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Naval and Maritime Tools
for Present Geo-economics and Economic Warfare by Adm. Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte
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Introduction hen speaking of economic war, it is worth recalling that, according to one among the most valuable scholars of this strategic phenomenon, «it can pursue different aims: political, strategic and economic. When it pursues political aims, economy is used as a weapon to induce the other states, through embargoes and sanctions to heed to the will of (the nation) which uses it. It pursues strategic aims when it proposes to make unavailable to a potential adversary critical products and technologies, through the so-called strategic embargoes, or when it aims, during a conflict, to deprive the adversary of the needed supplies. It pursues economic aims when a state pursues the increase of its citizens’ welfare or its own wealth»1. If we consider these three types of economic war, we might say that the first implies essentially an offensive strategy, while the other two imply, according to circumstances, both offensive and defensive approaches. The «rule of the thumb» says that when a nation is powerful and wealthy, her first concern will be to defend and protect her status. Competing nations will try to undermine her, being helped, when required, by smaller states, the «underdogs» who will strive to get some benefits from their collaborative efforts. Of course, the intended victim will react, initially «in kind», thus undertaking initiatives in the economic domain, in order to thwart the enemy offensive, by depriving him of the required financial means, before recurring to force. The maritime domain is quite peculiar: few nations can be classified as «Maritime Powers», while others will most often succumb to the formers, in case of conflict, due to starvation and deprivation of resources. This
1 Carlo Jean, Geopolitica, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1995, p. 142.
