Militarism in a global age

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At the turn of the twentieth century, the United States and Germany emerged as leading industrial nation-states, with elites in both countries vying for dominance. Dirk Bönker examines the ambitions of naval officers before World War I who promoted navalism, a form of modern militarism emphasizing the critical role of sea power. These officers sought to transform their nations into self-reliant world powers amid global empire and commerce, viewing industrialization, global influence, elite governance, and naval strength as interconnected. This new maritime militarism was characterized by transnational exchanges and national competition, with its proponents positioning themselves as a professional elite equipped with expert knowledge in maritime and global affairs. While American and German navalist projects shared core features, their trajectories diverged over time, leading to differing perspectives on world power and maritime force. By combining comparative, transnational, and global history, this work challenges traditional views of militarism and national identity in both countries, exploring themes of empire, geopolitics, warfare, state formation, and the role of expertise and professionalism in shaping national governance.