GEOG 220 - GEOPOLITICS Philippe Le Billon Lecture 2 – Introducing Geopolitics.

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
8.3.4.
Advertisements

Thucydides Often called father of realism 5 th century B.C. Historian seeking to understand the nature of war and why it continually recurs Argued that.
11/20 Focus 11/20 Focus: – Athens and Sparta were the two dominant city-states in Greece before the Peloponnesian War. – The war weakened both the military.
Pre WWII German Geopolitics And the Geopolitik. Origins of German Geopolitics I (all known from previous lectures) Rudolf Kjellén (Sweden, Gothenburg):
Chapter 25 Section 1 The Cold War Begins Section 1 The Roots of Imperialism Identify the key factors that prodded America to expand. Explain how the United.
Geopolitics As a Realist, Conservative and Determinist Theory of International Relations.
LA Comprehensive Curriculum
3 - 1 Learning Objectives The importance of history and geography in culture How culture interprets events through its own eyes How the United States moved.
3 - 1 Learning Objectives The importance of history and geography in culture How culture interprets events through its own eyes How the United States moved.
Geopolitical Theories
Spykman’s Rimland Theory
Aim: How does the study of geopolitics help us understand the world?
Unit Four Review: Unit Four Review: Political Geography (Ethnicity, Political Geography) 100 State Shapes 100 Geopolitical Theories States and Nations.
It’s Thursdaaaaayyyyy!!! ► We will begin today by going over the progressive era test. ► Please be ready to do this quickly and quietly.
Imperialism Overview Move towards Imperialism Imperialism Age (mid 1800s - early 1900s) Period where the US –Acquired more land –Expanded influence.
Mr. Mount An Emerging World Power: American Imperialism U.S. History
Goal 6: The Emergence of the United States in World Affairs: Goal 6.1: Examine the factors that led to the United States taking an increasingly.
19 th Cent. GeoPolitics Colonization Mercantilism Imperialism White Man’s Burden Manifest Destiny Monroe Doctrine Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Geopolitics.
Take a couple minutes to discuss with your teammates:
Unit 3—Chapters 5 – 6 Imperialism and World War I CSS 11.4 Students trace the rise of the US to its role as a world power in the 20 th century.
Halford Mackinder. Early Life: Born in Gainsborough Lincolnshire, England Mackinder went to Epsom College, boarding school in Surrey, from University.
Real Life Situation There is a fight in school. Discuss: 1. Reasons for the fight? 2. What might have been done to prevent it? 3. How can they be resolved.
-Manifest Destiny Overseas
AMERICAN IMPERIALISM UNIT 3. Time to test your memories…  How many empires can you name? What was the “mother country” of those empires?  Why did these.
Why did America join the Imperialistic Club at the end of the 19 th Century? The Imperialists Great Britain France BelgiumUSA?? Germany Japan.
Pop Quiz 2 More Yay!. Geopolitics The interplay of geography, power, politics and international relations.
THE AGE OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM. INTRODUCTION TO UNIT 3 Four weeks (through 11/21) Topics  Motives for imperialism  The Spanish-American War  Colonizing.
Alfred Thayer Mahan and the Impact of the Seas on World Dominance
V. Geopolitics Considers the strategic value of land and sea area in the context of national economic and military power and ambitions – power relationships:
Reasons for American Imperialism. America: What is different?
Imperialism and America Chapter Isolationism A policy of limiting involvement in international affairs.
Geopolitics An Introduction.
BELLWORK 1. What is appeasement? 2. What event caused the outbreak of WWII? 3. How did Germany take over France? 4. What was the Battle of Britain? 5.
Origins of geopolitics space time Struggle Golden age of geopolitics: second half of the 19 th century first part of the 20 th century. Hausofer’s death.
Chapter 10 Imperialism. Imperialism = when a stronger nation extends military, political, & economic control over a weaker one. used to expand influence,
Emergence of the Americas in Global Affairs
Introduction to Imperialism Chapter 20 Advanced US History.
Political Geography JMMZ108, JMMZ Nation state and geopolitics Instructor: PhDr. et Mgr. Kryštof Kozák, PhD.
Geopolitics AP Human Geography 2016.
As British Foreign Secretary, Lord Salisbury ( ) stuck to a policy of “Splendid Isolation” (though historians have debated how isolated Britain.
American Imperialism. What is Imperialism? American Imperialism: is the economic, military and cultural influence of the United States on other countries.
American Imperialism Why Did the U.S. Want to Expand?
Geopolitics “Geopolitics may be defined, crudely, as the influence of geography upon politics: how distance and terrain and climate affect the affairs.
ENTRY Task Take out your homework  Supranational Organizations  Criticisms of Supranational Organizations Discuss the organizations your researched at.
American Imperialism USHC 5.1
Imperialism Stronger nations attempt to create empires by dominating weaker nations.
Geopolitics Objective: Understand the concept of geopolitics. Analyze the similarities and differences between the theories of Wallerstein, Ratzel,
Geopolitical Theories
-Manifest Destiny Overseas
International Political Geography
Day 3 – Golden Age & Peloponnesian War
Imperialism.
Geopolitical Theories
Models, Theories and More Theories, oh my!!!!
Chapter 8 Vocabulary Allocated boundary – Dispute over location and resources (Iraq/Kuwait oilfield) Operational boundary – a dispute of how a boarder.
Chapter 8 section 4 Text pages
IV. International Political Geography
Political Geography.
V. Geopolitics Considers the strategic value of land and sea area in the context of national economic and military power and ambitions power relationships:
Dr. Susan P. Mains Geography
International Political Geography
Period 7: American Imperialism
Political Theories.
11/29 Bellringer +5 sentences
Dr. Susan P. Mains Geography
Pre WWII German Geopolitics
Joining the Imperialist Club
Geopolitics As a Realist, Conservative and Determinist Theory of International Relations.
Geopolitical Theories
Presentation transcript:

GEOG GEOPOLITICS Philippe Le Billon Lecture 2 – Introducing Geopolitics

What is ‘geopolitics’? Etymology Lineage and circulation Why does it have currency? How does it work?

Etymology Geo [Greek ‘ge’ = earth] + Politics [Greek ‘politikos’ = affairs of the city/state, from ‘polis’ = city]

Lineage and circulation Rudolf Kjellen ( ), Swedish political scientist, often presented as having coined the term ‘geopolitics’ in 1899:  Study of the state as a ‘geographical organism’ or spatial phenomena – Topopolitik: position of a state – Physiopolitik: territory of a state (Raum) – Morphopolitik: shape of a state First known appearance in German mathematician and philosopher Leibniz’s Encyclopaedia (1679): relation between universal history and human geography. Longer lineage of thinkers and strategists (e.g. Aristotle, Confucius, Machiavelli)

Genealogy of German ‘Geopolitik’ Charles Darwin Evolution of species => ‘Social Darwinism’ Alexander von Humboldt ‘Biogeography’ Karl Ritter ‘Organic state’ (state-land-people) Friedrich Ratzel ‘Political Geography’ ‘Lebensraum’ (living space) Rudolph Kjellen ‘Geopoliticks’ Karl Haushofer German ‘Geopolitik’ under Nazi Rudolph Hess Senior Nazi official Alfred Mahan Land power/Sea power Halford Mackinder Geographical ‘Pivot of History’ Environmental determinism Evolution of organisms End of the ‘age of discoveries’ and imperial conquests Industrialization and railways

Alfred Mahan ( ) Thucydides ( bc): Peloponnesian War: Athens (sea-power) vs Sparta (land-power) French failure to become a dominant ‘sea power’ due to geographical position dictating continental and maritime policies (‘two-fronts’) Implications: – importance of ‘securing’ the American landmass to allow for a focus on ‘sea power’ – ‘sea power’ secures ‘national greatness’ – Extension of US’s Manifest Destiny through to the world through naval protection of US commerce Mahan’s geopolitical coinage includes the ‘Middle East’ (at the time mostly Persian Gulf – later also renamed Arab(ian) Gulf) Published 1890

Friedrich Ratzel ( ) Influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution => states as ‘organisms’ obeying to the laws of evolution: ‘survival of the fittest’ Organic analogy: – Lebensraum: ‘living space’ to thrive => states must expand or die Strong, united Germany extending to ‘Mitteleuropa’ to include all German-speaking people => preserve integrity of German culture and preclude attacks by hostile neighbors => logic of territorial expansion but also autarky (no external dependence on ‘unstable’ foreign markets) Perception of German vulnerability, yet high potential Completed 1899

Halford Mackinder ( ) John Evelyn ( ) argued in 1674 that, Whoever commands the ocean commands the trade of the world, and Whoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and Whoever is master of that commands the world itself. Mackinder saw a shift of balance of power from sea-based to land- based powers; a shift that created a ‘geographical pivot of history’ – Mackinder’s paper submitted in 1902, published in 1904 – St Petersburg-Vladivostok railway completed in 1903 – Russian perspective: protect ‘Russian territories’ in the east from Britain, China and Japan. Most prominent British geographer of the early 20 th century, renown for his ‘heartland’ geopolitical argument

Map of the ‘natural seats of power’, Halford J. Mackinder (1904) ‘The Geographical Pivot of History’, Geographical Journal

Haushofer’s pan-region model

Main assumptions The idea that states compete is based on the assumptions that states need territory and resources to exist and so that they always try to grab more territory and resources => Belief that states do not always fight because their power is balanced: no state attack another because they are afraid of the power of that other state or its allies => The assumption is that ‘world politics’ is a zero-sum struggle for territory and resources

Why does geopolitics have currency? Suggests a topic is important Deals with ‘big issues’ or relative power, threats, survival Purports to explain a great deal in simple terms, relates the mess of local events to a clearer ‘big picture’ Justify a situation by arguing it is natural  one “only needs to look at the map”  simplistic and biased views of ‘other’ places/people Brings a supposed clarity that can drive action (actionable recommendations: military deployment, alliances, infrastructures such as walls or ports) Promises to serve as a quasi oracle to predict future direction of world affairs (not through access to ‘thoughts of the divine’ but scientific facts) => yet often value-based rather than factual

Different forms of geopolitics Formal geopolitics Practical geopolitics Popular geopolitics

Formal Geopolitics “… describes how demographic trends in the developed world will constrain the ability of the United States and its traditional allies to maintain national and global security in the decades ahead. It also explains how dramatic demographic change in the developing world--from resurgent youth bulges in the Islamic world to premature aging in China and population implosion in Russia--will give rise to serious new security threats. While some argue that global aging is pushing the world toward greater peace and prosperity, The Graying of the Great Powers warns that a period of great geopolitical danger looms just over the horizon. Neither the triumph of multilateralism nor democratic capitalism is assured. The demographic trends of the twenty- first century will challenge the geopolitical assumptions of both the left and the right.”

Practical Geopolitics

Popular Geopolitics US movie perspectives on Somalia

Next week Geopolitical perspectives on war and peace => Read Sara Koopman “Alter-geopolitics”