Influence of Sea Power Upon History is mandatory reading. Alfred Thayer Manan is regarded by some to be one of the most influential strategists of the 19th century. He considered dominion of the seas to be the prime motivator of national interests as it's the means by which nations engage with each other and with themselves.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Thayer-Mahan
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Thayer-Mahan