Gorshkov: strategy must fit the state

Gorshkov writes openly from Soviet and Russian circumstances, just as Mahan addressed American needs and Corbett addressed British ones. General strategic principles can travel, but their application depends on a country's geography, economic capacity, and infrastructure. France's extensive land frontier gives its army demands that an island state does not face in the same form. Germany likewise had to consider continental opponents when allocating resources between its army and navy. Plan Z therefore required major changes in German maritime industry and the resources available to the navy. Even an alliance with Fascist Italy did not remove continental distrust, particularly after German expansion into Austria removed a buffer between the two powers.