiding, and debate sea control versus sea denial for today’s maritime contests.
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INSIGHT

Audience Shapes Theory

  • Mahan wrote from a rising U.S. perspective while Corbett wrote from Britain's position as an established naval hegemon.
  • Their audiences shaped whether they argued for building sea power (Mahan) or how to employ it jointly (Corbett).
INSIGHT

Active Defense As Strategic Patience

  • Corbett's 'active defense' shows how the weaker can invert power over time while avoiding decisive fleet battles.
  • This concept parallels modern Chinese strategy and remains relevant for shaping long-term maritime competition.
INSIGHT

Command Of Sea As A Means

  • Both theorists center 'command of the sea' but Corbett emphasizes it as a means to achieve political ends.
  • Corbett explicitly links maritime command to joint operations that shape outcomes on land.
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