America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 568 Sea Power Theory

"As I just explained to you, whether it is Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, their rise is basically based on their control of the sea."

The bald Professor Ma Han sorted out the manuscripts on the desk.

But he didn't read the manuscript, but continued to speak freely:

"During their heyday, they all had an invincible navy, and their sinking was accompanied by the failure of naval battles."

"For example, Britain defeated the Dutch three times from 1652 to 1673, and the British also sank the once mighty Spanish Armada in 1588."

"Fortunately, our government is gradually paying attention to the development of the navy. Our battleships and cruisers have been grounded one by one in the past few years. Everyone here is witnessing the growth of the US Navy."

Professor Mahan said to the naval officers in the audience with a smile.

About Ma Han's "The Influence of Sea Power on History 1660-1783", Chen Jianqiu had the honor to read it before traveling.

The main idea is that sea power determines whether a great power can rise.

Sea power here refers not only to military affairs, but also to capital and trade.

Only when a country has a strong sea power that can expand and protect the country's economic interests can the country be strong and stay rich.

Control of the seas means significant influence in the world and is a major factor in the factors that make up national security and prosperity.

Regarding the development of the U.S. Navy over the years, Chen Jianqiu and Roosevelt also had a lot of exchanges.

After the Civil War, the U.S. Navy did slump for a while, and was even forced back by the ironclad ships of the Chilean Navy.

Seven years ago, the U.S. Navy had only 6 cruisers and no battleships. Today, seven years later, the U.S. Navy has 6 battleships parked in various ports, and as many as 16 cruisers.

Most of these ships were designed by the Armstrong shipyard in the UK and produced by shipyards on the east coast of the United States. Chen Jianqiu also helped in the middle.

However, at that time Roosevelt had not yet held power in the Department of the Navy, and most of the shipyards were owned by the US government, so Chen Jianqiu only got some shares in a smaller shipyard in Philadelphia.

Today's U.S. Navy is indeed not what it used to be.

"Teddy, I heard from Philadelphia that the Admiralty is urging the construction period again. They told me that there is not enough manpower. I told them that it should not be a big problem to transfer some Chinese workers there."

Chen Jianqiu suddenly remembered something, turned his head and said to Roosevelt beside him.

Roosevelt nodded.

But obviously his attention was still on Mahan's side.

A young officer of the Admiralty suddenly raised his hand:
"But professor, those powerful sea powers you listed earlier have been on this road for hundreds of years, and we don't have any advantages to speak of."

Another officer with a mustache followed suit:

"Yes, as you said before, the world has been almost completely divided by them, but we haven't even fought a modern naval battle, so we don't have any chance."

"Especially the empire on which the sun never sets on the other side of the ocean. Their navy is too powerful. Compared with them, we are like a bunch of beggars."

The others followed suit, whispering to each other.

Roosevelt held a pipe in one hand, rested his chin in the other, and frowned.

"Do any of you have the same opinion?" Mahan looked around.

The looks of most of the officers showed that they agreed with this view.

But unexpectedly, an imperceptible sneer came from the last row of seats.

Mahan cast his gaze over.

He found that the sneer was a Chinese.

This Chinese man was sitting next to Deputy Minister Roosevelt, and he didn't know when he came in.

The professor is interested.

He waved at Chen Jianqiu:
"The gentleman in the last row, what do you think of this matter?"

The officers in front all turned their heads away.

They were surprised to find that there was an extra Chinese in the back row.

Some of these officers knew him and knew that he was a friend of Roosevelt, but this did not affect that most of the officers did not have a good impression of Chen Jianqiu.

They think that this Chinese man just got lucky, made some money, and looks like a nouveau riche.

These people didn't think he could have any unique insights at all.

Because on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, this person's home country just experienced a disastrous defeat in a naval battle three years ago.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Chen Jianqiu pointed to himself:

"me?"

Mahan nodded:

"I see you just smiled, so I want to hear your opinion."

Mahan's words caused dissatisfaction among some officers.

What right do you, a Chinese who is listening, have the right to laugh?

"What are you laughing at?" A bearded officer asked Chen Jianqiu in a rough voice, "You are here to laugh?"

This person is relatively old in the navy, and he doesn't even buy Roosevelt's account, let alone this Chinese who usually walks on the road and doesn't take a second look.
Chen Jianqiu stood up calmly.

"When I was in school, I met such a classmate."

"They never preview in class, but they insist on their 'skeptical' attitude towards the courses taught by the teacher. They call it independent thinking, right, Professor Mahan."

The face of the bearded man turned green, but Roosevelt was present, and it was not easy to fight immediately, so he could only stare at Chen Jianqiu viciously.

Mahan's interest grew stronger.

He picked up a glass of water on the table, with a look of all ears.

Chen Jianqiu bowed slightly to Ma Han:
"In your writings, it is clearly pointed out that there are a total of six major factors that affect sea power."

"Respectively, geographical location, natural structure, ethnic characteristics, government characteristics and policies, territorial scope, and population"

"The current overlord, that is, the 'Empire on which the sun never sets' just mentioned by this mustache friend, they have no problems with the first four elements."

Chen Jianqiu pointed to the mustache who spoke just now.

"Surrounded by the sea, with many excellent deep-water ports, the Industrial Revolution, Queen Elizabeth I and other emperors' ambitions, this also made them a generation of overlords."

He paused, then changed the subject:
"But they have never been able to solve a problem, that is, their country's land and population can never be compared with a real big country, which makes them have to take the old road of land power, and use the dividends brought by expansion to support the huge naval power and seek further development."

"This is a fragile balance with huge hidden dangers, and its cost is too high. The strength is still good, but once there is a downturn, and the leaders are unwilling to carry out strategic contraction, the balance is broken, exhausted and exhausted. Incapacity becomes the norm, and weakness becomes inevitable."

"It's different in America."

"He has all the conditions in the 'Sea Power Theory'. So I don't know what you are worried about, and, in the future, external expansion will become inevitable."

Ma Han listened to Chen Jianqiu's explanation of his point of view without blinking, holding a water glass in his hand.

He originally just wanted to point out this Chinese, so that he would not be ignorant of the heights of the sky and the earth in the Ministry of the Navy.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jianqiu used his six factors of sea power theory to interpret the world situation, which is quite reasonable.

"How do you say that?" Ma Han took a sip of water and asked calmly, "Expansion is inevitable."

Chen Jianqiu continued:
"As you all know, there was a financial crisis in the United States a few years ago. There are many reasons for this round of crisis, but one of the most important is overcapacity."

"The second industrial revolution has brought about a huge increase in production capacity in industry and agriculture. As a businessman, I feel deeply about this."

"If the government cannot open up new overseas markets, export, and export capital overseas, another depression will be inevitable."

If those naval officers could still understand the words about Britain just now, then this theory made them a little confused.

However, there were still people present who could understand what Chen Jianqiu meant.

One is Mahan and the other is Roosevelt.

Listening to Chen Jianqiu's speech, the Vice Minister of the Navy was smoking his pipe without saying a word, while still thinking about something.

He is not only a general, but also a politician.

"So 'isolationism' is no longer advisable in the United States today, and it is inevitable to challenge the existing maritime order in the world."

Ma Han was completely attracted by Chen Jianqiu's words.

Many of what the latter said coincided with his thoughts, and he was just about to put them on paper in the past few years.

He made an inviting gesture towards Chen Jianqiu:

"Sir, although I don't know your name, please come to the front and tell us what we should do?"

Chen Jianqiu did not give in.

He patted Roosevelt on the shoulder who was still smoking his pipe:

"Hey Teddy, do you have a map?"

Roosevelt yelled at the mustache just now:
"Go and hang up the map."

The mustache was a little reluctant, but he ran back to the office, and ran over shortly after holding a large roll of world map.

He unfolded the map and fixed it to the wall behind the podium with a few nails.

Ma Han turned his lower body to make room for Chen Jianqiu.

The latter grinned, said "thank you" to the professor and Mustache, and continued his speech.

His hand pointed to an area below the United States.

There is the Caribbean Sea.

"Let's put aside the economic factors mentioned earlier." Chen Jianqiu drew a circle on the map and said, "From a strategic point of view, this is the back garden of the United States."

"I don't know if you know the history of your own country, but I think Teddy and Professor Mahan should know." He glanced at the professor beside him, and then at the audience, "70 years ago, a A President who sent a message to Congress."

Looking at the bewildered faces of the officers in the audience, Chen Jianqiu curled his lips: "It seems that you don't know."

"He expressed the hope that Europe would not carry out colonial expansion in the Americas, and that the Americans would take care of their own affairs. The actual meaning was that he hoped that Europe would not interfere with the interests of the United States in the Americas."

"The proposed presidential name is Monroe, which is also known as the 'Monroe Doctrine.'" he had to explain.

"In the past few decades, these things were just talking about, but now, Central America should be the first step for the United States to step out of the Monroe Doctrine." Chen Jianqiu said.

"Why, why?" The bearded officer who spoke rudely just now looked at Chen Jianqiu and asked a question that seemed stupid to him.

"You should study geography well when you are studying at school." Chen Jianqiu sarcastically said.

His hand was placed on the isthmus of Panama.

"There will inevitably be a canal here in the future, after all, the economic benefits it will bring are immeasurable."

"However, have you ever thought about what the opening of this canal will bring?"

"Europeans will pay more and more attention to this place. According to the theory of 'sea power', if they choose to seek a port here, not only will the east coast be unsafe, but the west coast will also be unsafe!"

Hearing Chen Jianqiu's words, those officers finally understood the seriousness of the matter.

Sweat began to seep from some of their backs.

And the smoke rising in front of Roosevelt became thicker.

"Is there any good way?" asked an officer.

"Yes." Chen Jianqiu slapped a country.

"Cuba?"

Someone below said the name of the island country.

"Yes, Cuba." Chen Jianqiu gestured to the geographical location of Cuba on the map.

"It controls the key points of the Gulf of Mexico, and at the same time controls the three entrances to the Caribbean Sea: the Yucatan Strait, the Windward Strait, and the Mona Strait, and directly controls the routes of the Isthmus and Jamaica." Chen Jianqiu said.

He was about to continue speaking when Roosevelt in the last row suddenly stood up.

He clapped his hands:

"The speech was very exciting, but today's meeting is almost here, everyone should leave first."

The officers below had completely lost their contempt for Chen Jianqiu before, but they still had something to say.

But since the leader has spoken, he has to go if he doesn't leave.

I can only hope that I will have the opportunity to ask this Chinese for advice next time.

After the other officers had left, only Roosevelt, Ma Han, and Chen Jianqiu were left in the meeting room.

"What's your name?" Ma Han extended his hand to Chen Jianqiu.

"Chen Jianqiu."

"Unexpectedly, there are still my readers in the East, and they not only read it, but also have their own unique insights. I really don't remember where my book was printed."

Mahan laughed heartily.

The old man is very happy.

After all, it is a very happy thing for someone to study your theory deeply and have a lot of consensus with you.

"Your book can be found on a certain novel reading website, and you have to pay for it." Chen Jianqiu muttered in a low voice.

"Huh?" Ma Han didn't hear clearly.

"It's nothing."

Mahan then turned to Roosevelt, who sat down on the edge of the table, still smoking his pipe and thinking.

"Theodore, what Chen said is also what I want to say, and he said it more thoroughly, we have to attack the Spaniards!"

"I've wanted to attack them for a long time, but I haven't been able to convince the president and Congress." Roosevelt finally spoke, in a word, with a puff of cigarette.

"So, I'm here today to provide you with some evidence to convince them."

Chen Jianqiu said with a "sad face",

"I was in Cuba a few months ago. The situation there is not good. If we don't do anything, we will lose our best chance to drive the Spaniards out of the Caribbean."

Of course, the situation of the Cuban rebels is "not good", especially the Chinese rebels.

During the few months when Chen Jianqiu left, according to his policy, Lai Hua and Hu De joined forces and fought from east to west, turning upside down the countryside in the southwest far away from the city.

They liberated many Chinese laborers working in the plantations, and the team has expanded to nearly 1 people.

However, the rebel army still couldn't solve the tens of thousands of Spanish troops huddled in the city and the warships cruising at sea.

What's more, there are so many fortifications outside San Diego.

The hard stubble has to be knocked down by the American army first, at least to consume it.

He feels sorry for the death of one more Chinese brother.

"Let me try." Roosevelt thought for a while and said.

He sighed.

"Sometimes, for Americans, there really is only one reason!"

(End of this chapter)