Page:Anglo-American relations during the Spanish-American war (IA abz5883.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/46

30 the author sought to convey two central ideas to the general public: that the destiny of nations is explicable only through a study of the potency of sea power and that British sea power was closely related to American progress. The extent of the influence exerted by Captain Mahan was probably very great. Thousands of people, both British and American, began to realize, for the first time, the close relation that was developing between the two countries. It was this relation which was destined to have a large part in the direction and control of international politics during the next decade.