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Geopolitics. State’s power to control territory, shape international policy and other states’ foreign policy. 19 th Cent. GeoPolitics. Colonization Mercantilism Imperialism White Man’s Burden Manifest Destiny Monroe Doctrine Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The German School.
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Geopolitics State’s power to control territory, shape international policy and other states’ foreign policy
19th Cent. GeoPolitics • Colonization • Mercantilism • Imperialism • White Man’s Burden • Manifest Destiny • Monroe Doctrine • Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
The German School • Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904) AN ORGANIC STATE • “The state resembles a biological organism whose life cycle extends from birth through maturity and, ultimately, decline and death. To prolong its existence, the state requires nourishment, just as an organism needs food. Such nourishment is provided by the acquisition of territories belonging to less powerful competitors” -lebensraum. (deBlij 245) • An extreme form of environmental determinism • Justified Nazi expansion
GeoPolitiks • Karl Haushofer (1869-1946) Germ. • Ideas used by Nazi party for Germany’s theories of race superiority and need for territorial conquest. Promoting • A land & sea power • Lebensraum (living space) • Autarky (economic self-sufficiency) • Organic state • His student was Rudolf Hess
Heartland Theory • Halford Mackinder, Jr.(1861-1947) English geographer • Believed the greatest powers would control the land, not the seas • The greatest land would be in Eurasia, “the world island” b/c contains largest landmass and population aka the heartland or the “pivot area”
Heartland Theory • Mackinder warned that “Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland, who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island, who rules the World-Island commands the World.” Fellmann 437
Other ideas • Alfred T. Mahan – US (1??0-1914) to gain power must control sea lanes • Nicholas Spykman (1894-1943) agreed that Eurasia was the likely base for world domination, but argued that the coastal fringes were the key areas – the Rimland Theory – contains dense population, abundant resources, coastal access, and access to interior
Effect • US equated the Heartland theory w/the USSR so adopted containment in reaction to the Domino Theory • Creating alliances in the Rimland: • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) • Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) in West Asia • Southeast Treaty Organization (SEATO) • Eastern Europe became a shatterbelt or shatter zone during the Cold War – countries located strategically within the spheres of influence of larger, competing countries. Common for countries to have economic problems and political instability