1. Seapower and Western World
Part 1
“Maritime” Defined; Seaborne Trade;
Characteristics and Advantages of Naval Power;
Early Examples: Minoan Crete & Phoenicia

2. What Does It Mean to be Maritime?
Maritime: Something of or having to do with the sea
Characteristics of a maritime civilization
Island nations or ones with extensive coastlines
Dependant on seaborne trade
Sea-related industries/occupations, such as commercial fishing, shipbuilding, naval stores (materials to outfit, sustain and repair ships), merchant shipping

3. Maritime Nation, Maritime World
Over half of the American population lives within 50 miles of the coast
In the United States, coastal counties constitute only 17 percent of the total land area (not including Alaska), but account for 53 percent of the total population.
38% of world’s population within 100 km of the coast; 44% within 150 km

5. World Trade by Sea
90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry and continues to expand
Without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary for the modern world would not be possible
There are over 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo
The world fleet is registered in over 150 nations, and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality

6. World Trade by Sea
Shipping trade estimates are calculated in ton-miles, as a way of measuring the volume of trade
In 2008, it is estimated that the industry transported over 7.7 billion tons of cargo, equivalent to a total volume of world trade by sea of over 32 trillion ton-miles

7. World Trade by Sea
Throughout the last century the shipping industry has seen a general trend of increases in total trade volume
Increasing industrialization and the liberalization of national economies have fuelled free trade and a growing demand for consumer products
Advances in technology have also made shipping an increasingly efficient and swift method of transportation
Over the last four decades total seaborne trade estimates have quadrupled

8. World Trade by Sea

9. American Trade Statistics (2008)
The United States dominates the world trade markets.
It leads the world in imports and is one of the top three exporters in the world (Germany and China)
Exports from the USA totaled $1.287 trillion in products to the rest of the world
An increase of 12.1% over 2007
US imports totaled $2.104 trillion in products from other countries
An increase of 7.5% over 2007

10. Top Ten USA Exports (2008)
Civilian aircraft … $74B (5.7% of total US exports)
Semiconductors … $50.6B (3.9%)
Passenger cars … $49.6B (3.9%)
Medicine and pharmaceuticals … $40.4B (3.1%)
Vehicle parts and accessories … $39.9B (3.1%)
Industrial machinery … $38.1B (3%)
Fuel oil … $34.9B (2.7%)
Organic chemicals … $33.4B (2.6%)
Telecommunications equipment … $32.9B (2.6%)
Plastic materials … $31.6B (2.5%)

11. Top Ten USA Imports (2008)
Crude oil … $341.9B (16.3% of total US imports)
Passenger cars … $125.6B (6%)
Medicine and pharmaceuticals … $78.9B (3.8%)
Vehicle parts and accessories … $64.9B (3.1%)
Household goods … $61.6B (2.9%)
Computer accessories … $60.2B (2.9%)
Petroleum products … $52.3B (2.5%)
Cotton apparel and other household goods … $49.5B (2.4%)
Telecommunications equipment … $44.8B (2.1%)
Video equipment (TVs, VCRs, DVD players) … $41B (1.9%)

12. Low Cost of Goods by Sea

13. Low Cost of Goods by Sea

14. Maritime Nation to Naval Power
Ships are expensive
Warships are even more expensive
Ships are very complicated
Warships are even more complicated
In all times and places where such things existed, warships are characteristically the most expensive, most complicated and most technologically advanced human artifacts in existence at the time

15. Maritime Nation to Naval Power
Nuclear Aircraft Carriers: America’s pyramids?

16. Maritime Nation to Naval Power
In terms of the costs to fund, build, supply, sail, and fight warships, they stand by themselves as the embodiments of national power and resources.
If, however, you are in a position where they are useful, warships are very much worth having.

17. Advantages of Naval Warfare
Naval warfare “clean” in comparison to other forms of fighting
Does not involve civilian casualties
Prototype mode of “American” way of war
Concentration on technology
Avoidance of casualties
Does not involve rape, pillage and mayhem that is often the result of taking a besieged town or other conquest

18. Characteristics of Naval Powers
Access to ocean
Reliance on seaborne trade for prosperity
Often can’t feed themselves without imports
Money
Lots and lots

19. Characteristics of Naval Powers
Relatively tolerant and open politically and culturally
Necessitated by trade
Top down economies not good for trade
Foreign trade means tolerating and adapting to cultures of trading partners

20. Characteristics of Naval Powers
Diffused power base
Ordinarily not autocracies
Sometimes, not always, democracies
Usually dominated by merchant oligarchies: wealthy traders build the ships, call the shots, and determine foreign policy
Tolerance coupled with mercantile interest in protecting investments/sustaining trade tend to make maritime nations less quick to resort to armed conflict

21. Early Examples Minoan Crete Phoenicia (3500 – 1450 BCE)

22. Minoan Crete
Culture largely “unknown” until late 19th Century archeological excavation
Described in ancient Greek and Roman poetry
Tremendous visual record and extensive written records in undeciphered language (Linear A)

23. Phoenicia
Chiefly known as sailors and traders, Phoenicians became missionaries of culture and civilization
Traded throughout Mediterranean, as far away as England, and may have sailed around Africa
Wood, slaves, glass, dye, tin, etc.
Major cities Byblos, Tyre and Sidon
Founded Carthage as trading post

24. Next Time
The Battle of Salamis