Episode 11: Viribus Mari Victoria: The U.S. Naval War College – 140 Years of Excellence

The Trident

In this special episode, on the occasion of the 140th Anniversary of the U.S. Naval War College, we take a break from the annals of Irregular Warfare and focus on the historical legacy and significance of this storied institution. Viribus Mari Victoria: or from the Latin (Victory thru Sea Power) is the motto of the college, and Dr. John Hattendorf and Dr. John Maurer join host COL Dave Brown as they reflect on the oldest continuing institution of its kind in the world. The Naval War College is a national treasure, and quoting its founder, Admiral Stephen Luce, its legacy and task today, remains to; “broaden an officer’s views, extend his mental horizon on national and international questions, and give him a just appreciation of the great variety and extent of the requirements of his (or her) profession.”

Reference:

Sailors and Scholars - The Centennial History of the U.S. Naval War College by John B. Hattendorf, B. Mitchell Simpson, III, John R. Wadleigh. Newport, R.I. : Naval War College Press ; 1984

Guests:

John B. Hattendorf, D.Phil., D.Litt., L.H.D., F.R.Hist.S.

Professor Emeritus, and former Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History from 1984 to 2016, Professor Hattendorf also served as Chair of the College’s Advanced Research Department, Chair of the Maritime History Department, and Director of the Naval War College Museum. A former Surface Warfare Officer, he earned degrees in history from Kenyon College, Brown University, and the University of Oxford. He is the author or editor of more than 50 books, including "Sailors and Scholars," and the "Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History."

John H. Maurer, Ph.D.

The Alfred Thayer Mahan Distinguished University Professor of Sea Power and Grand Strategy at the college. He also served as the Chair of the Strategy and Policy Department, where he led a major reform of the College’s curriculum on strategy. He is a graduate of Yale University and holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is the author or editor of books examining the outbreak of the First World War, naval rivalries and arms control between the two world wars, and a study about Winston Churchill’s views on British foreign policy and grand strategy. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), and served as executive editor of Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs. He also serves on the Academic Board of Advisers of The International Churchill Society, and has served on the Secretary of the Navy’s advisory committee on naval history.