2. Chapter 8 section 4 Text pages 245 - 248
How do Geopolitics and Critical Geopolitics help us Understand the World

3. Geopolitics
Interplay among geography, power, politics, and international relations
Geopoliticians’ ideas influence policy and decision making
Example: Domino Theory
if one state in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect
Ideas about power relationships
Provided Strategy for U.S.
Impacted relations globally (Korea and Vietnam)

4. Classical Geopolitics: German
Focuses on Friedrich Ratzel
Permanent, static boarders kill states
Territories (especially overseas) are vital
Helped justify Nazi land grabs in the 1930’s

5. Classical Geopolitics: British/American
Focuses on
Strategic advice
Why states interact the way they do
Sir Halford J. Mackinder
Heartland Theory (1919)
Belief that a land-based, not sea-based, power center would dominate the world
Eurasia is the key “Pivot-Area” where the Heartland is located
Advocated limiting the spread and influence of the Heartland and forming an organization to counter it (NATO)
Nichols Spyman
Rimland Theory
countered Mackinder’s Heartland theory
stated that Eurasia’s rimland, the coastal areas, is the key to controlling the World Island
Influenced actions during the Cold War

6. Cold War
U.S. vs. Russia (Federal vs. Unitary government, Capitalist vs. Communist economic systems)
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty organization, mutual defense organization formed by the U.S. and Britain
Warsaw Pact
Response to NATO, in 1945 that formed an alliance of the Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain; USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania
Iron Curtain
Satellite state
refers to a country which is formally independent, but under heavy influence or control by another country
USSR Collapse

8. Critical Geopolitics
Focusses on explaining the assumptions and perceptions of politicians
Politicians of core states form ideas about places
This in turn influences policy choices
This in turn influences the people of the state
Less focus on predicting and prescribing of classical geopolitics today
Politicians identify against based on the perceptions
Ronald Reagan labelling the Soviet Union the “Evil Empire”
Arab and Persian nations viewing Israel as others and visa versa

9. Geopolitical World Order
Temporary periods of stability in the way politics are conducted at a global scale
Stable world order  breakdown  new stable world order
After WWII old Colonialist order breaks down  enter into Cold War world over order  collapse of Soviet Union  U.S.- centered World Order
Unilateralism – world order where one state dominates and allies follow instead of joining political discourse
Is the world order still one of unilateralism?
What are some challenges to the current world order?
China, terrorism, the E.U., and Globalization