Many still today wonder why today’s hegemonic power, the Anglo-Saxon empire, is in fact a thalassocratic power and why the latter invests enormous resources in the construction and maintenance of a powerful military fleet to control the seas and straits of the world. All this has to do with the enormous importance that the sea has (and has always had) in world geopolitics and geoeconomics since it is in the sea that most of the transit of world goods takes place (over 80 % of the total). And it is therefore in the sea that most of the world’s wealth is generated. Controlling the sea means controlling the flow of goods in transit between the various continents and therefore the production of wealth of the various global geopolitical actors. Having control of the sea and the straits means guaranteeing one’s wealth and having the ability to determine, on the contrary, the deterioration of the economic conditions of a hostile power if it comes into conflict with the thalassocratic hegemonic power. This can be done with a naval blockade that imposes the commercial isolation of a nation or with the forced closure of important trade routes which effectively preclude the export of goods to their own outlet markets. Bringing about a significant impact on the development and well-being of the rebel nation. The sea therefore has enormous geopolitical as well as economic importance. And this is why hegemony, today more than ever, cannot ignore the control and dominion of the sea (thalassocracy). Through which the development of the various geopolitical entities of the entire world is controlled, determined and decided. Even more so today considering the level of globalization achieved by the world economy and the levels of wealth produced by this phenomenon. And considering that no nation can afford to isolate itself or practice autarky (unless it wants to condemn itself to economic collapse). From this we can deduce how, despite the enormous management and maintenance costs, owning a military fleet that ensures control of the seas is still an excellent investment for the hegemonic empire considering the enormous power that this gives it. Indeed, we could say that its hegemony, today more than ever, cannot ignore this.
SEA AND WORLD GEOPOLITICS: PAST AND PRESENT
To understand how great the importance of the sea is in world geopolitics, it is enough to see how its control has been the cause of ferocious and bloody wars. The construction of a powerful German navy at the beginning of the 20th century was the main cause of the First World War. And it brought the interests of Berlin (which in the last two decades of the nineteenth century had begun the “construction” of an extensive colonial empire spanning Africa, Asia and Oceania) to conflict irremediably with those of London which could not allow the nascent German power to threaten the enormous commercial interests it had on the seas of half the world (and from which its enormous wealth derived).The issue was resolved with the First World War and with the imposition, at the end of the war, of a strong downsizing of the German fleet and army by the winners.Another emblematic conflict for the control of the seas and world trade was the Seven Years’ War.This war (considered by many to be the first true world war in the history of humanity since it was fought in Asia and Amrica as well as in Europe) represented the showdown between France and England precisely for the dominion of the seas and theworld trade and its importance was so great for the interests of the two contenders that it had the character of a total war (in which all the economic and military resources of the two antagonists were therefore committed).The defeat of France in this conflict resulted in England’s undisputed dominion over the world’s seas (and world trade) as well as the acquisition of immense territories in North America and India which Paris was forced to cede.The loss of the colonies and trade with them had dramatic economic repercussions on French finances and paved the way for the French Revolution and the popular uprising that followed.And despite a new assault on world power shortly thereafter mounted by Napoleon, France was no longer able to rival the English empire for control of the seas and world trade.Which decreed the end of the dreams of glory and hegemony for the French nation.Today we are seeing a scenario similar to those just mentioned since, as we have already had the opportunity to highlight, the nascent Chinese power is creating a military fleet capable of competing with that of the hegemonic power(https://www.geopolitika.it/en/the-challenge-to-anglo-saxon-thalassocracy-and-the-chinese-hegemonic-attempt/) threatening the dominion of the latter’s seas.All this is giving rise to a world conflict of which we are, in all likelihood, only in the early stages but of which we recognize all the distinctive characteristics of previous conflicts.In fact, Beijing is making great strides not only in controlling the seas adjacent to its coasts (and to do this it is essential for it to resolve the issue of Taiwan: https://www.geopolitika.it/en/the-clash-between-china-and-taiwan-and-the-issue-of-chinese-dualism/) but also in generalimportance for its own trade (especially the Indian Ocean but also the Atlantic and Pacific) and in doing so it is clashing with the interests of the Anglo-Saxon empire.Which is currently threatening indirectly through the action of the Yemeni Houthis and Somali piracy whose sabotage actions for the merchant fleets in the area represent a great challenge for the English and US fleets.Washington and London absolutely cannot back down and all this seems to reproduce the same scenario that led to the First World War and the Seven Years’ War.The importance of the sea (and of world trade) is too important to be renounced.Without it there can be no true power.There can be no hegemony.History has taught us this.And it now lets us understand that a terrifying power clash is brewing on a planetary level.Which in terms of size and ferocity should not be less than those that have already materialized in the past.