Dunn, John/Stoker, Donald (Hrsg.) A Naval History of the Middle East 500-2020

This anthology examines how maritime power has affected a variety of nations. But what exactly is the Middle East? The editors' definition is broad, stretching from Morocco to Iran and from the Black Sea to the Indian Ocean. Our starting point connects readers to the last war between the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Iran, the results of which benefited the rapid spread of Islam. Naval forces originally consisted of warships powered by oars and sails. These protected sailing ships were used to transport soldiers or supplies. Combat consisted mainly of projectile fire and boarding manoeuvres. Since human rowers pulled the oars, strategy focused on securing food and water. Ships did not carry much of either on board and needed to be resupplied frequently. Ports were valuable prizes, control of which allowed admirals to advance or hold back an opponent whose crews rarely had more than a few days' worth of water. Galley warfare had been this way since ancient times, but it changed as new technologies such as Greek fire added new military options or larger sailing ships expanded storage capacity, thereby increasing an admiral's range. Although the early Muslim fleets did not have the maritime traditions of the Byzantines, their leaders recognised the value of naval power. It may be recalled that the word admiral comes from Arabic. The Muslims fought among themselves, against their traditional Byzantine enemies, and against European volunteers who served during the Crusades. The fighting ranged from naval actions to amphibious operations to piracy. Both Muslim and Christian pirates were active in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Pirates are still active in the 21st century. A major change came with the expansion of the Ottoman navy in the 16th century. This was also a time of technological innovation, with gunpowder weapons and larger sailing ships replacing boarding actions and galleys. Steam power, armoured ships, torpedoes, aircraft and missiles accelerated these trends in the 19th and 20th centuries. The authors of this work tell this story through a historical overview, supported by specific case studies. The aim is to show that the powers of the Middle East have successfully used their navies to achieve national goals and that powerful traditions support the continuation of naval forces in the 21st century.