What We Learned From… Sir Julian Corbett.

WAR; NAVAL warfare; SEA control; MILITARY planning; MERCHANT ships

Sir Julian Corbett, a British naval historian and geostrategist, is often compared to American naval strategist Rear Adm. Alfred Thayer Mahan. While Corbett had no personal military experience, he drew from the theories of land warfare developed by Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz to develop principles for naval warfare. Corbett believed that controlling lines of communication, rather than destroying the enemy's main force, should be the main objective of naval warfare. He also recognized the challenges of communication and movement at sea compared to land. Corbett's ideas were supported by Admiral of the Fleet Sir John "Jacky" Fisher, but faced pushback from more traditional admirals. Corbett's book, "Some Principles of Maritime Strategy," aimed to provide a living document for future naval thinkers. The lessons learned from Corbett's theories include the importance of determining the mutual relations of the army and navy in a plan of war, the inclusion of contingencies for offense and defense, and the recognition that the control of communications is the object of naval warfare. [Extracted from the article]

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