Lectures of Opportunity: "The Global Order at Sea: Why Do Navies Matter to Statecraft?"

The Global Order at Sea: Why Do Navies Matter to Statecraft?

The late nineteenth century took the relevance of naval power to statecraft to an unprecedented global scale. By the mid-twentieth century, the global order at sea was predominantly the result of the status and fighting superiority of national fleets. It was about a hierarchy of power among a handful of state actors, which naval arms agreements of the 1920s and 30s crystalized, and the introduction of nuclear weapons at sea reaffirmed with deadly devastating power and reach.

Today, the sea as a factor of significance in international affairs is no longer related to its function as a medium for the projection of power alone. Indeed, this notion has evolved to encompass the capacity of states to project such power to secure their (exclusive) access to fish and energy resources (Till 2009, 23–28). Yet – this evolution brought about a wider change in the global order at sea as well. The understanding of the sea as a space in which good governance allows for a better management of its resources, how states exploit the sea for the survival of humanity has come to matter increasingly more alongside its use to project capabilities, hard and soft.

This is the core argument explored in this talk. Navies matter to statecraft not merely because they enable a state to do through their material capabilities. They matter because they empower state with a sense of legitimacy that unfolds from upholding a behavior that is aligned with the principles of freedom of navigation and the content of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Today, how navies go about the business of ensuring maintenance of order at sea matters. Indeed, the process of recognition of one’s place in the hierarchy suggests that a naval hierarchy is not just a matter of power, but a question of recognition from peers as well. The talk examines what that entails for the way in which we conceptualize what navies do, and where and how they do it.

About this Lecture

Lectures of Opportunity offers U.S. Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to learn more about national and international socio-political subjects that may be of relevance to the NWC community.