This is the beginning of blogs for the spring semester AY19. Please do not comment on any blog posts written before (=below) this one.

What Can The US Navy Learn From Athens?

Similarly to the Athenian army during the Golden Age of Athens, the United States today is with little doubt the dominant military superpower of our time. As officers in the world’s most capable Navy, the ability to deescalate and think reasonably through challenges is crucial to the overall success of the fleet. When analyzing the Melian Dialogue, there are several important lessons to learn about utilizing benevolence in the face of a clearly weaker opponent.

According to Thucydides, the Melian Dialogue occurred in 416 BC and involved the empire of Athens and the supposedly neutral island of Melos. For several years, tensions between the Athenians and the Spartans had continued to develop and smaller city-states were caught in the midst. This is exactly what happened to the city of Melos. (1)

When confronted with the difficult decision of whether or not to surrender to Athens, the Melians put forward their leading representatives to argue for their freedom. Leaders from Melos tried to reason that “a pleas for justice and fairness should do some good for a man who has fallen into danger.” (2) This was clearly an example of how the Melians felt that because they were neutral, they shouldn’t be punished considering they had no intentions to help either side. They continued by asking “Won’t this turn the people who are now neutral into your enemies?” (2) Their support was that “Once they’ve seen this, they will expect you to attack them eventually also.” (2) This is an important point, because the Melians were not the only neutral city-state at the time and they argued that Athens would only alienate the others through their actions.

The Melians definitely presented strong arguments, but alas they were not enough to sway the Athenians set on conquering Melos. After the civil debate, one Athenian leader even remarked “You have staked everything on your trust in hope… and you will be ruined in everything.” (2)

There are several important lessons that can be related to our military today. For example, the Athenians were too strong to be defeated by Melos and therefore felt they did not have to compromise or listen to the Melian leaders asking for mercy. This had important implications later on, however, as city-states who were neutral became wary of Athens.

Today, the US is involved in several conflicts in the Middle East. Terrorist groups like ISIS have continued to grow in influence in this region of the world, and their main recruiting tactic is attacking and demonizing the West. (3) For example, ISIS leaders garnered the attention of every major country when they started beheading Western journalists, showing that they were not afraid of the strength of America or anyone else. (3) They also take special care to show the innocent lives that are lost in the crossfire, further advocating to the youth who are still searching for belonging that the United States is the obvious enemy.

As Navy and Marine Corps officers involved in global conflicts, it will be our duty not to be like the ruthless Athenian invaders. Rather, we need to be the guiding hand amidst chaos that minimizes the loss of innocent lives and improves relations so that we do not feed the stereotype of war mongers and breed dissent against Western culture in future generations.

Word Count: 550

Sources:

https://www.nku.edu/~weirk/ir/melian.html
The Melian Dialogue, Adapted from Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War
https://www.businessinsider.com/isis-is-revolutionizing-international-terrorism-2015-5

Ancient vs Modern Conflicts: Not So Different After All

The saying goes that history repeats itself. Despite our best efforts to learn from the past to prevent future conflict, humans continuously find themselves in a constant cycle of peace, conflict, and war. For every current conflict or event, there is likely a precedent. Take Ancient Greece, for example. In Ancient Greece, the Greek city-states had placed their trust in Athens as the superior navy to take the lead when it came to defeating the Persians. They paid tribute in money or supplies, and allowed Athens to do whatever it took to shut down the Persian Empire. Little did they realize that the true danger was laying right under their noses. To combat the Persians, the Delian League was implemented with Athens as its head. Once the Persians were defeated, there would be no reason to keep the Delian League intact. However, despite the efforts of various city-states in Greece, the Athenians refused to allow any member to withdraw from the League once the war ended and demanded continual tribute, attacking any city-state who challenged Athens. It wasn’t unit the Spartans allied with Persia in the final Peloponnesian war that the Athens was brought to her knees.

Centuries later, we a see Germany attempt a similar stunt in its quest to conquer first Europe. Similar to the leaders of Athens, and Pericles in particular, Hitler had a talent for public speaking. He projected an image to the citizens of Germany, and the rest of the world The same way Pericles took complete control of the Athenian assembly and turned what appeared on the surface as a complete democracy into “government of the first” (Thucydides ____), so Hitler was able bring the Nazi’s to power and seize Germany without anyone batting eye. And just like it was up to the Spartans and their ally with Persia to bring down Athens tyranny, so it fell to the United States and the Allied Forces to bring down Germany.]

Looking at how these two empires we see many similarities. First and foremost, both Pericles and Hitler were phenomenal public speakers. In an article on how exactly Hitler came to gain so much power, he is described as being able to “[whip] crowds into frenzies” and “not only the Chancellor of Germany, but a beloved celebrity”. Through there charm both Hitler and Pericles were able to gain favor of the people. When looking at the actions of Athens as a whole, they were able to use the policies in place from the Delian League, such as the demand for tribute, to continue their growth as a city-state and the strongest power in Greece. This power enabled them to establish dominance over other city-states, they did not need permission to act on anything from anyone but themselves. In a slightly similar case, Hitler was able to implement the Enabling, allowing his cabinet to act without consent from parliament, making it much easier for him expand his power over the government. Both nations had a gradual and strategic rise to power, and both nations were taken down by the unified efforts of rivaling nations. On the surface, these two nations seem very different, however, if we strip away all the extra details and look at the core of what these two nations planned to accomplish and how they went about it, we see the repeating cycle of human nature in history.

word count: 564

https://www.livescience.com/54441-how-hitler-rose-to-power.html

History in the Fleet

The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in history. The Romans amassed a great amount of land and wealth thought the empires lifetime, and it all started from the Italian peninsula. The Romans would eventually grow to control the Mediterranean world of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. But why were the Romans so successful? The Roman’s success was mostly due to its military success on the battlefield. Roman tactics, training, and discipline gave their armies an advantage over its rivals. An officer in the fleet should look into the past and see what led to military failure and what led to success. By analyzing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, it is clear to see the importance of always having a well-trained and well equipped military. A newly commissioned officer may not be able to equip the entirety of the military, but a low ranking officer can make it a point to have the most disciplined and well-trained unit. At its peak, the Roman Empire had a superb military, but as the need for a military dwindled due to less conflicts and less conquests, the military readiness of Rome dwindled too. The Romans became weak on the battlefield and so vandals were able to invade the vulnerable empire. “The vandals led a force of eighty thousand men from different Germanic tribes across the Mediterranean and laid siege to the Hippo. Augustine witnessed whole cities sacked.” As safe as it seems, an officer should always act as if it were war time. Helping to keep the military sharp and sturdy is something I can take away from analyzing the Roman Empire. Another key point from the Roman Empire is how its leadership was able to keep it together for so long. The Roman leadership was willing to adopt new structures. The willingness to adopt new structures resulted in a more flexible empire, a stronger empire. A stiff sword will break before a flexible sword. Being flexible about my ideas and culture will be useful for me as an officer. The military is filled with dynamic and intelligent individuals, as an officer I should be able to learn from these outstanding individuals. Being too stubborn to adopt new ideas will lead to a lack of growth in my knowledge and development as a leader overall. The Roman success and failures are a great model to learn from and are very applicable for a future military officer.

Michael Shubert 423

St. Augustine Denounces Paganism and Urges Romans to Enter The City of God

St. Augustine (413-426)

Lessons from the Mongols

Eric Wilson

I believe that knowledge and lessons can be learned from all of the civilizations we have covered this semester. Some of the biggest lessons, in my opinion, can be learned from the rise and fall of the Mongols. The Mongol Empire, specifically in the time period around the 1100s, rose to power and established themselves all across Asia. They covered a very large area that extended from the East China Sea to Eastern Europe. A large amount of their success was due to the leadership of Genghis Khan who rallied the nomadic tribes to work together and conquer many different regions.

The Empire relied heavily on the sole leadership of Khan and his successors. However, in a sense, the Empire put all of its eggs in one basket. The eventual fall of the Empire came after the death of Ogedei Khan, Genghis’ third son. The Empire was expanding west when their expedition was halted after the death of their leader. Based on what we learned in class and our discussions, it seems that the Mongols relied solely on the leadership from the Khan’s. There was no sort of disbursal of power to more than just the Khan leader. As a result, the Empire crumbled once its assigned leader passed away. Relating this to the Fleet today, we need to learn to delegate certain powers and responsibilities. If too many powers and responsibilities lie on one person, a team unit will not be able to operate without its leader present. As an officer we must learn to delegate responsibilities and knowledge to those within the group because if the officer is ever taken away from a situation, the unit needs to still be able to operate.

Additionally, the Mongols found much of their success through their strategy and tactics throughout their conquests. When conquering regions, the Mongols would slaughter their opposition by using superior military tactics. This slaughter of the opposition is noted in The Perfect History by Ibn al-Athir from 1225. Regarding the Mongol Empire, he states, “These Tartars… came from the East, and wrought deeds which horrify all who hear of them, and which thou shalt, please God, see set forth in full detail in their proper connection.” This fearful view of the Mongols stems from their ability to annihilate opponents. The technology and tactics utilized allowed them to succeed at a very high level. We can learn lessons from this by seeing the effects tactics and weaponry. In today’s military, we must remain superior in the areas of tactics and weaponry. While we shouldn’t necessarily carry the expansionist approach of the Mongols, we can still remain on top of these areas. If we do, we can experience success through the comfort of knowing we are safe and that we can respond to any threats in an effective manner.

Ultimately, the Mongols were a very successful empire that can teach us many lessons today. Their rise to power shows the effectiveness of tactics and strategy, while their defeat can show how delegation of power is necessary. By modernizing some of the successes of the Mongols and by correcting their faults, I believe we can take these lessons and apply them to be better naval officers today.

Word Count (excluding quotes): 502

Sources: The Perfect History by Ibn al-Athir (c. 1225)

History in the Fleet

Throughout the officer application process, the US Navy emphasizes the importance of being a well-rounded individual. One key to becoming a well-rounded individual is a vast knowledge about the past. Understanding different past societies and customs can help an officer to better prepare for their own fights. One of the most influential past societies imperative for officers to understand is ancient Greece. Although little physically remains of the ancient society, many thoughts and ideas are still carried on. Greek society that has been a continued source of inspiration and admiration for many countries to date. It seems that everywhere one looks, the legacy and impact of the ancient Greeks are embedded in society. Sports, architecture, philosophy, government, and science are only a few examples of how ancient Greek culture is still reflected in the modern world. Through studying the ancient Greek civilization, officers can understand the beginnings of many different aspects of today’s society.

The military prowess of the ancient Greek society, from the Spartan warrior culture to the Athenian navy, is continuously embedded into officer curriculum. Though military technologies changed throughout time, the nature of warfare withstood the time’s test. Today’s warfare still reflects the Greek city-states center on ethos and honor in battle. Here at the USNA, Midshipmen are prescribed by the Commandant to read “The Warrior Ethos,” by Steven Pressfield. In his book, Pressfield examines the warrior codes of many different past civilizations, dating to the Spartans and Athenians. In it he states, “The warrior culture…values cohesion and obedience. The soldier or sailor is not free to do whatever he wants. He serves; he is bound to perform his duty.” (Pressfield Ch. 22). One day, when Midshipmen get placed into the Fleet, their duty will be to protect the USA. As practiced by civilizations like the ancient Greeks, the concept of a soldiers duty to his country/state is so important that it has withstood the test of time. It is important for us to ensure that it will still be present for generations to come.

As officers, knowing how to fight is only one part of the battle. Understanding what is being fought for is equally as important. US naval officers’ job is to protect American democracy all around the world. The ancient Greeks established the very beginnings of democratic thought. Through understanding the Greek’s point of view of democracy, officers can better understand the ideals our country was founded upon. As Pericles once stated of the Athenian constitution in his Funeral Oration, “We have a form of government that does not try to imitate the laws of our neighboring states. We are more an example to others, than they to us.” (Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Book I, Chapter 3, Line 37-39). The US military is sanctioned to fight for democratic ideals established many years ago by the ancient Greeks. It is our duty to be the example not only for the soldiers and sailors underneath us, but for the rest of the world.

As an officer, understanding the past will lead to the best success on and off the battlefield. Through examing past civilizations like the ancient Greeks, one can become well-rounded in different areas of thought. The more well-rounded an individual is, the better leader they will become.

By: Melissa Cortese

Word Count: 551

Pressfield, Steven. “Chapter 22: The Civilian World.” The Warrior Ethos. Black Irish Entertainment, 2011. Print.

History in the Fleet

Throughout our time in the History of the West in the Pre-modern, I have found the most applicable lessons to be found in the civilizations that took part in the Second Crusade. There are three main lessons to be taken from these people and they are that one should be passionate about their beliefs but not to the extent of blindness, that one should not persecute another for their personal beliefs, and that unity is the only way to success. These three lessons are applicable now and will serve an even greater importance as I head out into the fleet and lead young sailors or marines.

To start, the civilizations taking part in the Second Crusade taught me that my own beliefs are something to be passionate about. The Second Crusade brought together the Germans, French, and the people of the Holy Land all fighting for one cause, Christianity. Our beliefs are something that we can find common ground in and as a future officer, I must learn to use that to my advantage while working with a wide variety of people on a daily basis.

However, with that being said, it is extremely important not to persecute another person just because they believe something different than you. Differences have their values, just as similarities, and must be respected and learned from. People of varying beliefs have countless lessons that are unique to themselves and by persecuting them, we immediately lose out on learning from these lessons. By attacking Damascus, the fighters of the Second Crusade broke a truce all because the people there were mainly of Muslim background (A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, William of Tyre). In the end, this led to major losses in the Crusade as a whole. Learning from this battle and the entirety of the Second Crusade, we need to understand that we cannot attack those who do not follow our beliefs. We need to find common ground and live together as humanity.

Lastly, I learned from the fighters of the Second Crusade that the only way to success is working together. If the Germans, French, or the people of the Holy Land tried to win the Second Crusade on their own, it would have ended much quicker and with a total defeat. Even though these people all came from different lives, they realized that banding together was the only way to success and that is very similar to how our military must run as a whole. We must maintain our alliances with foreign militaries and as stated before, find value in our differences.

Word Count: 435

Rome and Societal Conflicts

It is no secret that America has recently been experiencing some societal conflicts. Startling enough, some of these aspects in society can be paralleled to Ancient Rome and the eventual downfall of their empire. There are the obvious similarities between Ancient Rome and the United States such as them both being prosperous and strong military powers, but they also shared some societal similarities. One contribution to the eventual fall of Rome came from the decrease in importance on family life and morals. This first started in Rome with men participating in less and less religious worship in their homes. This same decrease is happening in the United States as according to the Pew Research Center, the percent of adults that are religiously affiliated had dropped 6% in the years 2007-2014. Often times, regardless of the specific religion, religious affiliation teaches values such as ethics and dedication. According to Forbes Magazine, studies have shown that the even the non-spiritual benefits of religion are related to religious attendance. “Religious participation by kids has been shown to result in less juvenile delinquency, less drug use including less smoking, better school attendance, and a higher probability of graduating from high school” (Forbes). Having a strong religious affiliation is a characteristic that a family can share and bond over. With a lack of this shared practice, it is easier for the unity of the family to lose its strong ties.

The next step in the downfall of the family was men spending less time with their families and more time concerned about material things and wealth. From the book Conspiracy of Catiline, a Roman politician stated that “Some set their hearts on houses, some on lands…The whole period was one of debauched tastes and lawlessness. When wealth was once counted an honor, and glory, authority, and power attended it, virtue lost her influence, poverty was thought a disgrace, and a life of innocence was regarded as a life of mere ill nature”. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association study, parents of both sexes are spending an average of ten or twelve hours less per week with their children than when they did in 1960. As men in Rome spent more time worrying about trying to gain wealth in Rome, they began to neglect their wives and family. This led to them cheating on their wives and becoming more sexual active with women of the lower class. Consequently, this also led to a higher divorce rate and bad relationships with their children. The United States ranks as the third highest country for divorce rate with around 40% marriages ending in divorce. It is no secret that divorce can significantly affect children in a negative way. Observing the ending of love between parents can be very hard for children of all ages. Having two parents present to teach and mentor a child on the right way to live as they grow up is of grave importance to the future of a society.

Although some of these ideas may be dramatic, it is interesting to see a similar trend within the two great nations. It is not just these two societal conflicts but politics as well that have shown parallels. It may not be time to panic yet…but the U.S. should be weary as history tends to repeat itself.

Word Count: 554

https://probe.org/rome-and-america/

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/

https://www.pbs.org/livelyhood/workingfamily/familytrends.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2013/12/22/religion-is-good-for-all-of-us-even-those-who-dont-follow-one/#61aa4d5164d7

Historical Lessons

It is a common lesson that repeating history’s mistakes will lead to the same outcome. It is crucially important to take lessons learned from both Athenian democracy, and also various pieces of literature such as The Art of War and to apply them in a career as a leader. Looking at the model of Athenian democracy, I believe that making sure every sailor has a voice that will be heard is very important to foster an effective command climate. One of the most common things I heard over my 4/C cruise was that officers seemed to be relatively disconnected from the daily lives of sailors, and what they have to say. I believe that holding something similar to an assembly would be extremely beneficial as it would allow for voices to be heard, and to give those who are afraid to speak up the chance to voice their concerns. A strong team is developed when people believe they are important to their cause. Allowing everyone to speak, while not everyone could be satisfied, would create a climate in which they know that their voices have at least been heard. The Athenians created a model in which mostly everyone had a say in their decisions, and I believe that hearing what others have to say is important as an officer.

The Art of War also serves as an insightful and impactful piece of literature. Sun Tzu states, “The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness”. I believe that this is a perfect summation of what the military strives to achieve in their officers. We are taught to uphold each of these characteristics, and that they will lead to success. I believe that these pillars of character are extremely important as they are synonymous with the characteristics that are taught to us over our entire time at the Academy. The Art of War not only talks about what an officer should be like, but also general statements on how to conduct warfare. It is important to learn from these and apply them, in order to stop yourself from making hasty or naïve decisions in the heat of the moment. Although it is important to keep strategy in mind, the most important from Sun Tzu, is that a commander should be a person who is for their enlisted, and do everything in their power in order to guarantee their happiness and success.

WC:404

Learning from the Past

MIDN 3/C Ionatan A. Soule, USN

When joining the military one must be fully aware of what they are getting themselves into. While we, the military of the United States of America, may not currently be engaged in an all-out war, we are still engaged in many armed conflicts around the globe. Things may be relatively peaceful now, but there is no guarantee that they will remain as such or that one will not have to partake in some sort of combative role. Put simply, there is still a very large chance that one will be put into harm’s way and be required to make the decision of whether or not to take the life of another human being. As a future officer in the Navy, I will be directly responsible for both the wellbeing of my people and the decision of whether or not it is morally right and just to eliminate a target…I will be responsible for the way in which we conduct war. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is a masterpiece on military tactics written during the Zhou Dynasty of the Warring States period in China around 750-450 BCE. Though dated, this book contains very important insights on strategy that, with a little modification, are still applicable to today’s modern warfare landscape.

The period itself, the Warring States period, was a period of conflict and change—change of borders, rulers, culture, etc… During this conflict, armies devised new military methods and strategies. By studying this period and the Art of War, I will be better prepared to lead in the future. I believe that one of the most important lines in the Art of War is, “Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting” (Art of War). This quote speaks directly to the truth that war is worse than hell. As an officer, one must not be too willing to charge headfirst into battle. Actual combat must be reserved as an action of last resort when all other diplomatic means have been utterly exhausted. It is important to keep this mentality at the forefront of one’s mind when making military decisions.

Another key insight of Master Sun is the following: “A ruler can bring misfortune upon his troops in three ways: [1] to advance or retreat when they should not, […2] ignorant interference in military decisions, […and 3] ignorant meddling in military appointments” (Art of War). What I glean from this advice is the following: knowledge is power. In each of the three instances the ruler, in our case officer, is making a poor decision because they are ignorant of the truth. In the first, the officer is not up to date on the situation on the ground, sea, or air and makes a poor judgment call that could have been easily avoided had they put time into understanding the situation better. The second is not taking the time to fully understand and analyze what has been decided before interfering with it, an action that could cause chaos and confusion. The third is encouraging anything but a merit-based system of advancement. Those in power should not be there because you like them, they should be there because they have proven time and time again that they are the most qualified for the job, because they have proven to have the necessary experience, insight, and most importantly, knowledge to perform the job well. As an officer, one’s first task should then be to learn—listen and learn as much as you can and this can be achieved through many different means.

One such means is by studying the past. Though Sun Tzu may have lived in a different era, there can be no question that he was a great military leader and strategist. He took the time to compile what he had learned so that we, the future officers of the navy, could learn from him without committing the same mistakes he did.

Word count: 658