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Geopolitics

Geopolitics. An Introduction. Geopolitics explores political power and geographic space. Often seen as testing strategic ideas based on the land power and/or sea power in world history . Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904 ). German Professor

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Geopolitics

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  1. Geopolitics An Introduction

  2. Geopolitics explores political power and geographic space. • Often seen as testing strategic ideas based on the land power and/or sea power in world history.

  3. Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904) • German Professor • Anthrogeographical combines anthropology, geography, and politics. • States, like living organisms, had to grow, expand, or die. • *Living frontiers*, borders are dynamic and subject to change(introduced the term lebensraum).

  4. Rudolf Kjellen(1864-1922) • Swedish Professor • Geopolitics (in Swedish *geopolitik*) regarded as the founder of geopolitics. • First in Introduction to Swedish Geography, but The State as a Living Formis considered his most important geopolitical work.

  5. Sir HalfordMackinder (1861-1947)and Alfred T. Mahan (1840-1914) • Geopolitical theory was also developing in the UK and USA • Mackinder - British geographer • Stressed land transport as a key to control and power. • Core of land power was the Eurasian *Heartland* of Russia. • The power in the Heartland would dominate and have superpower status. • Mahan - American Admiral • Sea power and control of sea lanes and lanes of communication as key to control and power.

  6. Karl Haushofer(1869-1946) • After World War I, German. • 1925 to 1945 founded Journal of Geopolitics (ZeitschriftfürGeopolitik) continued to develop the idea of Lebensraum. • Ideas used as basis of Nazi foreign policy. • Haushofer was not a Nazi and was sent to a concentration camp, his son was executed for participation in the 20 July coup against Hitler.

  7. Nicholas Spykman (1893-1943) • American Professor • Mackinder over-emphasized the Heartland. • Concept of the *Rimland*, a buffer zone between sea and land power. • After WWII the *Rimland* concept morphed into US policy of containment of communism. • Prevent the USSR (and originally the PRC) from spreading influence to the Rimland.

  8. Colin S. Gray • Modern geopolitics includes national defense planning, strategic studies, and elements of national power. • An important contributor has been Colin S. Gray and his book Geopolitics of the Nuclear Era (1977). • Some have declared geopolitics to be outdated and replaced by geo-economics (and globalization).

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