The Corbett Project
The 'Corbett 100' Project started in 2019. It became 'The Corbett Project' in 2026. The project marks the achievements of Sir Julian Corbett and continues his work on strategy by historical school.
Contents
Introduction: Corbett 100 (2019-2025)
The Corbett 100 Outputs: Publications, Papers, Podcast, Seminars and more. (2019-2025)
The Corbett 100 Conferences (2022-2025)
Corbett 100 Press Releases (2019-2025)
Introduction: Corbett 100 (2019-2025)
The project started out to mark the centenary of the death of British naval historian and maritime strategist Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922). It is a collaboration between the Laughton Unit, King’s College London, the U.S. Naval War College and Australian Naval institute. Other partners from around the world supported the project such as Japan, France, Canada, Belgium, Chile and elsewhere.
The project explores historical and contemporary national strategy and defence policy questions from naval history, maritime strategy, and strategic theory perspectives. The project reflects the ‘spirit and intent’ of Sir Julian’s scholarship while mindful of his long service to the Royal Navy, UK Cabinet Office and Committee for Imperial Defence [CID]. Central to the project’s efforts is his 1911 book ‘Some Principals of Maritime Strategy’ which significance, influence and importance have spread worldwide. The value and use of history as a repository of wisdom and ongoing development of strategic studies in their own right, coupled with the importance of debate over national strategy, is a core value.
King’s College London website for Corbett 100.
Directors and Academic Counsel:
The project was designed by Dr James W.E Smith, King’s College London and Dr David. Kohnen, U.S Naval War College and supported through an academic council led by Professor Andrew Lambert at King’s College London. Dr Mark Bailey (Royal Australian Navy) is the Asia-Pacific representative. Dr Smith, Dr Kohnen and Dr Bailey form the Corbett 100 Committee.
Aims
To examine the impact, influence and legacy of Sir Julian Corbett and his works on historical questions.
Explore the relevance of Sir Julian Corbett’s works on contemporary questions such as maritime strategy, sea power, defence policy and national strategy.
To provide the ideal platform to bring together international academics, civilian researchers, veterans and active military to discuss historical and contemporary questions covering a range of topics from maritime strategy, defence policy, strategic theory, sea power, trade protection, future global trends, security, space strategy, and wargaming.
To establish and network academics, civilian researchers, veterans and active military from an international background.
Support and enable ongoing research about Sir Julian and the topics he was interested in with current and future scholars.
Methods
Corbett 100 Conference, King’s College London, 25 - 26 May 2022.
Corbett 100 Conference, Australian Defence Academy, September 2022.
Corbett 100 Conference, U.S. Naval War College, May 2023.
Corbett 100 Conference, French Navy HQ and French Naval Academy, Dec 2025.
The Corbett Forum International Network for exchange of scholarly ideas, military and civilian, from policy, to strategy, to doctrine to operations.
Book Launch: “The British Way of War - Julian Corbett and the Battle for a National Strategy” - By Professor Andrew Lambert. Publication date due: 24 Aug 2021.
Book: creation of a monograph to mark Corbett 100, a collaborative book of scholars, with Dr James WE Smith and Prof Andrew Lambert as editor.
Securing and digitalising of Sir Julian’s records to be held at King’s College London.
Corbett 100 Lecture Series : convening speakers from around the world covering contemporary and historical topics related to Sir Julian’s work and its influence. Sample topics covered: seapower, the role of navies, oceanic conflict, modern naval warfare, great power competition. Includes podcast and video.
Corbett 100 Panel: U.S. Naval Academy 2021 and 2023.
Australian, SE Asian and Japanese Collected Papers, Edited by Dr Mark Bailey & Vice Admiral Peter Jones
Publications related to the theory and application of Sir Julian Corbett’s research, including a collection of papers from the project and conferences.
Naval Wargaming events for King’s staff and students in partnership with King’s Wargaming Network, including a public lecture.
External events, publications, and lectures. (Sample: Royal United Services Institute, The Naval Review Journal, Royal College of Defence Studies, Joint Services Command and Staff College).
The Corbett Project (2025-
Looking back on Corbett 100
Corbett 100 began in 2019, identifying key gaps in Corbett’s legacy: his historical works remained accessible but underexplored, his personal records were dispersed, and his strategic methodology needed contemporary refinement. The project aimed to secure and digitalize primary sources, commission a substantive biography, update his seminal texts for modern readers, and systematize his applied history approach for military and strategic studies.
Initial phases included intensive collaboration with archival institutions and military communities, where Corbett’s influence had long been recognized—incorporated into curricula and referenced by professionals across generations. Global conferences then became dynamic platforms, bringing together hundreds of participants including historians, veterans, and military personnel. These gatherings generated substantial scholarly output, with numerous papers and panels exploring Corbett’s enduring relevance to contemporary strategic challenges.
Professor Andrew Lambert writes:
Corbett 100, launched in 2019, is a high impact seapower and maritime strategy forum named for British strategic theorist and historian Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922), the pre-eminent analyst of maritime power, both historical and contemporary. Not only did Corbett have significant links with KCL, including delivering major lectures in the Great Hall, but the revival of intellectual engagement with his work interest began at KCL in the 1970s, in the Dept. of War Studies in where Professor Bryan Ranft made Corbett’s work a core element of the curriculum, republished Corbett’s core text Some Principles of Maritime Strategy of 1911, and supervised a series of doctoral students, alongside his leading role in defence Education at the Royal Naval Staf College, and providing contemporary analysis of the rising Soviet Navy to the Royal Navy. Ranft’s work also laid the foundations for the creation of the Joint Services Defence College, the subsequent privatisation of advanced level defence by KCL. War Studies has expanded that role in the subsequent decades, with a significant focus on global maritime strategic issues, contemporary and historical as major elements in and postgraduate taught programmes and research degrees. War Studies is universally recognised as the centre of excellence in this field, recruiting a significant body of international students and scholars. Corbett emphasised that relevant strategic thinking for the future had to be built on a combination of theory and national experience, using historical case studies to master the key elements of British practice before publishing his core text.
The objects of the founding group were and remain to link contemporary practitioners and analysts, historians and defence educators, to support and promote the latest academic research through international conferences, of which there have four to date, initially at KCL, then in the Australia Defence Forces Academy, the United States Naval War College and the Ecole de la Marine in France. This truly global academic project has established a key role in linking defence academics, historians, and military educators across the world, to facilitate intellectual exchange and promote understanding. The success of the initial round of conferences has generated an research group come network, which will continue to develop research and discussion on the critical role of maritime, rather than merely naval strategy, a critical distinction that Corbett emphasised. He demonstrated that Britain was (and remains) a globally engaged maritime strategic/economic operator in a world dominated by continental military polities, a distinction that remains critical to contemporary policymakers and historians. Corbett’s place as a critical figure in the evolution of British and more general maritime strategic thought has been emphasised, a critical contribution to current debates on preparing for future challenges and conflict. The relevance of Corbett 100 is clear from the fact that the signatories of the AUKUS agreement have each hosted a Corbett 100 event. This marks a significant shift of emphasis from previous strategic assessments.
The directors of the Corbett 100 project are Professor Andrew Lambert, (KCL), Dr James E. Smith (KCL), Dr Mark Bailey RAN, and Professor David Kohen, United States Naval War College. Three of them have Ph.Ds from the War Studies Department.
In only seven years Corbett 100 has made a major impact on global approaches to maritime strategy, intimately linked to the sustained engagement in development of academic naval history. Key outputs from Kings staff will be submitted to the upcoming REF exercise, notably Andrew Lambert, The British Way of War: Sir Julian Corbett and the battle for a national strategy, Yale University Press, London 2021, Selected works from Dr James WE Smith, and elsewhere titles such as David Kohnen, King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897-1947.
From Corbett 100 to the Corbett Project
The future of Corbett 100 is the overarching, Corbett Project. The future is focused on a Corbett publication and the Corbett forum. Both are detailed below.
Corbett Papers
Professor Andrew Lambert and Dr James WE Smith have moved at pace to complete important archival and record keeping activities with all of Corbett’s [and related] paperwork. This has included working with the UK National Maritime Museum Greenwich, various Societies and King’s College London.
To that end, papers held by King’s College London are now permanently on display and protected in the Liddell Hart Archives, Strand, London. This includes expanded naval collections across the College library and archives.
Digitalisation of Corbett’s paperwork are somewhat complete and due to various legalities remain under ‘the care of’ the Laughton-Corbett Research Fellow [Dr James WE Smith].
Since, the project began, further papers of Sir Julian’s have been found and acquired which will need to have the ‘same treatment’ applied to them as the aforementioned. Some of them, having never been seen before, will go towards informing publications before they enter the public domain.
Codifying Corbett 100
Corbett 100 has generated substantial content across conferences, publications, and diverse media platforms. The project systematically curates and preserves the most valuable contributions for current and future readers.
Central to this work is an upcoming edited volume produced by the Corbett Committee. This publication serves dual roles: functioning as an official “Corbett Proceedings” record while also serving as an educational resource that advances dialogue about his work and legacy. Contributors from global academic, military and professional communities explore these themes, examining both foundational principles and evolving interpretations of maritime strategy, offer insight from historical case studies, and explore the enduring contributions of Corbett’s work to the 21st century.
Corbett Project Events
We will continue to run select international events in online, in person through seminars or lectures as appropriate. This may included gatherings of Corbett minded scholars from the network of the Corbett Forum, or focused events such as book launches or arranged along timely questions or themes.
The Corbett Forum
The Corbett Forum which is the next step in the project as a result of this series of conferences. This is intended to be a loose affiliated international network of scholars with an interest in seapower and maritime strategy. The conferences, seminars and events was an array of international events networking thinkers and practitioners. It was also a test of international networking. A scholarly interest in seapower in general and in Sir Julian Corbett’s work on the philosophy of seapower and maritime strategy are central.
The intent of the cycle of work conducted by the Corbett 100 group has been to expose the continued relevance of Corbett to the 21st century. The workshop in 2025 at the Ecole Navale again proved this relevance, such as the importance of the Indo-Pacific.
As a part of the outcomes of this series of events, we are forming The Corbett Forum. This is intended to be an informal, loosely collaborative network to keep scholars and practitioners informed of our general lines of research for mutual assistance and to prevent duplication of effort. Members will be encouraged to network and mutually assist with:
relevant strategic developments in our respective countries and other matters of interest,
fostering exchange of information and ideas,
assisting each other collegially where possible, building networks, and
preventing duplication of research.
We will execute this through a private LinkedIN Group and a Newsletter. For protection of data the ‘Secretary’, one of the committee in conjunction with King’s College London keeps a database of scholars to support that network.
If you are interested please contact me.
The Corbett 100 Outputs: Publications, Papers, Podcast, Seminars and more. (2019-2025)
Publications
Book (2021) | The British Way of War: Julian Corbett and the Battle for a National Strategy | Andrew Lambert
Book Launch, 8 November 2021, King’s College London, hosted by James WE Smith
Journal Vol CX (2022), Issue 3 | The [UK] Naval Review Corbett 100 Edition | UKNR
Thinking about Seapower | Andrew Lambert
Some Principles of Maritime Strategy Making in the Royal Navy Today | Kevin Rowlands
War in Ukraine: Strategically What Would Have Corbett Said? | Geoffrey Till
Corbett 100: A Long Hard Look in the Mirror | James WE Smith
Papers
Paper [2022] | Re-learning from Corbett: Applied History to the rescue of Strategic Thought | James WE Smith
Paper [2019] | Corbett offers more on Space than Mitchell. | James WE Smith
Paper C100 Primer [2018] | “Corbett’s Relevance to the Modern Strategic Thinker.” | James WE Smith
Seminars including Podcast and Video
International Seminar [2025] Hosted by the Ecole Navale, Brest. Corbett in the 21st Century.
Online Seminar [2023] | Corbett and the Imperial Japanese Navy | Hiraku Yabuki
Online Seminar [2022] | Sir Julian Corbett as a Historian, Educator, and Strategic Thinker | Defence Studies Department / JSC Shrivenham
Online Seminar [2021] | The British Influence Upon American Visions of ‘Sea Power’ and History | David Kohnen
Podcast [2021] | Sir Julian Corbett, Jutland and the Concept of ‘Decisive’ Battle, and the educational value of experience.| Andrew Lambert
Other
David Kohnen, “Then & Now: Establishing the Principles of Maritime Strategy”, In Touch Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2019, King’s College London
Mark Bailey, “Sea Supply versus Maritime Trade: Australian Vulnerabilities in the 21st Century. “ Australian Naval Review 2025 issue 2, pp.62-83.
The Corbett 100 Conferences (2022-2025)
CORBETT 100 CONFERENCE
LONDON, MAY 25-26, 2022
The Corbett 100 Conference at King’s College London brings together international scholars, serving and retired military personnel and policy makers to mark the centenary of the death of Sir Julian Corbett.
The conference explores the life of Sir Julian and his scholarship on maritime strategy and naval history. The conference will discuss his enduring relevance to contemporary strategy, strategic studies and defence policy and why he remains one of the ‘great’ strategic theorists amongst contemporaries such as Carl Von Clausewitz.
The conference is central to the Corbett 100 project and starts a series of events.
Programme
Day 1
0930 – Arrival Refreshments
1000 – Welcome to King’s College London, the Corbett 100 Project.
Dr James W E Smith | Department of War Studies, King’s College London.
Sir Julian Corbett at Kings: setting an agenda?’
Professor Andrew Lambert | Laughton Chair for Naval History
Theme: Sir Julian Corbett, his Scholarship, and Perspectives
Panel 1. Corbett and the Evolution of Naval history
Chair and Presenter: Rachel Blackman-Rogers | PhD Candidate, King’s College London
-Dr Alan James | King’s College London ‘Making Sense of Tudor Naval Power’.
-Professor Richard Harding | University of Westminster ‘Corbett’s Seven Years War’.
12.00-13.00 Lunch – Council Room & Old Committee Room
13.00- 15.00 Panel 2. ‘The British Way of War’.
Chair and Presenter: Dr Hilary Briffa| Department of War Studies, King’s College London
-Dr Dan Whittingham | University of Birmingham ‘The British Way of War’.
-Dr Rob Johnson | Director of the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre.
‘Soldiers and Maritime Strategy’
-Dr Louis Halewood | University of Plymouth ‘The International Navy of the World’? Britain, the United States, and the Naval Balance of Power, 1919-1922’
15.00-15.30 Break - Council Room & Old Committee Room
15.30- 17.00 Panel 3. The Legal Dimension and International impact.
Chair and Presenter: Dr Gabriela A Frei | Jesus College, University of Oxford
-Dr Alan M Anderson ‘Corbett and International Law: The Immunity of Private Property at Sea.’
-Dr Jake J Widen ‘Impact and Influence: Corbett in Sweden’.
1700-1900 Reception – Council Room & Old Committee Room
Day 2.
0930 – Arrival Refreshments
Theme: Sir Julian’s Influence Beyond Britain
10.00 Welcome - Professor Andrew Lambert
10.10 – 12.00 Panel 4. The Sea Commonwealth & AUKUS Anticipated: Corbett in the Anglosphere.
1010: Chair: Dr James W E Smith | Department of War Studies, King’s College London | Corbett 100 Committee
-Dr David Kohnen, CDR USN (Ret) | U.S. Naval War College
‘Crossing the Atlantic: Corbett and the Development of American Maritime Strategy.’
-Lt Cmdr Mark Bailey PhD RAN | Australian Naval Institute.
‘Corbett, Empire and Commonwealth.’
12.00-13.00 Lunch – Council Room & Old Committee Room
Theme: British Maritime Strategy and The Royal Navy after 1945
13.00-15.00 Panel 5. Corbett’s Legacy and Maritime Strategy: Decline and Revival?
Chair: Lt Cmdr Mark Bailey PhD, RAN | Australian Naval Institute | Corbett 100 Committee
-Dr James W E Smith ‘The Abolition of Admiralty and the Continental Commitment.’
15.00-15.30 Break - Council Room & Old Committee Room
15.30- 17.00 Panel 6. Corbett and the Contemporary Royal Navy?
Chair: Dr David Kohnen, CDR USN (Ret) | U.S. Naval War College| Corbett 100 Committee
-Commander Andrew Livsey RN | Hudson Fellow, St Antony’s College, Oxford
‘The Royal Navy and Corbett 1990-2020.’
-Captain Kevin Rowlands RN | Head Royal Navy Strategic Studies
‘Some Principles of Maritime Strategy Making in the Royal Navy Today.’
1700: Closing Remarks and Keynote: Professor Andrew Lambert
17.30: End of Conference
2022 Goldrick Conference – A ‘Corbett 100’ Event
Australia, 21 September 2022
Adams Auditorium Australian Defence Force Academy
The 2022 Goldrick Conference on Indo-Pacific Maritime Strategy in the 21stCentury brought together an outstanding array of 20 international and Australian speakers to discuss the future of maritime operations in our region.
In addition to a presentation by the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the conference speakers included some of today’s most eminent naval and defence thinkers, providing an outstanding opportunity for anyone interested in Australia’s and the region’s security to gain insights from these leading experts in their fields.
The 2022 Goldrick Conference was held in partnership with the Australian Defence Force Academy, the University of New South Wales (Canberra), the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security and the Sea Power Centre Australia. The industry partners were Thales Australia, ADROITA and the Australian Missile Corporation.
Presentation Speakers
Session 1
Setting the Scene Session Chair: Dr Liz Buchanan
0745-0825 Registration & Coffee/Tea
0825-0830 Introduction & Administrative Remarks Vice Admiral Peter Jones AO DSC RAN (Retired)
ANI President
0830-0835 Welcome
Professor Douglas Guilfoyle
Professor of International Law and Security
University of New South Wales (Canberra)
0835-0840 Sponsors’ Welcome Mr Chris Jenkins Thales Australia
0840-0845 A Message from Chief of Navy Australia Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM RAN , Chief of Navy
0845-0910 Sir Julian Corbett – His Place among Maritime Strategists Dr John Reeve
University of NSW (Canberra)
0910-1010
Sir Julian Corbett & Indo-Pacific Maritime Strategy in the 21st Century
Professor Andrew Lambert FKC, Laughton Professor of Naval History at King’s College
London.
1010-1040 Morning Tea
1040-1110 Corbett & the Foundations of Naval Strategic Thought
Professor Kevin D. McCranie
The Philip A. Crowl Professor of Comparative Strategy
US Naval War College
1110-1125 Facilitated Discussion Dr Liz Buchanan
Session 2
Australian Perspectives on Maritime Strategy Session Chair: Ms Sarah Pavillard
1125-1200 An Australian Perspective on Corbett Going Forward Associate Professor Bec Strating
Executive Director of La Trobe Asia
1200-1240 Lunch
1240-1305 A RAN Perspective on Maritime Strategy Rear Admiral Chris Smith CSM RAN, Deputy Chief of Navy
1305-1335 AUKUS, Defence Industry and an Emerging Strategy Rear Admiral Lee Goddard CSC RAN (Retired)
1335-1350 Facilitated Discussion Ms Sarah Pavillard
Session 3
International Perspectives on Maritime Strategy Session Chair: Associate Professor David Kohnen
1355-1420 A US Perspective on Contemporary Maritime Strategy, Rear Admiral Jeff Harley USN (Retired) Senior Fellow, Center for Maritime Strategy Navy League of the United States
1420-1445 A Canadian Perspective on Contemporary Maritime Strategy, Professor Paul Mitchell, Professor of Defence Studies, Canadian Defence College
1445-1510 An Indian Perspective on Contemporary Maritime Strategy Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande AVSM IN (Retired)
1510-1535 Facilitated Discussion Associate Professor David Kohnen
1535-1550 Afternoon Tea
Session 4
Different voices on Contemporary Maritime Strategy
1550-1640 Panel 1 Evolving Indo-Pacific Maritime Strategies in the era of AUKUS Facilitated by Commodore Allison Norris
Mr Dongkeun Lee (ANU).
Associate Professor Ryan Wadle (USNWC)Dr Richard Dunley (UNSW)
Mr Justin Burke (Macquarie Uni)
1640-1725 Panel 2 Making Maritime Strategies to Government, the Military and the Public relevant Facilitated by Ms Miesje de Vogel
Associate Professor David Kohnen (USNWC)
Captain Alastair Cooper (SPC-A)
Dr John Nash (AWM)
Lieutenant Sarah Lucinsky (HMAS Creswell)
1725-1730 Concluding Remarks Dr Mark Bailey Corbett 100 Organising Committee
1900-2200 Speakers’ Dinner with ADFA Students ADFA Cadets Mess
Guest Speaker: The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson AO.
“The League of Peace and a Free Sea”
Sir Julian Corbett and the Application of History in the Twenty-First
United States of America: 9-13 MAY 2023
0815 Welcome Remarks
Rear Admiral Shoshana S. Chatfield, U.S. Navy, President, U.S. Naval War College
0830 Keynote Address
Professor Andrew Lambert, Kings College London, ‘The Spectre of Navalism’ in the 21st Century
0900 Panel 1 – On Strategy from Clausewitz to Corbett
· Chair, Professor Geoffrey Till, U.S. Naval War College
· Professor Vanya Eftimova Bellinger, U.S. Naval War College, How to Plan a War with Limited Objectives:
Clausewitz’s War Plans from 1830-1831 and Corbett’s Evaluation of Them
· Professor Evan Wilson, U.S. Naval War College, Revisiting Corbett’s Campaign of Trafalgar
· Professor Kevin McCranie, U.S. Naval War College, Corbett as Strategic Thinker
1030 Break
1045 Panel 2 – “The League of Peace and A Free Sea”
· Chair, Dr. Ryan Wadle, U.S. Naval War College
· Dr. Jayne Friend, The University of Portsmouth,
Anglo-American Naval Relations and the Representation and Adoption of the Town-Class Destroyers
· Dr. Louis Halewood, University of Plymouth
Leading the ‘League of Peace:’ British Perspectives on Maritime Co-operation, 1899-1919
· Professor Jesse Tumblin, U.S. Naval War College, The ‘League of Peace’ and the ‘Storm Center:’ The British
Dominions in the Anglo-American Naval Relationship
1215 Lunch – Naval Staff College Wardroom
1330 Panel 3 – Cheer Up, There is No Naval War College
· Chair, Dr. David Kohnen, U.S. Naval War College
· Mr. Blackley, Independent Scholar, Laying the Groundwork for Sims: Albert P. Niblack as the First Inspector
of Target Practice and the Gunnery Revolution in the U.S. Navy
· Dr. Branden Little, Weber State University
‘The Unvarnished Truth:’ William S. Sims, Tracy B. Kittredge, and Naval History in Two World Wars
· Dr. John Kuehn, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth Kansas,
Corbett in History and the Future of American Maritime Strategy
1500 Break
1515 Keynote Address
Dr. John Maurer, U.S. Naval War College, The Washington Naval Conference – A Century On
1545 Panel 4 – The Conduct of An Oversea Naval Campaign
· Chair, Mr. Richard Frank, Pacific War History, Inc.
· Professor Mark Fiorey, U.S. Naval War College, Organized Confusion, The Building of Advance Base Lion-6
· Mr. Wil Painter, Retired
The Adventures of Wild Bill, The Covert Reconnaissance of CAPT Wilfred L. Painter, CEC, USNR
· Mr. D.M. Giangreco, Remarks on Second World War Research in the 21st Century
1715 Day 1 Summary Remarks
Dr. David Kohnen, U.S. Naval War College
Looking Outward to the Stars while Checking the Phosphorescent Wake – Corbett 100 and Beyond
1730 Conference Reception – Naval War College Museum
Thursday, May 11
0830 Keynote Address
Dr. Christopher Bell, Dalhousie University
British Grand Strategy in the First World War: Winston Churchill vs. Sir Julian Corbett
0900 Panel 5 – Corbett, MacKinder, and Contemporary American Strategy
· Chair, Dr. Nick Gvosdev, U.S. Naval War College
· Professor Geoff Sloan, University of Reading, Geopolitics as an Aid to Statecraft
· Dr. Len Hochberg, MacKinder Forum—U.S., Money-Power, Technology-Power, and Manpower: The
Contemporary Relevance of Halford Mackinder’s Grand Strategy
1030 Break
1045 1215 1315 Panel 6 – Corbett and Professional Education into the Twenty-First Century
· Chair, Dr. Jon Scott Logel, U.S. Naval War College
· Dr. Charlotte Hulme, United States Military Academy
Corbett, ‘Major Strategy,’ and the Issue of ‘Grand Strategy’ at West Point
· Mr. Thomas Duffy, U.S. National War College, Corbett and the National War College
· Professor Chuck Steele, U.S. Air Force Academy, Corbett Looming Over the U.S. Air Force Academy
Lunch – Naval Staff College Wardroom
Panel 7 – Corbett and International Law
· Chair, Professor Andrew Lambert, Kings College London
· Dr. Alan Anderson, Alan Anderson Law Firm LLC
Sir Julian Corbett and International Law: Does it Matter Anymore?
· Dr. Gabriela Frei, University of Oxford, Corbett and the Immunity of Private Property at Sea
· Professor James Kraska, U.S. Naval War College, Freedom of the Seas in Mahan and Corbett
Lunch – Naval Staff College Wardroom
Panel 7 – Corbett and International Law
· Chair, Professor Andrew Lambert, Kings College London
· Dr. Alan Anderson, Alan Anderson Law Firm LLC
Sir Julian Corbett and International Law: Does it Matter Anymore?
· Dr. Gabriela Frei, University of Oxford, Corbett and the Immunity of Private Property at Sea
· Professor James Kraska, U.S. Naval War College, Freedom of the Seas in Mahan and Corbett
Panel 8 – Global Perspectives on Corbett
· Chair, Captain Bryan Leese, U.S. Navy (Retired), U.S. Naval War College
· Rear Admiral Sudarshan Y. Shrikhande, Indian Navy (Retired)
Corbett and Conundrums of India’s Continentality and Maritimeness; and the Role of the Quad
· Rear Admiral Katsuya Yamamoto, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Retired), Sasakawa Peace
Foundation, Corbett and the Indo-Pacific in the 21st Century
· Vice Admiral Peter Jones, Royal Australian Navy (Retired), Australian Naval Institute
Corbett and ‘Some Principles’ for the 21st Century
1630 Day 2 Summary Remarks
Professor Geoff Sloan, University of Reading, Corbett, MacKinder, and the 21st Century
Friday, May 12
0830 Keynote Address
Vice Admiral Peter Jones, Royal Australian Navy(Retired), Australian Naval Institute
Some Principles About Corbett and the Late Rear Admiral James Goldrick, Royal Australian Navy – Thirty Years
After ‘Mahan is Not Enough’
0900 Panel 9 – Americans ‘Looking Outward’ to Corbett and Beyond the Stars
· Chair, Commander Ryan Vest, U.S. Navy, U.S. Naval War College
· Mr. Trent Hone, ICF International
‘Crushing Blows:’ Sir Julian Corbett’s Influence on U.S. World War II Pacific Strategy
· Dr. Peter Luebke, Naval History and Heritage Command, Corbett and the Practice of History
· Professor David Winkler, U.S. Naval War College
Warnings from the Past in Contemporary American Maritime Affairs
1030 Panel 10 – Orbiting Corbett
· Chair, Professor Sam Tangredi, U.S. Naval War College
· Dr. John J. Klein, George Washington University, Corbett in Orbit: A Maritime Inspired Space Strategy
· Dr. James W.E. Smith, Kings College London
Corbett for the Next Generation of Strategists: From ‘Land-Think’ to ‘Seabed to Space’?
1200 Closing Remarks
Professor Andrew Lambert, Kings College London, ‘The League of Peace and a Free Sea’ in the 21st Century
Corbett 100: Naval Strategy in the 21st Century: From Seabed to Space
France, 2 and 3 Dec 2025.
This conference was held in France, by invite of the French Navy.
The Corbett 100 Project team present our fourth conference: “Naval Strategy in the 21st Century: from Seabed to Space”.
This naval strategy seminar sees scholars from the UK, US, France, Australia, Japan and the Netherlands look to the future of Naval Strategy.
A invitation only conference, open to online attendance on application.
2 December – Seminar Day 1
All times indicated are in Paris time (GMT+1)
Morning session
09:00 AM: Welcome Address & École Navale’s Tour
9:30 AM: Andrew Lambert, King’s College London : “The Corbett 100 initiative”
10:00 AM: Panel I: Naval Strategy: Methodological and Historiographical Perspectives
Olivier Chaline, Sorbonne Université, Corbett from an 18th-century specialist
Martin Motte, École Pratique des Hautes Études, The Navy of the Bourbon Restoration (1814 - 1830) : a reappraisal
Henk Warnar, Netherlands Defence Academy, The role of Corbett’s limited war theory in Dutch naval thought
Afternoon session
1:30 PM: Panel II: Corbett today and tomorrow: Operational Challenges.
Keynote Lectures for the cadets and staff of the École Navale.
Captain Keïto Ushirogata (online), Strategic Studies Department, JMSDF
Command and Staff College
Mark Bailey, Australian Defence Forces Academy
Andrew Lambert, King’s College London
4:00 PM: Ecole Navale’s Research Institute Tour
4:45 PM: Corbett today and tomorrow: Strategic Foresight
Roy de Ruiter, Netherlands Defence Academy, Strategic Foresight in the Dutch Navy
Andrew Young, Royal Navy Strategic Studies Center, RN Strategic Foresight and the challenge of amphibious operations.
Jean-Marie Kowalski, École navale, History of French Strategic Foresight since 1958
3 December – Seminar Day 2
All times indicated are in Paris time (GMT+1)
Morning session
09:00 AM: Panel III: Corbett today and tomorrow: Seabed warfare and SLOCs
Magali Michiels, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Protection of critical infrastructure in the North Sea
Lyna Maaziz, École navale, Law and politics in the undersea domain
Guillaume de Rougé, École navale, UxVs implications for tactics, operational concepts, and strategy
The Corbett 100 Press Releases (2022-2025)
18 May 2023
U.S. Naval War College Hosts Conference Applying History to Present and Future Naval Strategy
NEWPORT, RI – The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted the third installment in the “Corbett 100” project, a conference series co-sponsored by the Laughton Naval Unit at King’s College London and the Sea Power Centre of the Royal Australian Navy, onboard Naval Station Newport, May 10 - 12.
The Corbett 100 project marks the centenary of the death of British naval historian and maritime strategist Sir Julian Corbett, with an exploration of the influence of history upon sea power with an applied view to the future.
NWC’s Corbett 100 conference examined key historical foundations of maritime policy and naval strategy by revisiting the example provided by Corbett, whose work profoundly influenced Rear Adm. William S. Sims in his second presidency at NWC.
Welcoming the participants, Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of NWC, charted the role of time in the technological advancement of the Navy, rife not only with challenges, but also noteworthy successes.
“The history of naval warfare is filled with examples of commanders who achieved victory by thinking outside the box and using unorthodox tactics,” said Chatfield. “Today, commanders must be prepared to embrace new technologies and adapt their strategies as the situation demands.”
Chatfield also charged participants to cultivate relationships with new and interested graduates and subject matter experts who could offer fresh ideas and energy for a robust conference experience.
Participants included historians, other academics and former serving military from the U.S., UK, Japan, India and Australia. During the conference they explored issues of immediate strategic focus for contemporary naval thinkers in anticipation of the future role of navies in peace and war.
Attendees participated in ten panels supported by more than 35 speakers covering topics which connected the study of history to modern strategic analysis.
A keynote presentation on “The Spectre of Navalism in the 21st Century” by Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at Kings College London, provided reasons for Corbett’s importance in modern times.
“Corbett was a philosopher who created a concept of a British way of war and supported that through the creation of a ‘practical past,’” stated Lambert. He explained that this “practical past” is what is needed to “process the experiences we are having in the present or will have in the future.”
The location of the conference was especially apropos as the event took place in NWC’s Pringle Hall, a building steeped history and home to historic war gaming floors dating back to 1934. Here the college’s Historical Section, using a Corbett-inspired curriculum, influenced American naval strategy development during the years leading up to the Second World War.
David Kohnen, Ph.D., associate professor at NWC’s Center for Maritime Historical Research, spoke about how Corbett inspired Rear Adm. Sims to fuse unclassified historical analysis with current intelligence in order to educate NWC’s ‘five-star thinkers’ of the 1920s and 1930s. Among those benefiting from the historical-based curriculum were Adm. Chester W. Nimitz and Capt. Ernest J. King, who completed the curriculum three times over the course of his career.
“Through this education, these leaders learned not to be what we might call ‘warfighters,’” Kohnen said. “Rather, they learned how to be ‘war winners’ into the Second World War and beyond.”
Retired Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Peter Jones attended the conference with retired Admirals Sudarshan Shrikhande of the Indian Navy and Katsuya Yamamoto of Japan - all NWC alumni. Notably, Jones also provided keynote remarks about the profound influence of another NWC graduate, the late Australian Adm. James Goldrick, whose historical writings on strategy have influenced contemporary efforts to maintain maritime stability in the greater Indo-Pacific region.
Using the works of Corbett and other maritime thinkers of the past, NWC continues to build upon historical lessons to educate naval leaders of the twenty-first century and beyond.
NWC delivers excellence in education, research, and outreach, informing today’s decision-makers and educating tomorrow’s leaders. The college provides educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop students’ ability to anticipate and prepare strategically for the future, strengthen the foundations of peace, and create a decisive warfighting advantage.
08 December 2022
Book to be launched by King’s in honour of Sir Julian Corbett
Academics from the School of Security Studies are launching a book in honour of Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922), historian, strategist, and philosopher of seapower and maritime strategy, and marking the Corbett 100 project.
The publication will mark 100 years since the influential historian and theorist’s death. It will be an edited volume of essays covering the use of applied history as the root of strategic thought, the development of maritime strategy and essays on topics related to Sir Julian’s work.
Sir Julian Corbett was a historian whose research efforts led to the development of national strategy, dispelling the belief that military and foreign strategy should be based on a set of universal principles. Instead, Corbett understood the critical importance of the past in highlighting long-term national security policy trends. His work set him amongst the greats of strategic theorists and military historians while encouraging future generations to advance the fields of history and strategic studies. This book will build upon this legacy and the work of the Corbett 100 project.
Dr James W.E. Smith, one of the founders of the Corbett 100 project
Corbett 100 is a joint initiative between the Laughton Naval History and Maritime Strategy Unit of the School of Security Studies at King’s, the U.S. Naval War College and the Australian Naval institute. The project explores historical and contemporary national strategy and defence policy questions from perspectives on naval history, maritime strategy, and strategic theory.
Starting in 2019 under the leadership of Dr James W.E. Smith and War Studies Alumnus Dr David Kohnen, Corbett 100 has supported the close ties identified in the ‘AUKUS’ partnership between the UK, USA and Australia. It has brought together researchers, academics and military professionals from across the world through events, podcasts and publications. Over 300 academics, historians, veterans, and military personnel will have attended, presented or been involved with the project in some capacity, including from nations such as Japan, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand and India.
In 2022, they launched a series of major international conferences that have taken place at King’s and the Australian Naval Institute in partnership with The University of New South Wales in Canberra and the Australian Defence Force Academy. The conferences discussed the influence of Sir Julian on British and global national strategy and contemporary defence and security challenges, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. In 2023, the US Naval War College will conclude the programme by focusing on the future of naval and maritime strategy in relation to addressing potential global security and defence challenges. The project has and continues to explore contemporary questions on maritime strategy, strategic theory, defence policy, naval doctrine, seapower, trade protection and future global security issues ranging from the seabed to space.
Laughton Chair for Naval History, Professor Andrew Lambert FKC, remarked on the project:
“Corbett believed that the development of naval education and strategic planning depended on the combination of an accurate understanding of past practice, and the evolution of strategic theory that addressed the unique and specific needs of individual nations. He recognised a distinctive maritime/economic ‘British Way of War’. While Corbett’s work was shaped by the highest academic standards, it was designed to meet the intellectual needs of serving officers and statesmen. Corbett’s multi-disciplinary approach remains relevant in the 21st century; consequently, this project has engaged and informed defence educators, decision makers and the development of naval policy, military doctrine and both grand and national strategy. Its outputs will continue to do so.”
Alongside the launch of the book, Corbett 100 will continue to share Sir Julian’s work through efforts to advance the digitalisation and access to Corbett’s records, such as those held at King’s Liddle Hart Military Archives and the UK National Maritime Museum. After the project’s conclusion, it will continue to act as a network to advance research in naval history and maritime strategy, growing relations and research collaboration between scholars worldwide, where King’s remains a home for expertise on naval history and maritime strategy.
2022
King’s College London holds first Corbett 100 event [Australian Naval Institute]
Late last month the King’s College London held the first of Corbett 100 Events. It welcomed over sixty speakers and delegates from around the world to a conference marking the centenary of the death of British historian, strategist and philosopher of seapower and maritime strategy Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922).
The conference was the first of three taking place in the UK, Australia and USA throughout 2022-23 as part of the Corbett 100 project. Delegates discussed the life and times of Sir Julian, his influence as a historian on British and global national during the early 20th Century, and his methodology of applied history. Further details of the London event see https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/security-studies-hosts-international-conference-on-maritime-strategist-sir-julian-corbett
The Corbet 100 Project features a series of special publications and events exploring historical and contemporary questions on maritime strategy, defence policy, seapower, trade protection and future global security, including Space power. The relationships between nations at sea and the ongoing development of navies has been identified as an area of interest to each of the countries in the ‘AUKUS’ partnership, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Over the next year, more than 350 delegates from 19 countries and a diverse range of backgrounds, including serving military, veterans, academics, policymakers, national representatives and officials, will attend or present at a Corbett 100 event.
The Australian contribution will be the 2022 Goldrick Conference to be held at the Australian Defence Force Academy on 21-22 September titled Asia-Pacific Maritime Strategy in the 21st Century. It will feature speakers from Canada, India, the UK and the US. Further details are at: https://navalinstitute.com.au/events/major-events/
30 May 2022
Security Studies hosts international conference on maritime strategist Sir Julian Corbett
The Corbett 100 Conference explored the life and times of the important historian and strategist
Last week, King’s welcomed over 60 speakers and delegates from around the world to a conference marking the centenary of the death of British historian, strategist and philosopher of seapower and maritime strategy Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922).
The conference was the first of three taking place in the UK, Australia and USA throughout 2022-23 as part of the Corbett 100 project. Delegates discussed the life and times of Sir Julian, his influence as a historian on British and global national during the early 20th century, and his methodology of applied history.
The Corbett 100 project, designed by Dr James W E Smith when he was a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies, launched in 2019. It builds upon historical and scholarly links between the UK, US and Australia through research collaboration on maritime strategy, national defence policy, and history.
The project will feature a series of special publications and events exploring historical and contemporary questions on maritime strategy, defence policy, seapower, trade protection and future global security, including Space power. The relationships between nations at sea and the ongoing development of navies has been identified as an area of interest to each of the countries in the ‘AUKUS’ partnership, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Over the next year, more than 350 delegates from 19 countries and a diverse range of backgrounds, including serving military, veterans, academics, policymakers, national representatives and officials, will attend or present at a Corbett 100 event.
Sir Julian Corbett was a historian whose research efforts led to the development of national strategy, dispelling the belief military and foreign strategy should be based on a set of universal principles towards efforts to secure peace and international order. He also understood the critical importance of the past in highlighting long-term national security policy trends.
Laughton Chair for Naval History, Professor Andrew Lambert remarked:
Sir Julian Corbett’s contribution as a historian places him amongst the great scholars and thinkers of military history and strategic studies, alongside the likes of theorist Carl Von Clauzwitz. He used applied history, garnering useful insight from studying Britain’s military past to to create a national strategy for Britain, guiding decision-making on topics critical to national realities on strategic defence policy and the use of seapower.
Professor Andrew Lambert
Sir Julian’s major theoretical work of 1911, Some Principals of Maritime Strategy, remains the single most important text on maritime strategy. His work received positive international acclaim from the United States, Australia and Japan as they developed their notion of “seapower”.
As part of its efforts to mark the centenary of Corbett’s death, the Royal Navy’s Naval Historical Branch is digitalising many of his essays on naval history and maritime doctrine in the year ahead to make them accessible to researchers and the public.
The Corbett 100 committee is formed of Dr James WE Smith, King’s College London, Dr David Kohnen, US Naval War College and Dr Mark Bailey, Royal Australian Navy. The project is supported through an academic council consisting of members including Professor Andrew Lambert, King’s College London.
Professor Lambert also spoke about Sir Julian Corbett with Dr James W E Smith on an episode of the Department of War Studies podcast about his book The British Way of War, exploring why Sir Julian ranks amongst the greats of military strategic studies, used history to develop a new national strategy for Britian, and how his naval successes helped shape Britain’s naval success in the Second World War.
Listen to the episode via Spotify, Soundcloud or Apple podcasts.
6 September 2021
King’s College London led research collaboration enhances ‘AUKUS’ partnership between UK, USA and Australia
A collaborative project by the Laughton Naval Unit with research partners in the USA and Australia supports the close ties identified in the new ‘AUKUS’ partnership
In collaboration with research partners in the USA and Australia, the Corbett 100 project led by the Laughton Unit in the Department of War Studies supports the close ties identified in the new ‘AUKUS’ partnership announced yesterday by the British government, between the UK, USA and Australia.
The project, launched in 2019, builds upon historical and scholarly links between the UK, US and Australia through research collaboration on maritime strategy. The partnership between King’s College London, US Naval War College and Australian Naval Institute brings together researchers, veterans and active military to discuss historical perspectives on historian and strategist Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922) and the contemporary relevance of his work on maritime strategy.
Sir Julian Corbett’s research efforts earlier in the 20th century proved strategy was a national construct rather than a set of universal principles towards efforts to secure peace and international order. His work received positive international acclaim from the United States, Australia and Japan as they developed their notion of “seapower”.
Corbett understood the critical importance of the past, once suitably analysed, in highlighting long-term national security policy trends. His major theoretical contribution came in 1911 with the publication of Some Principals of Maritime Strategy, which remains the single most important text on maritime strategy. It placed Corbett among the great strategic thinkers. As a civilian, Corbett served the British Cabinet, where his commitment to the education of the Royal Navy, the integration of naval thought into national strategy and policy, and the importance of academic rigour marked him out from the majority of contemporary writers in the subject.
The Corbett 100 project led by King’s College London academics and alumni marks the centenary of the death of British naval historian Sir Julian Corbett in 2022. The project runs between 2019 and 2023, featuring special publications and events exploring historical as well as contemporary questions including maritime strategy, defence policy, seapower, trade protection and future global security. Three events aim to discuss maritime strategy for the contemporary era. The relationships between nations at sea and the ongoing development of navies being a particular area identified of interest to each of the countries in the ‘AUKUS’ partnership. The first event will be held at King’s College London in 2022. Following the King’s conference, further events will be held in Australia and the United States.
Corbett 100 is directed between Dr James W.E. Smith, King’s College London, Dr David Kohnen, U.S Naval War College and Dr Mark Bailey, Royal Australian Navy. The project is supported through an academic council consisting of Professor Andrew Lambert at King’s College London and Professor John Hattendorf at the U.S Naval War College.
31 May 2019
King’s College London and US Naval War College in major research collaboration
The new Corbett 100 project will bring together researchers, veterans and active military to discuss historical perspectives on naval historian Sir Julian Corbett and his works, but also explore contemporary questions including maritime strategy, defence policy, naval theory, seapower, trade protection and future global security.
The new Corbett 100 project will bring together researchers, veterans and active military to discuss historical perspectives on naval historian Sir Julian Corbett and his works, but also explore contemporary questions including maritime strategy, defence policy, naval theory, seapower, trade protection and future global security.
Corbett 100 is a collaboration between the Laughton Unit, Department of War Studies, King’s College London and the Hattendorf Historical Center, U.S Naval War College. It marks the centenary of the death of British naval historian and maritime strategist Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922) in 2022. The project will run between 2019 and 2023, featuring special publications and events.
“Corbett believed in writing history of the highest academic standards but designed for the use of serving officers and statesmen. Corbett’s approach remains relevant to the 21st century, and this project is not only a study for historians but will inform defence educators, decision makers and the development of naval policy, military doctrine and both grand and national strategy,” said Professor Andrew Lambert, Laughton Chair for Naval History, King’s College London.
Corbett 100 is co-directed by PhD candidate James W.E. Smith, King’s College London and Dr D Kohnen, Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research, U.S Naval War College. The project is supported through an academic council consisting of Professor Andrew Lambert at King’s College London and Professor John Hattendorf at the U.S. Naval War College.
Corbett’s commitment to the education of the Royal Navy, the integration of naval thought into national strategy and policy, and the importance of academic rigour marked him out from the majority of contemporary writers in the subject. A civilian and a progressive liberal in politics Corbett developed maritime strategic naval doctrine in the context of an evolving British system, in contrast to the work of serving officers.
Corbett understood the critical importance of the past, once suitably analysed, in highlighting long terms trends in national security policy. His major theoretical contribution came in 1911 with the publication of Some Principals of Maritime Strategy, which remains the single most important text on maritime strategy and it placed Corbett among the great strategic thinkers.
The scholarly connections between King’s College London and the Naval War College are deeply entwined. In the late nineteenth century, King’s College London Professor Sir John Laughton assisted U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce in efforts to establish the U.S Naval War College. Laughton not only inspired Corbett but many of the ideas attributed to U.S. Navy Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan and the American notion of “sea power” at the dawn of the twentieth century.