Theodore Roosevelt and the transoceanic naval arms race, 1897-1909
Subject(s): Anglo German Blockade (Venezuela : 1902), Battleships, Dewey, George, 1837-1917, Dreadnought (Battleship), Fisher, John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron, 1841-1920, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Long, John Davis, 1838-1915, Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914, Mission statements, Panama--Panama Canal, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Sims, William Sowden, 1858-1936, Tirpitz, Alfred von, 1849-1930, Trafalgar, Battle of (1805), Tsushima, Battle of (1905), United States. Navy, United States. Navy. Atlantic Fleet. Battleship Force, William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941
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Carl Cavanagh Hodge examines Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas and policies regarding naval policy in the context of international relations and a naval arms race in the first decade of the twentieth century. Hodge emphasizes Roosevelt’s reading and use of the ideas of naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan, and he compares American naval plans with those of Great Britain and Germany. Hodge frames Roosevelt’s policies within the context of friendly relations with Great Britain, an increasingly assertive Germany, and the rising power of Japan, especially in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War. Hodge highlights the acquisition and construction of the Panama Canal and the voyage of the Great White Fleet as key parts of Roosevelt’s overall naval strategy. He notes Roosevelt’s embrace of the battleship as a means of engaging other nations’ fleets abroad, and he asserts that Roosevelt saw the fleet as an important symbol of American power.
Eight photographs, including those of Roosevelt and Mahan, and one illustration supplement the article. A text with the mission statement of the Theodore Roosevelt Association appears in the endnotes.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
2008-07-08
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
13
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt and the transoceanic naval arms race, 1897-1909. [July 8, 2008]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308324. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Hodge, Carl Cavanagh. Theodore Roosevelt and the transoceanic naval arms race, 1897-1909. [8 Jul. 2008]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308324.
APA:
Hodge, Carl Cavanagh., [2008, July 8]. Theodore Roosevelt and the transoceanic naval arms race, 1897-1909.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308324.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
