What is a widely cited view about the significance of sea power in geopolitics, associated with Alfred Thayer Mahan?

• A. Sea power determines access to trade, resources, and military reach
• B. Sea power has no bearing on national power
• C. Sea power is only about coastal fortifications
• D. Sea power is obsolete in the age of aviation

Answer: (A)

Sea power shapes national strength by controlling trade routes, securing access to resources, and enabling a nation to project military reach. Alfred Thayer Mahan argued that a strong navy, supported by a robust merchant fleet and overseas bases, allows a country to dominate the sea lines that connect economies and military theaters. This control translates into economic leverage through protected trade and resource flows, and strategic reach through the ability to deploy forces where needed. That’s why the statement about sea power determining access to trade, resources, and military reach best captures Mahan’s view. Views that sea power is irrelevant, merely about coastal fortifications, or obsolete because of aviation miss the broader claim that sea control underpins overall national power.