This paper deals with the geopolitical theories of Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) concerning Britain’s imperial needs in the early 1900’s. Through the analysis of Mahan’s geopolitics – based on the idea that sea power, or “control of the seas”, is supreme in international relationships –, the issues linked to Britain’s geostrategic safety in and around Suez in the early 20th century will be tackled. This paper will also highlight the tenuous bonds existing between the concepts of “naval strategy”, “racial” imperialism, and Western “living space”.
