Is History actually important?

As a naval officer it will be important to reflect upon the actions of civilizations in the past and their repercussions. In particular, focusing on the military’s role in societies throughout the ages. To look back at the ancient Athenian Empire we can learn some important lessons as a military and a civilization at large. While we commonly attribute Athens to being the founders of Democracy, it is generally overlooked that this Democracy was only within the city-state, and its empire throughout the Aegean was largely oppressive and non-representative. The Athenian people were able to gain such expansive control from their cutting edge navy. Their supremacy on the seas allowed them to cripple civilizations into submission and quell and rebellions that arose. One of the famous quotes from Thucydides’s account of the Melian Dialogue is “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” This quote shows the outlook the Athenians had towards other civilizations being ‘if we can conquer them, then we deserve to rule them’. Since the military of Athens was so crucial to its expansive empire, if the military had objected to these infringements upon the rights of other civilizations to live independently then the mass subjugation could have been avoided.

This is where we can make some crucial takeaways about how our military ought to be run in relation to our society as a whole. While the military must serve the society similar to how it did back in the days of Athens, there must be a reallocation of loyalty. The military must not be committed to any specific leadership position in the country, but rather to a principle to ensure that the values do not change. For instance, if our military were to swear allegiance to the President of the United States, then it would be possible for a corrupt or ill-intentioned person to be elected into the office and then manipulate the military to carry out unjust campaigns in the President’s personal interests. A better system of loyalty, as we have, would be to swear allegiance to the Constitution so that our military’s values do not change every four years. This consistency and principle based service obligates our military to act morally and with the defense of personal freedoms from oppressive governments as paramount.

Just because our military is currently operated in this way does not mean, however, that we no longer have a necessity to learn this lesson from the past. If we fail to keep this commitment to the defense of values at our forefront, then we may allow it to slip away into the past also. Once this occurs there will be an extraordinary opportunity for evil to rise and seize the power of our military to oppress other civilizations, as seen throughout history, and we will once again learn this lesson (the hard way). (479 Words)

-Ross Woods

Alexander and His Failures

Maxwell Shuman

When looking at the many civilizations which we have studied so far this semester I think that some of the most useful lessons can be learned from their failures.  Alexander the Great showed exemplary leadership in his great conquest throughout the Mediterranean region and into Asia.  By conquering so far and so quickly, Alexander held lots of power and a major sphere of influence under his domain.  In order to keep this power and god-like image, he would often leave the current power structures of nations in power as long as they were under his greater domain.  By doing this he was able to gain a large empire, which was incredibly diverse with many varying ideas of Alexander’s role in his own empire.  An example of this is the fact that the Persians saw Alexander as they had seen each of their kings in the past: as a god.  As a god-like figure in their eyes, Alexander was untouchable and was not expected to interact with the common men whatsoever.  In a different light, the Greeks saw Alexander as an incredibly motivating warrior king who was ever-willing to give his life for his brothers in arms.  Given this more grounded state, Alexander was not only expected to interact with his fellow soldiers, but he was one of them.  This dichotomy of leadership across the empire led for a major dissent when Alexander perished to an early death leaving his vast empire with no heir or overarching governmental structure.  According to the journal “Readings in Greek History” compiled by Nagle and Burstein, “[Alexander’s] chief generals warred for more than forty years before a new political system arrived in Asia” (267).  Although Alexander was highly successful during his tenure, I believe he made one crucial mistake which cost him and his successors the entire empire.

I believe that the biggest learning point from Alexander’s campaign was the fact that he did not invest in the future of his empire.  I think that this is a major learning point for us as future officers in the United States military.  Here at the academy it is easy to brush over the many faculty and staff who work to make midshipmen into promising young officers. I believe that these people provide the entire resolution made from the failures of Alexander the Great.  The military often will send their most qualified and promising LT’s and Capt.’s to the service academies in order to invest in the future of the United States military.   By doing this the military is doing its part to not only ensure that the military has a promising future, but also the entire United States.  I think that the idea of investing for the future and doing what one can for others is a major reason for why many of us are in the Military in the first place and will do us a lot of good to remember the positive and negative outcomes from the trials of people like Alexander the Great.

Word Count: 482 without quote, 500 with.

Alexander the Great in the U.S Navy

The Navy is many times said to be “old-fashioned.” Things have been run the same way for years and years, whether is be the same uniforms from a couple years ago, or the same books being used from a couple decades ago. One can say that the Navy’s foundation is built on much of history, as it makes us what we are today. However, the role of officers is an aspect of the Navy that has been developed and curated for centuries. Leaders have been founded in ancient civilizations from way back then, such as Ancient Macedonia. Alexander the Great of Macedonia is a great example of an influential leader in the past that still has an influence on the present. We are able to study his successes and failures, in order to learn from them and become a better leader ourselves.

Alexander the Great was an extremely successful leader of his time, as his empire was a colossal size that no had ever even fathomed of. This was only possible through his valuable leadership characteristics. One of his characteristics was being able to bring out the best in the people that he led. When fighting against the Persian army, “He knew that the disorganized Persian army would not be able to withstand his phalanxes (a body of troops in tight military formation). So he used them to their best effect each time, breaking through enemy ranks and forcing the Persians to retreat” (Business and Leadership). Although the Persians were large in numbers, they were not unified, unlike the Macedonians were under Alexander the Great. He was able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his team, and placed them in positions where they were more likely to succeed. This can be useful to officers in the Navy, as we learn to leverage the Navy’s strengths. As an officer, you will be responsible for assigning tasks to people. So you would not place a mechanic to drive the ship and have a navigator fix the engines. You would place everyone where they are needed, to help the whole team run smoothly as a whole. However, we are also able to learn from Alexander’s failures too.

When Alexander the Great passed away, he had already accomplished a lot and left behind an impressive empire. However, after his death, “no one had the charisma or leadership to rule such a vast empire.  Civil war soon broke out, and what Alexander built in one generation was destroyed in the next” (B&L). The lesson here is that a leader should be able to step back and still have his people carry on at full capacity. This is applicable to the Navy, because officers must be able to give tasks to their subordinates and trust them to get the job done. You cannot do everything yourself, as the purpose of a team is to have everyone involved. If Alexander the Great was able to make himself indispensable to his army, maybe his empire would’ve lasted longer after his death.

 

Works Cited

“Alexander The Great Leadership – Greatest of World Conquerors.” BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP. November 16, 2018. Accessed November 21, 2018. https://www.businessandleadership.com/leadership/item/alexander-the-great-one-of-the-greatest-of-world-conquerors/.

Word Count: 505

Islam Today

Learning about the history of the Arab Peninsula is crucial to becoming the best officer possible. ‘Knowing thine enemy’ is important especially when choosing to wage war on them. The history and continuing rise of Islam are still relevant today. From the events of 9/11 to bombings in Europe to shootings in the states and other terrorist attacks around the world all have ties to the issues in the Middle East.

Many American generalize and distrust Muslims because of these past transgressions. But it is important as an officer to not make such assumptions. There are more Muslims than Christians in the world and it is the fastest growing religion worldwide. The main issue that some Americans have with Muslims is that these terrorist attacks are associated with the religion. The problem is that these terrorists are extreme, who bend, twist, and cherry pick the Quran to suit their needs and ideology. The Quran strictly forbids believers from picking and choosing what to believe in.

“He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book; in it there are verses that are decisive in meaning — they are the basis of the Book — and there are others that are susceptible of different interpretations. But those in whose hearts is perversity pursue such thereof as are susceptible of different interpretations, seeking discord and seeking wrong interpretation of it. And none knows its right interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge; they say, ‘We believe in it; the whole is from our Lord.’’ –Quran 3:8

The jihad extremist use the justification from the Quran that nonbelievers have to be converted to Islam. But they are breaking the previous passage by just choosing what they want.

As a military officer, I must acknowledge the difference between extremist terrorists and peaceful believers. With the rate of growth of Islam, it is becoming more and more likely that we will have to interact and work with Muslim believers and we can not treat them any different than any other soldier or sailor. We have to be tolerant of the peaceful Muslim believers and differentiate them from the jihad terrorists.  

A Lesson Learned From the Spartans

Looking back on the civilizations that we have learned about thus far in Pre-modern history, the knowledge I have gained regarding the Spartan civilization I believe, will be the most useful to myself as an officer in the future. Despite all of the Hollywood portrayals of the Spartans, specifically in Zac Snyder’s “300”, there is still a great  amount of lessons that can be taken away from what the Spartans did as a civilization and who they were as individuals and as warriors.

The Spartans were always known as strong, relentless war fighters that were feared by many. What got Spartan society to this level of military premise however was the way that they had conditioned their society to prepare for war at all times and to train and breed warriors. The Spartan society was literally built upon war and almost required it constantly in order to function. There were essentially two groups of people that made up Spartan Society, those who were made to fight, and those who were in support of the war fighters (Helots who gathered resources and food, mothers who raised the child, elder councilmen to help with the decisions of the king, etc.). From an early age, warriors were selected and sent off to begin their training in seemingly one of the most brutal and difficult training that had the likes of what Navy SEALS today endure at Basic Underwater Dive School (BUDS). In no way am I condoning the training methods that took place (like murdering in cold blood a Helot as part of one of the final trials) however it was the lessons that these young men learned while training that I believe can have some value. There is a quote by Plutarch in Sayings of the Spartans, “The Spartans do not ask how many are the enemy but where are they.” These men never backed down from a fight no matter the odds. Determination, Heart, courage, and a love for the person fighting next to you were some of the life lessons that went along with becoming a near perfect soldier as a Spartan.

As a future officer training here at the Naval Academy, I often take time to admire the leadership and true warrior traits that made the Spartans who they were. Their never quit, never back down attitude is truly something to admire and something I try to live my life by day in and day out. Life can get hard, demanding, and as an officer in combat dangerous. It is the characteristics of the Spartan warriors that came before us that if exhibited, can help me to achieve a successful mission and help me to get the job done.

-Jacob Ramos

History in the Fleet Prompt

Word Count: 448

Leadership Through Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire

As we prepare to be future officers in either the Navy or Marine Corps, it is important to not only soak up as much as we can from the Naval Academy, but we should take advantage of the leaders and officers who have gone before us, and learn from their experiences. There are many great officers to talk to on the yard but another way to learn from the past is to study leaders of ancient civilizations. Arguably one of the best leaders from ancient times is Genghis Khan, the first leader of the Mongol Empire.

There are many lessons that can be taken away from the leadership style of Genghis Khan and applied to any midshipmen. Although some see Genghis Khan as a brutal murderer, he was a great leader who was able to unite multiple tribes into one great, and powerful nation. One example of Khan’s leadership style was his emphasis on earning the respect and trust from other tribes in order to gain followers. He displayed this by showing toughness and fortitude in battle against other tribe leaders. Realistically in today’s world, we would not be killing other leaders to get the respect of our followers, however, we can apply Khan’s toughness and fortitude to everyday tasks. We can also ensure we earn the respect and trust of our sailors and marines because nothing will just be given for free.

Another trait that Genghis Khan was known for that can be applied to future officers, was the respect he had for his people. Khan instilled many different rules for his empire in order to ensure that his people were not only respected but protected. Some of these rules forbade the selling and kidnapping of women, banned enslavement, and expelled tribal warfare. In 1219 when Khan and the Mongols went to war with the Khwarezm Empire, the Mongols sent ambassadors to potentially discuss a peace treaty but they were killed by the Sultan people. This enraged Khan for the disrespect they showed to his people who were there only to try and make peace. In return for their disrespect, Khan and his army ravaged the Khwarezm Empire and took all of their land. The respect that Khan had for his people is a quality that every officer needs to have for his or her people. As an officer, if you do not respect and stand up for your people they will not respect you and the mission will not be able to be accomplished.

Genghis Khan is one of the greatest leaders of ancient times and could be studied a lot more in order to get some great leadership qualities from him. Even though times have drastically changed – not everything Genghis Khan did then is acceptable now – he knew how to treat his people, how to bring them together, and how to win no matter what, and these are all traits that every officer in the military needs.

Words: 491

Works Cited

History.com Editors. “Genghis Khan.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 20 Sept. 2018, http://www.history.com/topics/china/genghis-khan.

Ancient China’s Relevance to Today’s Military Leaders

I think that all of the different civilizations that were covered in this course can be relevant to our careers as Naval or Marine Corps officers, to some extent. Valuable lessons can be learned from each one because they all had instances of failure and instances of success. But, I think that the most relevant, considering the fact that we are a military force, would be the Chinese. People who took part in China’s ways of conducting battle, specifically the author of The Art of War, Sun-tzu, were very philosophical and methodical about the way they faced opponents. Sun-tzu outlines several different aspects of war and explains how they can be used to overcome the adversary at hand. This is useful in our future careers because as officers, we need to be able to make decisions that will result victory.

Being an officer can be a stressful job. There are so many things that are happening and need attention, but being overwhelmed is no excuse for us to fail. This culture of discipline that the Chinese fostered is very important for us to learn. Sun-Tzu says that “Discipline is Organization, Chain of command, Control of expenditure” (4). Our military is set up like this. We have organization and a chain of command. This gives us the ability to be efficient when trying to conduct an operation.

There is a reason that there were so many dynasties. The military was strong and the emperor was intelligent. When a strong force is headed by a methodical and intelligent leader, conflicts, while still risky, are more likely to result in victory. In The Art of War, Sun-tzu talks about “The Way,” which “… Causes men To be of one mind With their Rulers…”(Sun-tzu 3). An intelligent and respectable leader gives strength and reassurance to the warriors under him/her. This is a good lesson for us to learn because it explains why the Naval Academy is important. We are being educated at one of the best learning institutions in the nation, but we are also learning how to be confident and make decisions under stress, all while constantly being humbled by our shortcomings. This confidence, along with humility and selflessness, will give us the tools we need to be successful officers that the enlisted sailors and marines can look up to and follow into hostile situations.

The Chinese developed their tactics as a military power over several hundred years. They were very experienced and many of their ancient philosophies are still relevant today. But, even with constant development, there are still weaknesses that can be improved upon. Technology is always advancing, making certain beliefs and customs from the past obsolete. Nevertheless, there is a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from the Ancient Chinese Empire’s time as a military and cultural superpower.

Words: 469

Sun-Tzu, The Art of War. Trans. John Minford. London: Penguin, 2009.

How can Leonidas Influence my Leadership Traits in the Future

When looking at the successful civilizations of the ancient world, there is one thing that seems to be common amongst most of their armies, and that is the leader’s participation while fighting their wars. In general, the most successful armies were the ones that were led by someone that was willing to fight amongst his men. In the cases in which the leaders sat behind and let everyone else fight the wars for them, the men had little respect for their leaders and often grew to resent them.  The leaders that fought beside their men were always held in high regards and led people that were truly dedicated to the cause. The idea of fighting beside your men can be useful in my future life as an officer. In most cases it may not be as serious as being on the front lines, but in the less serious cases it is still important to help the people beneath you in order to gain their respect for the times it does get serious.

One leader that was respected by his men possibly more than any other is Leonidas of Sparta. Leonidas was a remarkable fighter amongst a civilization of some of the best fighters at the time. If his prowess as a great fighter did not earn the respect of his men, then the fact that he fought beside them in every war did. Herodotos claims in William McNeill’s book that when Demaratus was asked about the Spartans he said, “As for Spartan numbers, do not ask how many or few they are, hoping for them to surrender. For if a thousand of them should take the field, they will meet you in battle.” Leonidas was a leader that never missed a moment to fight beside his men and because of this, his men held him in the highest regards, and possibly respected him more than almost any leader in any civilization before him. It was because of this respect that his men were willing to fight with him against the much more massive army of the Persians. That is the kind of respect that makes the best armies so great.

During my time in the Navy, depending on how long I decide to stay in, I may not get the chance to see as much war as the leaders during the ancient times, but I can still practice the idea of working beside my men even when we are not at war. When a ship is in port, there is a lot of maintenance and laborious work that needs to be done to the ship to keep it looking pristine. Although it is important to continue to act like a leader, it will build the respect of my subordinates if I get out and help them with cleaning or whatever menial tasks they have been assigned. Of course, being in a leadership position, I would have to continue to conduct myself as an officer, which would mean that I could not help them with everything they do. Working beside the men beneath you is important to show them the work ethic you possess and to show them that you are there not only for yourself, but for them as well.

– Jonathan Gabriel

Word Count – 540

Authoritarianism vs. Democracy in both Reconstruction Athens and America

                Following the disbandment of the Thirty and the reclaim of Athens by its people, the city and the fallen empire was at a turning point: Do we support democracy or do we revert to authoritarianism? A similar disillusionment with democracy has developed in America. American people are now conflicted amongst themselves: should we support the authoritarian trends rising in America and around the world, or maintain our democratic roots?

           In Xenophon’s Old Oligarch, we see arguments for the return of autocracy: “I cannot commend their present method of running the state, because in choosing it they preferred that the masses should do better than the respectable citizens” (1-4, Old Oligarch). This line expresses many of the sentiments Americans feel today. They have been done a disservice by democracy. Others succeed and thrive while their lives have been allowed to deteriorate.

            In rural America, what was once the middle class of America has declined rapidly in socioeconomic status. The jobs they once had, as machine workers and skilled laborers have lowered their wages. They feel the pain of automation removing the need for their jobs. Furthermore, opioids flood their communities and homes. These people were once content and thriving in their professions, but a changing America has put them out of work and led them toward ruin. The result is the support of politicians and policies that are increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic. Similarly, an inflated democracy and sense of impunity among the Athenians led to a decline in strategic thinking and quality of life for many Athenians. This culminated in them being overrun by the Thirty, and after this calamity, a sense of disillusionment with democracy and a desire to return to authoritarianism.

            On the opposite end of the political spectrum, the American left wing has become inflamed by police brutality and school shootings. They see the economic ruin that still belies minorities and America and once again feel as though democracy does not work for them. While rural conservatives have just begun to see the damage of the opioid epidemic, African-Americans have been dealing with a similar plague for the past forty years. The result is a heightened sense of racial tension and ‘us vs them’ mentality among American liberals. Democratic politicians have changed their tones into ones similar to the right wing, in that they promise simple, strong man solutions to complex problems. One of the problems outlined in Old Oligarch was that the democracy had begun to make increasingly foolish political decisions that did not benefit the people of Athens, and that democracy was not working to better the individual.

               However, in the center of the spectrum lie those who still believe in democracy. They are beset on all sides by people who wish to support authoritarian policies on both ends of the political spectrum. While they have seen the destruction caused by poor political decisions by the American government, they still maintain that democracy is worth fighting for. These were the moderate and radical democrats who saw the destruction by the Thirty as well as the poor political decisions from the Old Athenian democracy but still chose to support the democratic political system.

      The parallels between America’s internal conflict over democracy and authoritarianism are mirrored in the conflict between democracy and authoritarianism in the reconstruction of Athens following the invasion by the Thirty. Everyone has seen the flaws in democracy and how it has led to ruin, yet people’s reaction to this has been divided. Some choose to maintain support for democracy while some support authoritarianism.

WC 588

Lessons from the Greek Civilization

Barnave J. Seguy

Category: History in the fleet

Knowledge about the Greek civilization, more specifically the history of the Spartans, will be useful when I am an officer in the fleet. One trait that is very important that the Spartans demonstrate is a sense of pride in being a warrior. The fleet has many service members who are doing their commitment and simply hoping to keep all of their benefits; the sense of pride is not what motivates them. Just like the Spartans, I can be a more influential officer by reminding those that surround me the pride of service: less than 3% of American population serves in the military and it is an honor to be part of the few.

Furthermore, the Spartans believe that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. For example, an elder who did not correct a younger Spartan who did wrong in his presence was liable to the same reprimand. Similar to the Spartans, it is important to correct people who are doing the wrong things. If I see another person do something wrong, it is my duty as an officer to correct that person; if I do not, then I am also part of the problem.

In addition, Spartans believe in maintaining a good diet to keep their body lean because it improved their appearance and their effectiveness in the battlefield. Similarly, the military has weight standards to encourage healthier eating habits, and the conduct of exercises. Learning about healthy nutrition is a valuable tool for military officers. The better I eat, the better I look in my uniforms, and the better I physically perform. In the fleet, I will be able to teach my Marines and Sailors about the importance of a healthy nutrition and fitness.

Lastly, I am inspired by the Spartans’ bravery and perseverance. When they faced the Persians, they were outnumbered; however, they never backed down and fought until the end. That part of the Spartan history teaches me that I should never back down in the face of adversity: I should continue to fight until I die trying. I also acknowledge that my adversity can range from enemy combatants to the daily inconveniences that officers come across in the workplace.

I feel fortunate to learn their history because many of their values can be used in today’s society, especially in military leadership. When things get hard and I feel like complaining and quitting, I can always remember that others like the Spartans had it much worse than me and they never quitted.

 

Words Count: 426

 

Reference : Falkner, Caroline. “Sparta.” The Classical Review, vol. 59, no. 1, 2009, pp. 190–193. JSTOR, JSTOR,