After his second term at the Naval War College, Mahan received command of USS Chicago, a prominent modern U.S. warship. The appointment suggests that the Navy considered him a sound commanding officer, even if his greatest strength was explaining and advocating naval ideas. His wartime experience included the Battle of Port Royal and service during the Spanish-American War. His influence rested on practical professional experience as well as effective writing.
Notable Point · 18:20-20:14
USS Chicago and Mahan's practical credibility
Mahan's command of USS Chicago, one of the U.S. Navy's most important ships, complicates the idea that he was merely an armchair theorist.