Читать книгу The Emergence of American Amphibious Warfare, 1898–1945 - David S. Nasca - Страница 9

Preface

Amphibious warfare is one of the oldest forms of power projection and was instrumental in changing the course of history. It not only led to the rise of great and powerful nations; it also contributed to the downfall of others. However, the rise of science and technology brought an unprecedented amount of development in weapons and machines. As various countries scrambled to possess the means to protect themselves as well as expand their power and influence, amphibious warfare was neglected by most militaries around the world in their scramble to modernize against peer competitors and potential hostile state actors.

Despite the rise of new means of waging war, this book looks into how the old ways still work best. Amphibious warfare has often been seen as a difficult and dangerous enterprise that requires a great commitment of a country’s military and financial strength where success is not always certain. While other technologies have been embraced and utilized to sidestep this difficult form of fighting, amphibious warfare was instrumental in establishing today’s international system and in transforming the balance of power.

I wrote this book because amphibious warfare has often been viewed as outdated and long past its prime in the twenty-first century where advanced aircraft, nuclear weapons, special operators, drones, and now cyber warfare are seen as the new means to how conflicts will be fought. While all these new ways of fighting do bring various military options for states, four years of research at Salve Regina University has shown that amphibious warfare was the most influential in geopolitical strategy and has done much to transform the world in which we live today. I hope this book will generate discussion and debate on the important continued role amphibious warfare can still play in geopolitical strategy.

David S. Nasca

WASHINGTON, DC

JUNE 13, 2019