Officers or Ambassadors?

After over seven year of war in the region, sixty-three percent of Americans cannot locate Iraq on a map [1]. This is just one of many symptoms indicative of the collective ignorance of the American population towards the complex dynamic of the Middle East. While the situation in the Middle East is undoubtedly a complicated one, the high degree of geographic and cultural illiteracy stereotypical of Americans is resultant of a lack of willingness to understand, not of an inability to do so. As future naval officers, we are not afforded this luxury of ignorance and can hold no indifference towards matters of foreign relations.

A few weeks ago, my U.S. government class had Ambassador Cameron Munter come speak to us about his role as a diplomat. Serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan during the Osama Bin Laden raid, he had a wealth of information to share about US-Middle Eastern relations and the role military officers play in facilitating that relationship. In particular, he highlighted the current transition from the use traditionally trained ambassadors to fulfill diplomatic duties towards the use of U.S. military leaders abroad to assume these roles. In training to become naval officers, he emphasized, we also must train to become diplomats.

Almost any midshipman would agree that the Naval Academy is a STEM oriented school. Often humanities and social studies electives seen as obstacles in the way filling in a predetermined matrix. However, Ambassador Munter challenges this outlook through his assertion that the role played by naval officers as diplomats is one of the most critical tasks to be accomplished. More often than not, opportunities for diplomacy are presented in unplanned situations. In order to conduct effective negotiations and conversations with foreign nationals, a broad base of cultural knowledge is required. In studying history we are given the opportunity to examine the present through the lens of the past, enabling an increased understanding of tensions between ethnic and religious groups.

Underlying tensions and a complicated past are characteristic of the Middle East. Our current studies of the interactions between the Middle East and the West through the crusades enables us to better understand these tensions, particularly those religiously based. The Shia/Sunni split originated as early as the year 632, yet “define[s] not only the pattern of local politics, but also the relationship between the Islamic world and the West,” causing very real implications for the US military today [2].

Compounded with the friction between sects of Islam is the multi-religion claim to Jerusalem from Jews, Muslims, and Christians. In 1 Kings 11:32, the Bible reads that God claims Jerusalem as “the city which I have chosen,” and Jerusalem serves as the site central to the life of Jesus. In Judaism, Jerusalem is so important it is given over seventy different names, such as “City of Righteousness” and “Doorway to the World’s Peoples.” Yet Islam, the most populous faith in the Middle East, claims the city central to their religion as well, with a site of particular significance being the Dome of Rock, where it is believed the Day of Judgement will occur [3]. With competing claims to one land, tension inevitably arises.

Today, Jerusalem and the surrounding regions are entangled in a conflict which the US is inextricably tied to. The Middle East is a region of strategic interest to the United States, not only economically in terms of oil supply and trade routes, but also ideologically as an international stage for the fight for democracy and the protection of human rights. While we may be inclined to opt for an overly-generalized understanding of the situation, or no understanding at all, diving into the nuances of the historical context of the current conflict prepares us to tackle the role of ambassador that we are bound to play as future naval officers.

History is critical to ensuring domestic security and secure US influence in regions of extreme geopolitical significance. Through intimate knowledge of the culture and context—and more importantly a willingness to learn—we can be best prepared to create and communicate solutions as ambassadors. The solutions we seek are in response to complex issues rooted in history, but finding a bipartisan solution to a global conflict with such staggering repercussions for the United States is critical to our success as a nation.

Word Count: 598

Sources:
[1] CBS News. Vries, Lloyd. “Where’s Iraq?” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wheres-iraq-young-adults-dont-know/.

[2] National Public Radio (npr). “The Origins Of The Shiite-Sunni Split,” https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2007/02/12/7332087/the-origins-of-the-shiite-sunni-split.

[3] The Yale Review of International Studies. Krinsky, Sarah. “Jerusalem: Political Significance of a Holy Site,” http://yris.yira.org/essays/350.

–J. M. Lotterer

America and Athens?

While weapons and man may change, the conflicts remain the same: two sides fighting over land, power, religion, or conflicting ideals. Blood is always shed, and rarely is either side happy with their lot in the aftermath. Such is the proud nature of man. Even today, parallels exist between ours and the ancient worlds. History repeats itself, and nowhere today is that more obvious than the United States and ancient Athens, two extremely powerful nations that had and have true hegemony over the civilized world of man.

Both Athens and the US boast powerful republics, with Athens standing as the first true democracy of man and the US designing a government based heavily on the Athenian ideals. These systems serve well to maintain peace among the people and aid in decision making to further the interests of the nation. Neither system is perfect, even with the 1,500 year boost that the Framers of the United States Constitution had. They have “strong tradition[s] of being a maritime power[s],” and have extreme global impact on every other society within their reach, creating conflict that is very similar for both nations.[1] The United States is the “international police power” of the western world, maintaining a constant presence on land, air, sea, and the cyber domain at all hours of the day.[2] The Athenian equivalent to this was the Delian League, their so-called alliance that they created with many other nations in the Aegean Sea. While it is true that the Athenians maintained a much more tyrannical rule of their League compared to the humanitarian and quiet presence of the American global presence, they both played the same role as the world power and they maintained conflict due to this position for many decades.

The true struggle that came from the Delian league was the Peloponnesian War, a long struggle between Athens and Sparta. “The growth if the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired” in Sparta was the catalyst for the war.[3] This can also be seen from Russia and China as a response to America’s power, with them trying to undermine and come out on top of the US. While it must be stated that, in the case of this conflict and the way in which Athens governed its territory, America and Athens are on opposite sides of this situation. America could be seen as more similar to Sparta, attempting to stop the inane rule of an all-powerful city-state that is holding the rest of the world hostage.

Athens played a very selfish role as a power, something that fits more rightly with the time. Aspects such as equality and empathy were few and far between in the past, but now are commonplace. It is blatantly apparent that Athens and America play very similar roles in the world that they are in, but the decisions that Athens made put them down a more negative and self-important path. America is a much more righteous nation, using their influence for good rather than bad. Their decisions may differ, but Athens and America had very similar encounters due to who they were and the role that they played.

Cyrus Malek-Madani

Word Count: 550

[1] “America Is Athens and That Should Scare You.” American Greatness. February 28, 2018. Accessed April 08, 2019. https://amgreatness.com/2018/02/28/america-athens-scare/.

[2] Roosevelt Corollary.

[3] History of the Peloponnesian War, Book I, 1.23

Spartans Impact on Officers

Since the colonial times, the United States has relied on a number of external sources to create important founding documents, as demonstrated by the Magna Carta and the American Constitution, and the British governmental system and our own bicameral legislature. This use of outside sources does not stop with just the structure and principles of our government, but also includes the structure and ethos of our military. There have been a number of civilizations with military and leaders that inspire humans today, such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, but none of this civilizations were as pivotal in American military as the Spartans.

In Spartan society, dedication to service and the mission was the center of each citizens identity and time with boys being pulled from their families for training and females playing a supporting military role from a very young age. This in addition to the commitment demonstrated by relational sacrifices and their commitment to education. This is also seen in today’s officer’s force with the most educated Navy in history with increasing opportunities for masters degrees for enlisted and officer service members alike.

Spartan society was centered around a lifelong dedication to military service, allowing them to dominate their enemies on the battlefield. The culture of the Spartans can be summarized by the statement mothers would say to their sons as they we departing for war “with your shield or on it” (Plutarch). Shields in Spartan society were the key to their success only if every man utilized his shield as it was intended to be used. Without each man using his shield to protect himself and the man next to him in the sarissae, their likelihood of success in battle would plummet. This profound sense of selflessness that is found in the Spartan civilization has a key role in the officer force today. Selflessness is taught in leadership classes at the Academy as not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less and putting the needs of others ahead of your own. Spartan warrior ethos are very applicable to modern officership, as demonstrated by their indoctrination in officer training schools including plebe summer.

By studying the prowess that the Spartans demonstrated on the battlefield and within their own culture by creating warriors, we learn from their triumphs and trials in order to best most successful. The Spartans are the extreme demonstration of the leaders that Academy graduates strive to be, committed to their mission and one another.

-Mack Pearson

Word Count: 412

Blog #6

As a future officer in the Navy or Marine Corps, it is important to be objective in your decision making. Alexander the Great is thought to be one of the greatest tacticians and generals of his time, but even he had faults. I believe that it is important to study history because analyzing how great leaders like Alexander the Great rose and fell from power is essential to becoming a great leader. History has proven time and time again that some aspects like politics or war will repeat over and over again. By studying history, I can avoid mistakes that great leaders made in the past. When learning about how Alexander the Great rose to power, I learned a few things. I learned from Alexander the Great that a great leader should be mindful of his or her action, a great leader will listen to their subordinates and take into account what they feel, and lastly a good leader must make objective decisions.

When conquering Persia he wanted to persuade the Persian people to recognize him as their ruler. To aide in that effort, he adopted some of their traditions, one of which is called proskynesis. This is a position where the subordinate gets on their hands and knees and bows to their leader. By adopting this Persian tradition, the Persian people gained trust in Alexander, but that came at a price. Alexander’s generals, did not like the idea of bowing to their leader. The lesson that can be learned from this situation is that an exceptional leader does not try to satisfy everyone’s needs. Alexander the Great was too hung up on how the Persian people viewed him, that he sacrificed his men’s loyalty so that the Persian people would respect him as a leader. Also, he fell in love with a Persian woman. “And then there was the matter of Roxane. His actions were motivated by passion…’ (Plutarch, Alexander 47.7-.8). Falling in love with a member of the enemy team is terrible. His subordinates lost faith in him because he failed to recognize how his actions affected his leadership. Directly following that event, Alexander the Great made a poor decision in order to one up his rival leaders. He marched his army through the Godrosian Desert. He chose this route was that he wanted to do better than Cyrus and the legendary Queen Semiamis. In the end, he is responsible for many of his men’s death due to dehydration.

Alexander also spend most of his time with villagers, and not his men. This gave off the impression that Alexander only cared about the Persian villagers instead of his own men. This is the seed that can be planted in a person’s brain. This seed is called mistrust, and by forcing his own men to change their traditions to accommodate to another person’s is almost insulting. A good leader would listen to his subordinates and adjust or justify for his actions. If a leader does not do that, then he or she will lose the trust of their men.

Alexander the Great is an amazing tactician and general, but he lacked the ability to understand how his actions affected how his subordinates viewed him, and his arrogance are mistakes that I hope to not make in the future as a Naval or Marine Corps officer.

~556 Words

Vincent Potente

Thucydides Trap: Is War Between the U.S. and China Inevitable?

April 12, 2019 | Blog 6

“It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable.”

So described Athenian historian Thucydides on the Peloponnesian War two and a half millennia ago.

What was the Peloponnesian War? Let me begin by explaining Athens’ gradual rise in power.

After the Greek city-states banded together to fight off the Persians, the group split into two main alliances: the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues. The Delian League, under the control of Athens, was a broad pact of city-states based on the Mediterranean Sea with a powerful navy.

With the League’s treasury shifted to Athens by 454 BC, Athens was no longer a republic but an empire. The following years were characterized by the degradation and brutal treatment of allies.

With Athens as a rising power threatened to displace Sparta as the ruling power, the two city-states were on the path to a long and bloody war. This is known as the Thucydides Trap, and we can apply this concept to a familiar situation in modern times: the United States vs. China.

Over the past 60 years, China has transformed from an agrarian backwater to “the biggest player in the history of the world.” China and American risk plunging into the dangerous trap recognized by Thucydides.

In truth, this aged insight illustrates a destructive pattern in history. There have been multiple occurrences in which the rise of a significant nation has disrupted the position of a dominant state in the past few centuries.

A most recognizable example is a rapidly expansionist Germany threatening Britain’s state of hegemony in the last century. Their economic and military competition upgraded to world war.

Since World War II, the rules-based order designed by D.C. has allowed time without fighting among great powers. With China increasing in strength, the harmony countless generations have come to value is now endangered.

Despite his credibility, Thucydides’ claim about “inevitability” is bogus. A war between the U.S. and China is not predestined. In fact, Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping thoroughly discussed their situation at the 2015 U.S.-China summit. They agreed that the two nations are “capable of managing their disagreements” while it is possible for significant powers to slip up, resulting in war.

Will something shortly prompt these two great nations to war? Will the leaders of the U.S. and China follow in the tragic footsteps of Athens and Sparta or Britain and Germany? Or will they keep the peace for years to come?

There is no definite answer, but tensions between the two nations will rise.

We must not allow the Thucydides’ Trap blind us from reality. Together we must band to brave history’s trends and defy the odds for the sake of our posterity.

— Cameron Guan

Word Count: 422

Sources:

The Atlantic article The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War? by Graham Allison, published on Sep. 24, 2015, accessed on Apr. 12, 2019

History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides (c. 431 BCE)

Athens and Sparta: the ancient Navy and Marine Corps

Officers in military careers serve as leaders of the nation. They stand for all the right things. They accept responsibility and take the blame when things go wrong. As an officer in the Navy though, we owe our specific skillsets to developing our country through the sea. Our history remains important to us as it carries on our traditions from the beginning of the nation to now. The Ancient Greek civilization proves significantly useful to be knowledgeable about as the Athenians held a maritime-based way of life.

The Athenians relied on the sea for their power. As a Navy, so do we. The Athenians built their own empire through the sea by using their ships to conquer other nations. By building a great Navy, they allowed their expansion and influence to reach all over the Mediterranean. They used triremes to wage wars on other nations. Even though Athens was by no means the largest city-state, it became one of the richest.

Not saying that the Navy should dominate and lord over other countries, but the Navy could learn from Athenian history on how to maximize their efficiency and influence around the world. The Athenians thought things through. “For this the allies had themselves to blame; the wish to get off service making most of them arrange to pay their share of the expense in money instead of in ships, and so to avoid having to leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds which they contributed, a revolt always found them without resources or experience for war.” (Thucydides 1.99). They spent their money wisely and focused on building up their nation.

Ancient Greece also served as a good example for officers with the Spartans. Sparta, a warrior city-state, specialized in land attacks and built their empire up in that manner. Sparta provides a good example for the Marines to follow. The Marines possess a warrior culture focused on brotherly bonds. A similar mindset to that of the Spartans. Every person of different ranks eats, sleeps, works, and fights together. The Spartans earned their fame for being the toughest soldiers around. At the Battle of Thermopylae, three hundred Spartan soldiers stood together and held off the entire Persian army. They eventually perished, but not before taking a large portion of the Persian army with them. The Spartans inspired the rest of Greece to fight against the Persians too.

Ancient Greece serves as a great example for officers of the military to study because it embodies so much. The contrasting styles of the Athenians and the Spartans allow for multiple solutions to the same problems. Not only this, but their more notable strategies can be applied to the Navy and Marine Corps today. Both Athens and Sparta held the most powerful navies and armies of the ancient world. Because of this, officers should study their history before entering the fleet.

-Moira Camacho

Word Count: 416

Thucydides 1.99

Continuing to Learn

In order to be successful, one must never stop learning. A common phrase I have been told at the Naval Academy is, “The day you stop learning is the day you start dying.” A history course with many aspects focused on the military side of past civilizations helps future military leaders learn from mistakes. While learning from past civilizations’ mistakes, these courses help young leaders incorporate new ideas into their own way of thinking.

Currently, every country and even person has a different approach to war and tactics, and that has held the same throughout history. Every individual holds an opinion on what works best for war in terms of succeeding. Chinese history and civilization has always really intrigued me, and a military leader I really respect is Sun-Tzu. In high school, I had the opportunity to read Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War and really dissect what he was saying. In his literature, Sun-Tzu states that the ultimate goal of war is to “subdue the enemy without fighting” (The Art of War, 2.20). Sun-Tzu stood apart from his competitors because he incorporated Taoist principles that emphasized more philosophical thinking. Successful people should focus on their natural being and development as a person. Taoist followers support harmony and virtue.

As a midshipman, I believe I support the same ideals. I support the harmony of people and the fluidity of a brigade working together to achieve a goal, one that naturally aligns with the way of the world. People are most effective when they are able to work in an environment most conducive to them personally. Why would leadership force its people to work uphill when the same outcome can be achieved by going downhill?

Not only will learning from China help me create a unique leadership style and goals for my subordinates, it will also help me understand China as an adversary. China’s military and political history will help me find ways to create relationships with Chinese nationals in order to support the mission of the United States Navy. This will especially hold true if I achieve my dreams of becoming a Foreign Area Officer, working directly in China on behalf of the Navy. In order to be a FAO, I must get a Master’s degree in International Relations, so learning about China and its important history beforehand will give me a leg up in the future. Overall, it is important to know the history of a country you are trying to subdue.

Military leaders should handle war as a means for peace instead of creating conflict. Learning about the Taoist principles in Sun-Tzu’s writings have given me a different perspective on war, strategy, and tactics. This information will not only aid my job as a Junior Officer directly out of the Naval Academy, but it will also help in long term career goals. Learning about different civilizations in this class has helped me explore different ways I want to lead in the Fleet.

Corinne DeSpain

Word count: 483

https://www.ancient.eu/Sun-Tzu/

Relevance of the Course: Introduction to the Historical Background and Context of Jus Ad Bellum

The United States Navy is a globally operational, maritime force. Its Sailors and Marine defend and support the United States Constitution across the world, inducing the inevitable interaction between American citizens and those of an entirely different world view. By harnessing a basic knowledge of the histories of these ancient civilizations, students and officers are better equipped to support a foundation upon which cultural appreciation, acknowledgement, and respect can be built. Such cultural competency is necessary to effectively operate in foreign environments, so as to successfully accomplish the mission and protect all those within the militant environment (“Building Language”). In many instances, a lack of historical and cultural understanding builds a barrier between both opposing and allied forces. Such a barrier can become dangerous and prove detrimental to mission success. The United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Armed Services (Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations) report, Building Language Skills and Cultural Competencies in the Military: DOD’s Challenge in Today’s Educational Environment, published in November 2008, cites multiple instances this in which this barrier negatively impacts the operation.

One apparent piece of historical knowledge which will be abundantly relevant to our service of officers is our discussion on St. Augustine’s City of God, which has been the basis our of Just War Theory, Jus Ad Bellum. St. Augustine was the “founder of Christian thinking about what constitutes a just war” (Course Packet 144). This philosophy is applied to modern war justification. Its significance and relevance to our military system has been discussed in other courses here at the United States Naval Academy, notably in Ethics and Moral Reasoning for the Naval Leader. The introduction of the historical background of this philosophical work makes this course unique. It is necessary to understand completely our nation’s criteria for the justification of declaring and fighting wars; however, it is also meaningful to be aware of and comprehend the historical background of such philosophical thinking that is rudimentary to our current philosophy. Understanding the foundation upon which the philosophical ideals were established and the historical and cultural context in which they were written deserve our awareness and recognition. By reflecting on the fruition of such statutes, we may be better enabled to fulfill such ideals during our own time of service.

-Meagan Stevenson

Word Count:

Sources:

United States, Congress, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations . “BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS AND CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN THE MILITARY: DOD’s Challenge in Today’s Educational Environment .” BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS AND CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN THE MILITARY: DOD’s Challenge in Today’s Educational Environment , 2008. https://armedservices.house.gov/_cache/files/3/7/3737c7c1-efeb-4672-bc99-74b340faf0ba/540DE3C82A9F532C584E402C683E8439.language-and-culture-report-11-08-vf.pdf

Appendix C of the Course Packet, St. Augustine, Selections from City of God and other writings

The Past, Today

Study of the past is the most effective, important, practical way to better mold the future. In the foundation of America, our forefathers laid the bedrock of our values and way of life based on the knowledge of successes and mistakes of the past. Civilizations such as the ancient Athenians assisted the construction of the democratic values America holds today; the Athenians have simply been a part of the ushering in of democracy to the much of the world, our own country included. However, having an even greater impact than the Athenians on the American government and way of life was the Romans.

The Romans created the first large-scale representative democracy, and even though their success was limited, their failures influenced the founders’ decisions in their conception of our American government as it is today. As military officers, knowledge of the “why” behind the values held by Americans and how they came to be is essential to comprehending the oath we swear to the Constitution and fulfilling it.

The Ancient Romans, following in the footsteps of the Greeks and adopting much of their traditions and culture, instituted a form of democracy that sought to remedy the main issues that Athens’ direct democracy failed to address: namely stability and the overwhelming mob-rule. In order to achieve this, the Romans created a republic in which (most) citizens could participate and choose representatives to accomplish their demands. In fact, many of the founding fathers praised the Roman Republic and those who defended; take, for example, James Madison on Cicero (Cicero was a staunch defender of the Roman Republic in the face of the dictatorship of Julius Caesar): “Among the ancients there are two illustrious examples of the epistolary style, Cicero and Pliny, whose letters present you with models of fine writing, which have borne the criticism of almost two thousand years.”¹

Taken from a 10,000-foot view, the Roman legislative “branch” of government is relatively akin to our own, considering the millennia separating our nations. However, no nation is perfect, and Rome still failed to achieve stability in times of emergency. Tyrants and emperors readily filled the void created when centralized power was necessary, and the Roman Republic gradually lost its potency.

By considering the past and learning from its mistakes, our founding fathers were able to create one of the, if not the, most successful nations ever to dwell on this earth. As officers, warfighting will not be our only medium of the profession: diplomacy and bureaucracy almost inevitably will force themselves into our lives at some point and without a comprehension of history and past civilizations’ — especially the Romans’ — failures, our success in fulfilling the mission we swore an oath to is jeopardized. The institution of our mission, our nation, stands upon the bedrock of an understanding of the past: be it the Romans, the Greeks, or any person we can learn from; our nation and humanity’s progress will forever be inextricably linked to those in our history.

— Gregory Mathias

Word Count: 465

¹Adams, John. The Letters of John and Abigail Adams No. 117. 1776

Blog #6

The American military draws from the principles of numerous ancient civilization, perhaps the most prominent being Ancient Sparta. Their civilization was the pinnacle of a warrior society with the central focus being making fighters and winning wars. By taking a closer look at the Spartans, it becomes apparent that their military success was dependent on a strict ethical code, crucial training and development, and effective tactics and strategies. If we emulate certain aspects of their warrior-based culture, our military could benefit, especially at an individual level.

The concept of the warrior is most relevant for modern military forces in special warfare and infantry. However, this is not to say that there is nothing to be learned from the Spartans if one does not belong to one of these two areas. Every individual in the military has sworn themselves to a higher cause and will likely face the possibility of death in their respective service. With this knowledge, it may be helpful to keep in mind the practices and teachings of the Spartan military, as their soldiers epitomized honor, courage and commitment. Similarly, members of the Navy are expected to uphold these virtues, as they are the Navy’s core values. By studying how Sparta was able to employ such a disciplined military, we can be better equipped to instill similar virtues in our subordinates.

From a young age, Spartan men were raised in a demanding military environment where personal honor was strongly emphasized. They were taught loyalty, honesty, courage, and other attributes of admirable officers. One notable quote from Spartan society was “Come back with your shield – or on it.” This was typically a war cry of soldiers’ mothers who wished for their sons to die valiantly in battle rather than return home. The quote exemplifies the dedication, resiliency, and selflessness Spartan soldiers were expected to uphold in combat. They embraced the reality that they were only small instruments who collectively were able to achieve the worthwhile goals of the state through teamwork and sacrifice.

Although it is not possible nor entirely moral to replicate Spartan society, there is much to be learned from the way they trained their military. One main lesson aforementioned is the importance of a strong moral foundation. Another that can be drawn is the selection of their warriors. Instead of expanding their forces by allowing the entirety of the Spartan population into the army, they only chose the finest fighters to form the ranks of the Spartan military. This process was extended over a period of several years of training and was extremely selective. The Spartans were known for fighting with numbers far inferior to their enemies and still remaining victorious.

The real benefits of studying Ancient Sparta occur at an individual level, where one can begin to learn the characteristics of a warrior and emulate those traits and virtues. The concept of the warrior applies to every member of the military and the Spartan soldier is one of the best models from ancient times. By upholding consistent moral values and actively demonstrating loyalty to country, making use of one’s knowledge of Ancient Spartan military can be useful in the fleet.

Cameron Douglas

525 Words