The Genesis of the Naval Profession

Book excerpt: Drawn largely from unpublished manuscripts, this compilation illustrates Norbert Elias' theory that the emergence of the professional naval officer in Great Britain was related both to the necessities of naval warfare and to the structure of society on land. Specifically, the innovation of the rank of midshipman meant that the British were able to mitigate the impact of social barriers between officers and ratings and gradually merge the two hierarchies.