The Historical Dimension of Maritime Order

Naval power has long represented the primary instrument through which great powers have constructed, defended, and legitimized regional and global orders. History demonstrates that maritime supremacy has never been a purely military goal, but rather a means of ensuring political stability, facilitating economic exchange, and imposing rules accepted, whether voluntarily or reluctantly, by other states. In the Indo-Pacific this historical perspective returns with renewed force, because the present disputes between the United States and China are not an isolated phenomenon but instead part of a tradition stretching back two centuries, where hegemonic naval powers shaped world politics. Understanding the experience of the Pax Britannica and the subsequent American naval dominance during and after the Cold War is essential for grasping today’s conceptions of maritime order. The enduring lesson is that mastery of the seas provides not only military advantage but also the authority to design the rules that structure international relations.