To Mahan, the sea wasn't a barrier; it was a great highway. If you controlled the highway, you controlled the trade. If you controlled the trade, you had the money. And if you had the money, you won the wars. The "Decisive Battle"
Mahan looked at the history of Great Britain and realized something profound: Britain didn't rule the world because they had the best soldiers, but because they owned the The Influence of Sea Power upon History: 1660-1783
used his logic to justify building the Panama Canal and seizing Hawaii, transforming the U.S. from an isolated continent into a global superpower. The Legacy To Mahan, the sea wasn't a barrier; it was a great highway