Learning from the Han Dynasty

My knowledge and understanding of the Han dynasty and, more specifically, its emphasis on Confucianism, will be useful to me as an officer in the fleet. The Han dynasty is one of the greatest dynasties that China has ever seen. Under Han Wudi, who was emperor from 141-87 BCE and is considered the greatest of all Chinese emperors, the Chinese empire saw great development. He made several economic reforms, including building a canal that linked several economic regions, the taxation of merchants, and establishing government monopolies on salt and iron, all of which increased the general wealth of the empire.

However, one of the most important changes that Han Wudi and subsequent emperors made to the governance of the Chinese empire is the implementation of Confucianist policies. Confucianism places an emphasis on order and harmony and highly values education. Confucian’s teachings preach the essential goodness of humanity, and emphasize five main relationships in which it is essential to maintain balance in order to establish good conduct and harmony. These five relationships are: ruler-subject, father-son, elder-young brother, husband-wife, and friend-friend. In each of these relationships, the person listed first is the one in power. However, the “inferior” person in the relationship is still responsible for ensuring that the more “superior” person acts appropriately. Therefore, they both have a responsibility to each other to keeping each other in check, which creates a healthy power dynamic in their relationships. This is one concept that Confucian and, resultantly, the Han dynasty preached that will be useful to me as an officer. As a leader, it’s important to show respect for people no matter their background. Therefore, this balance in a relationship in which both parties are responsible for maintaining the good order is really relevant in the armed forces, where, regardless of rank, people have to show respect for each other, or else nothing will get done.

Not only does there exist a mutual respect between these individuals, but there exists a reciprocity that every leader should seek to establish with their people. For example, in the father and son relationship, the father was expected to be loving, and the son was expected to be reverential. Both individuals not only respect each other, but demonstrate loyalty to each other, which is key in a leader-follower relationship. Additionally, this type of relationship establishes harmony, which, although seemingly the contradictory to the concept of the military as a whole, is key to maintaining operational success. If there is a disconnect in the chain of command or if people do not maintain the balance in relationships, nothing can get done on a ship or in a command. People need to be linked to each other in some way, which is where harmony has a role in the Navy.

One of Confucius’ analects is “When one rules by means of virtue it is like the North Star – it dwells in its place and the other stars pay reverence to it”(The Analects of Confucius, 2.1). “Virtue” can mean many things in this context, however, since harmony and respect are key components of Confucianism, I take virtue to be synonymous with these two terms. Confucius points out that it’s important to rule through harmony and respect, and people will start to look towards you for guidance. This is an important lesson that I can take with me to the fleet, and is one that was highly valued in Han society as a result of its key place in Confucianism.

–Katie Mackle

Word count: 549

Sources:

Confucius. The Analects of Confucius : a Philosophical Translation. New York :Ballantine Books, 1999.

One Combined Vision

The Mongol Empire was built on the backs of the most efficient and effective fighting force the world had seen up to that point. They both amazed and terrified people with their aptitude at warfighting and their ability to create the largest empire the world had ever seen. These nomads, who were able to create an empire larger than Alexander the Great’s in 1/10 of the time and were so renowned for their brutality that they were compared to the Antichrist and determined to be worse than them, were established as the elite fighting force of the age (Athir, 13.1b).

The reason for their ability to be such an effective force at accomplishing their mission can be attributed to their cohesion. Their leader, Ghengis Khan was able to create a Mongolian national identity that unified the different tribes in the area. Whether it was the breaking of horizontal loyalties to clansman by putting tribe leaders in charge of different forces or the personal oaths of loyalty that the Mongols had to swear to him, Ghengis Khan was able to instill the utmost vertical loyalty in his troops by making them have an allegiance to the advancement of the Mongols as a whole. By making the individual troops have the priority of an allegiance to the Khan, he made a relationship between him and his leaders that consisted of men that “do not abandon each other but become protectors of that life” (The Secret History, 13.1a). This united all of his men under one mission and allowed their goals to align to allow the best possible performance.

As an officer in the fleet, it is important to ensure that the men that are under your command are as efficient and effective as possible. This can be done by establishing a goal that they should all work towards and by establishing a strong sense of vertical loyalty to the completion of the mission. When a team is working towards a goal, if any member has different intentions or thoughts on the matter, they can affect the whole process and slow it down. I can use what I learned from the Mongols to ensure that I focus on unifying the people under my command to work single mindedly towards a goal in order to become the best we can possibly be. A relationship towards the furthering of the United States should be strongly ingrained within every person and it is one of my jobs to ensure that this loyalty is deep and secured.

The Mongol empire was one of the most largest empires in the world. By using the different strategies used in forming proper unit cohesion myself, I will be able to become a better officer and develop the people I will lead into people that will truly benefit the nation.

-Eugene Om

Word Count-463

An Officer and a Mongol

The Mongol Empire fostered an important system of maritime trade and global relations, a legacy that many Naval Officers will have experience with during their career. Also notable was their accomplishments and innovations that I will later discuss. As future officers, we can learn a lot from the formation and legacy of the Mongol Empire in terms of foreign relations, freedom of knowledge, religion, and culture, as well as effective organizational structures.

Foreign relations may possibly be one of the most important capabilities the Navy has, and so it was too for the Mongols. Because of their complex trade and postal systems, the Mongols valued their connections with Europe and other groups or nations in and around their area. This gave the Mongols access to goods they would otherwise never have; more importantly, however, it gave them connections in terms of new technologies and ideas similar to militaries in today’s world. As a Naval Officer it can be useful to remember the importance of foreign relations and open trade as well as their respective wide spread origins.

The Mongols were also well ahead of their time in freedom of knowledge, religion and free practice of native culture. Specifically, they made advances in science and technologies and allowed free practice of religion throughout their empire. Moreover, conquered groups were free to continue living their way and practicing their culture. Similarly, all Naval Officers must hold a bachelor’s degree showing an interesting parallel of the importance knowledge, science, and technology in today’s world just as the Mongols favored many years ago. Moreso, the respect for religion and culture can be described as a historic precursor to the ideals that the United States and its Navy embody.

Chinggis Khan favored organization in his military. In order to carry out complex tactics and maneuvers, he divided his army into ten people units, hundred people units, thousand people units, and ten thousand people units. He recognized the importance of out strategizing the enemy, and therefore, his organization aided in his success. Furthermore, the Mongols carried an important sense of camaraderie, “Men who are sworn brothers share on life. They do not abandon each other but become protectors of that life” (Onon – Urgunge, 199). Ultimately, the degree of this organization is resembled in today’s Navy and military in general.

There are many reasons to understand the origins of the Mongols; however, foreign relations, freedom of knowledge, religion, and culture, as well as effective organizational structures. These three principles were carried out extensively by the ancient Mongols and still apply in today’s modern war-fighting world.

~Brandon Gore

Word Count: 427

Onon, Urgunge, The secret history of the Mongols: the life and times of Chinggis Khan (London: Routledge, 2011), pp. 247-53.

Importance of Islam Civilization

Over the course of the year we have learned about numerous civilizations: Egypt, Greece, Persia, and Rome to name a few. All contain essential lessons that will be useful as an officer in the fleet. However, none are as useful as the teachings from learning about the Rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Many modern conflicts have a relation to somewhere in the Middle East and, personally, I do not know much about that region besides what is heard in the media- mostly all negative scenarios. Furthermore, there is a certain stigma that surrounds the Islamic and Muslim religion which must be understood well in order to gain an appreciation for their culture, as well as be prepared when one is sent to that region of the world.

Although the history is important, understanding the roots of Islam and how the Muslim religion work is what will be most impactful to us as officers. Perhaps I was culturally inept, but I was not aware of how similar Islam was to Christianity, especially in the teachings written in the Quran. In fact, there are even some excerpts from the Quran that I believed had to be from the Bible, and vice versa, which shows how little I knew. For example, “Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching” (Sura 16:125-6) and “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4) are two passages from the Quran and the Bible, respectively, and, as it showed in class, this would shock most people. The stereotypes surrounding the Islams and Muslim religion must be broken, especially as an officer in the fleet who will likely spend time in the Middle East.

Furthermore, it is also important to understand the customs as an officer because there is a good chance we will have subordinates working for us who are Muslim or will spend time in this region of the world. In order to understand the impact this will have on me in the fleet, I decided to ask my father a few questions. My father, an officer in the Navy Reserves for the past twenty-six years, has spent much time in Bahrain and Dubai and has become accustomed to the Muslim culture. The main point I got from him in a quick interview was “It was weird at first. I didn’t know how certain things worked so I asked some officer from their Navy. It’s pretty different from our world but you get used to it quick … you got to”. He was referring to the social norms that are experienced in the Middle East such as women not being allowed to speak unless their husband gives them permission or servants being abused and mistreated. My father said that at first it was hard to see some people get treated so poorly, but one cannot do anything about it because it reflects poorly on the military. This struck me as very important because it is contradictory to the Navy’s belief of fighting for the right thing. But, the reality is that there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed in foreign nations, a major lesson to learn en route to becoming an officer in the fleet.

For these reasons, learning about Islam and Muslim religion have the most important impact on us as future officers. We must be culturally aware of the background of certain procedures and norms. Understanding these will be essential in immersing ourselves into a foreign culture, making it the most useful civilization studied.

Pablo Loza

Word Count: 524

Blog #6: Devotion and Scholarship

The United States does not possesses a culture that is meant to serve the military, but instead possesses a military meant to serve the culture like Athens. The ancient city state of Athens parallels the United States in this way and much more. The fate and flaws of the Athenian democracy serves as an example to learn from today. Naval Officers can learn from Athens the lessons about the importance of commitment to values and the necessity of military professionalism within the fleet.

The event that eventual led to the decline of the Athens’s glory was its war Spartan in the Peloponnesian Wars, but before there was a war there was a vice. That vice being that Athens turned its back on its democratic principles. Athens claimed to be the examples for all Greeks, yet they actively subjugated their fellow Greeks in tyranny. Few things embrace these stark contradictions between Athenian idealism of Pericles’ Funeral Oration and reality than the Melian Dialogue. Athens attacked a neutral state with the justifications being, “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must” (Thucydides). A people driven by selfish ambition can drive a democracy to abandon its most principle values for material gain. Military officers in the American republic can take this to remember the significance of their swearing an oath to the Constitution. The values of the country are embodied in the Constitution and it is critical to constantly stay on guard against vices that made Athens an empire.

A military professional should not only maintain the internal strength to stay true, but always maintain the competency to fulfil their main duty of defending their country and values it represents. Athens was able with its allies to fight and defeat the Persian Empire securing their ability to have democracy and live accordingly. The Persians vastly outnumbered the Greeks by almost all mechanisms of making war, but luckily for the Greeks, “the strength of an Army lies in the strict discipline and undeviating obedience to its officers” (Thucydides). Athens teaches the importance of having an officer corps that inspires in their troops the kind of disciple and devotion to overcome odds against them. Thucydides exemplifies why it is so important to have these quality officers in his saying that every warrior must also be a scholar. He states about all warriors, “The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools” (Thucydides1.22). The United States like Greece fields a very competent and intelligent military force. The officers required to lead and inspire such a quality force as the one Thucydides describes and America emulates must be ever be working to make themselves worthy of their commission.

Ancient Athens had its faults like any other country. The Unites States in its youth can still learn from Athens’s mistakes and its own to date. Military officers as they do now should not forget their promise to support and defend not a person, but ideals. The ideals found within the pages of the Constitution. Athens also exemplifies the justification for an officer corps that goes above and beyond the call of duty. When leading such quality citizen soldiers, whether that be in the form of a Greek hoplite or an American sailor, the officers should live in a state of continuous self-improvement if they are going to be able to lead their troops to victory.

Robert Hatfield
Word Count: 579

Sit down, be humble

The Chinese put an emphasis on the individuals role with respect to society. Despite varying philosophies regarding the way in which people should interact gaining traction in ancient China, each philosophy had a keen sense of duty attached to positions of leadership. The legalists believed leaders should lead and subsequently be followed because it was strict adherence to the law. Confucians believed that it was the natural order for a man in power to lead his subordinate. Daoists similarly took up the argument that the flow of the world may be balanced via the intervention of powerful people. In this way, the ancient Chinese assert the necessity of people leading others through positions of power.

Emperor Taizong spoke of his decision to teach the young men of China the arts of conducting warfare while they were not obliged to farm as a crucial means to govern the people, even going as far as to cite Confucius saying, “Not teaching people how to fight is the same as discarding them” (Taizong). Warfare serves as a means to better the society around them for it is a means through which the commanders may teach his subordinates skills, even if this skill is only how to conduct war. The culture of the time treated the peasant class and those who would be the grunts in battle as essentially pawns to be used by the commanders and ruler in battle, and as such limited them to only be taught their second trade: warfare. However, the identity and individualistic culture of the United States lends itself to be more receptive of the passage of knowledge beyond that of war. Thus, the inherent necessity of leadership combined with the means to guide and instruct via warfare instills a modern duty for those in command to lead beyond the present job. If leadership truly is a necessity, and there is an opportunity to lead, then it must be taken.

Furthermore, the ancient Chinese placed an emphasis on accounting for the lives of their men. The ancient emperors were warned by Sunzi Bingfa to not engage in warfare out of rage or any other feeling because it was foolish and sure to lose men. Similarly, the rulers and commanders were instructed to begin to use spies, which were originally thought of as a dishonorable tactic, because they served as a means to end the war quickly. A quick ending war would mean fewer deaths. Though the ancient rulers’ rationale behind protecting the lives of their men was purely economical, for they could not further conquest nor win the war if they ran out of peasants to throw at the problem, the justness of an action is made revealed. It is not just to make command decisions out of emotion because they harm the people you are commanding, and it may be just to use potentially controversial means to ultimately save more lives. Having the humilty to set aside personal feelings for the betterment of one’s people or to be labelled as a controversial figure in order to save lives is the pinacle of selfless leadership.

Ultimately, the ancient Chinese argue that it is the responsibility of the commander or ruler to lead his people to victory. Philosophy, tact, and wisdom garner success on the battlefield while haughty and emotional decisions are success’s enemy.

-Jackson Garber

Words: 555

The Mongols and the Fleet

The Mongols showed how brutal and cruel they could be while engaging in the largest land conquest the world has ever seen. They were known for their brutality as well as tolerance. This can relate to being a naval or Marine Corps officer because while brutality may not be the exact right word, stoicism and unwavering fighting spirit towards the enemy is essential in war. As officers, we will have to show our enlisted that same spirit and try to get them to adopt the same spirit. This will make whatever mission we embark on smoother and easier to complete. As for the tolerance aspect, showing tolerance and compassion for your enlisted will make them respect you even more. An officer could just complain and yell at their division because they technically have the legal power to, but their enlisted will have no respect for their leader, which will in turn cause them to not desire to follow the officer. This will slow down the whole dynamic of the mission and can potentially be dangerous.

The Mongols had a very efficient hierarchy, which allowed them to conquer so much land in such a sort amount of time. This concept can be scaled down and applied to a ship, for example. If everyone understands where they belong and how they can be of as much help to the ship and mission as possible, the power of that whole ship will increase exponentially. Also as an officer, you must learn how to obey those above you, which is taught preemptively here at the Academy during plebe year. Not butting heads with your commanding officer and accepting his decision (even though you may not agree or understand the reasoning behind it) is a vital skill to bettering yourself. For example, during plebe year, plebes must square their corners. What benefit does this useless action have? There is none. The whole point of it is to make you obey something that you do not understand the reasoning behind or even flat out do not agree with.

The Mongolian Empire was the largest land empire in the history of the world and for good reason; they followed codes that made them fearless, intimidating, and brutal towards their enemies. This can be applied to war-fighting in any aspect, especially as an officer. The Mongolian hierarchy efficiently organized their warriors. In our military, we also require structure and order to maximize efficiency. Also, we must learn how to obey orders from superiors that we do not understand or agree with.

-Peter Lohrbach

Word Count: 421

Confucian Applications to the Fleet

As officers in the Fleet, it is our duty to lead Sailors and Marines well. In order to do so we must learn from those who came before us. One civilization in history that we can learn from is the Han Dynasty of China. In particular, I believe important lessons can be taken from the Han Dynasty’s implementation of Confucianism and its emphasis on Li or etiquette. We can also emulate the Han Dynasty emperor’s commitment to traditions and his relationship with heaven and his people.

The Han Dynasty allowed Confucianism to be an official doctrine of their government, which is similar to the influence of John Locke on our government. However, Confucianism can transcend the government and can affect people’s lives and behavior. In Confucianism, there is emphasis on the five relationships between a superior and their subordinate. The relationships include ruler-subject, father-son, elder-younger brother, husband-wife, and friend-friend. Though some of these relationships are outdated, this relationship model does have elements that that could be effectively utilized by the Fleet. For example, I think it is appropriate to add a sixth Confucian relationship for the Fleet, which would be, Officer-Enlisted. Like the other relationships, a hierarchy is understood and built off trust that both are looking out for the best in each other in order to complete the mission. One of the Confucian writings said, “Make it your guiding principle to do your best for others and to be trustworthy in what you say.” In order for our Navy team to be effective there needs to be trust both laterally and horizontally in the chain of command.

Next, there the Confucian emphasis on Li or etiquette, ritual, ceremony, and customs of Confucianism. This emphasis on Li was very important for the emperor who heeded these traditions to keep harmony with the universe, and to avoid “punishment” in the form of a national or natural disaster. Similarly, in the Fleet we have our own traditions that we honor. Examples include morning and evening colors, formations, rendering honors both ashore and at sea, and the crossing the line ceremony. These traditions are important to the make-up of the Navy and Marine Corps. As a future officer it is important to learn about these traditions and to keep passing them on as they help to bond and unify the past with the present and enlisted with the officer corps. While the traditions might seem quaint to the outside world, both Sailors and Han Dynasty emperors understood that these rituals were essential for the cohesion and safety of their team.

The Han Dynasty in China existed in vastly different world from the one today but Confucian emphasis on relationships and Li can still be applied in today’s modern world. As future naval officers, it is important to study and understand the important lessons learned from history and apply them whenever possible to improve our Navy’s capabilities as an effective force.

–Danny Vela

Word Count: 468

Philip II and the Big Picture

Tuesday night at the Forrestal Lecture, the speaker repeated to us a quote from Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz: “nothing that happened during [World War II] was a surprise — absolutely nothing except the Kamikaze.” This is not because World War II went just like any other war. In fact, the Island Hopping campaign was nothing like any operation the US had ever undertaken up to that point. The reason US strategists were able to accurately predict the way the war would be fought is due to decades of strategic and technological developments leading up to the war. Nimitz orchestrated the technology and capability for Underway Replenishment which was essential to operations across the vast Pacific Ocean. Strategists focused on mastering carrier aviation, and lethal attack submarines because they would prove essential to American success in the Pacific Campaigns. The greatest military successes in history have always started decades before the actual conflict, and Alexander’s conquest of the Persian Empire is no exception.

A generation prior to Alexander The Great’s campaigns, his father Philip II spearheaded a massive set of military reforms. The most important of these was the establishment of the Macedonian Phalanx as the fighting formation. The use of Sarissae (long spears) and shields which were lighter weight than traditional Hoplite shields made it both more affordable to be in the military, and made the forces more mobile and effective. These reforms were original and would catch the rest of the world by surprise, because Philip had analyzed the way other armies (specifically Persia) had fought and knew how to exploit their weaknesses. In a speech delivered by Alexander, he described that Philip’s men began as “vagabonds” and through his leadership and strategic vision made them very “capable of fighting”(Arrian, Anabasis 8.9). Although Alexander was a terrific general, he did not accomplish all he did solely based on his own leadership. It was Philip’s tactical and strategic foresight that made all of Alexander’s successes possible.

As Midshipmen, we are primarily focused on preparing to become junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. However, some of us will go on to hold flag rank. At that point, your role becomes much more strategically oriented as your focus turns towards the future and the big picture. Even as junior officers, when our role is more geared towards leading enlisted, it is essential that we keep our eyes and mind open to the things around us. The more knowledge and awareness we have about the global climate, the more prepared we will be to institute strategic plans and military reforms which will be crucial to our success not in the present, but decades down the line. It is visionary strategic thinkers and planners such as Philip and Nimitz that make massive military undertakings especially Alexander’s conquering of the Persian Empire possible.

471 Words

-Ben Stanish

Swift Empires

Empires rise and empires fall, some last for generations and some are gone in a blink of an eye. The Mongolian Empire spread rapidly and its regime was an unprecedented mix of brutality and tolerance. Similarly after WWI, the rise of the Nazi Party was unexpected to the world and the effects of their actions decimated a religious following. The Nazi Party was a ruthless group of people that blamed specific groups of people for their misfortune. The Nazi’s and the Mongols share ruthless characteristics, but the approach to inflict their aggression was different.

The growth of the Nazi Party lies within the result of the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was signed at the conclusion of WWI and the German’s were imposed with numerous restrictions that lead them to fall in to economic depression. During this time Adolf Hitler rose to power in the German Workers’ Party. An article from the History Channel states, “Hitler soon emerged as a charismatic public speaker and began attracting new members with speeches blaming Jews and Marxists for Germany’s problems and espousing extreme nationalism and the concept of an Aryan “master race.””(History.com). The premise of Hitler’s speeches were based on building German pride and offering solutions for the misfortune that spread through Germany. The Nazi Party began winning elections and forcing their way into being the political power in Germany.

After Hitler and the Nazis rose to power he began to expand the territory of Germany. The first two states he went after were Austria and Czechoslovakia. They were filled with Germans and he used this as motivation to expand. History.com states, “He withdrew Germany from the League of Nations in 1933, rebuilt German armed forces beyond what was permitted by the Treaty of Versailles, reoccupied the German Rhineland in 1936, annexed Austria in 1938 and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939” (History.com). Hitler reclaimed the states losses in the Treaty of Versailles, but he did not stop there. The Nazis claimed Poland on their quest to take over Europe.

Simultaneously, Hitler and the Nazis committing mass genocide on Jews. History.com states, “Dachau evolved into a death camp where countless thousands of Jews died from malnutrition, disease and overwork or were executed” (History.com). The Dachau concentration camp was the first of many death camps used to exterminate the Jews. Similarly to the Mongolians killing people was a norm for them. The Mongols can be labeled as devilish, bloodthirsty, ravages. Ibn al-Athir states, “For even Antichrist will spare such as follow him, though he destroy those who oppose him; but these spare none, slaying women and men and children, ripping open pregnant women and killing unborn babes” (199-200). These empires killed innocent people but the difference between the two empires was tolerances. The Mongolians were known to accept the lifestyles of the groups of people they conquered. The Nazi’s were looking to be the “perfect race” and if people did not fit they were killed.

-Denzel J. Polk

Word Count: 496 ��