| The history of naval fleets makes
for one of the most fascinating subjects for the serious
armchair historian. Until very recently, it was the
power--inferred or actual--of the naval fleet which assured a
nation's security. Though most contemporary militarists
concentrate first on air- and ground-superiority, even today the
strength of a naval fleet can be every bit as influential as a
land army. In some countries, the word "fleet" isn't meant to
suggest a single squadron of warships, but rather the entire
navy. Not surprisingly, this does not apply to the United
States, United Kingdom, and Russia--all of which have multiple
fleets within larger navies.
In terms of identifying a fleet by title, most countries in
the world name theirs after the ocean or sea in which each is
dedicated. However, the United States prefers a numbered--rather
than a named--system. Fleets which are even-numbered refer to
those in the Atlantic ocean; those which are odd-numbered refer
to those in the Pacific.
Researching naval history can be eye-opening even to those
who consider themselves established ground-war authorities
already. The heroes and heroics on both sides are stunning, the
battles terrifying, and the human stories rich and compelling.
As with all military history, sometimes the more we learn, the
more we discover that wins and losses were rarely "obvious from
the start." In many of the most famous sea battles, such as
WWI's Battle of Jutland between Germany and Great Britain, the
outcomes were far from clear-cut.
For many, this is the most extraordinary aspect of history:
discovering how close many key battles were, and how easily
victory could have gone to the competitor, rather than the other
way around. Eye-opening and thought provoking, videos, books and
journals about naval fleets--contemporary and
historical--provide a fascinating window into history. |
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