Flint 2006 (reader)□"Description and synthesis of the physical and asocial aspects of a region"▪

E.g. Social, economic, political□Uniqueness in terms of attributes▪

Partially a product of connections with other places▪

E.g. Quantifying and mapping the flow of drug trade▪

Systematic study of what makes places unique and the connections and interactions between places

▪

Emphasises space over place▪

E.g. Control of territory, inventory of objects□Functional issues▪

Reflects politics/relationships of power▪

E.g. Understanding influences on why drugs are grown in some places and consumed in others

▪

Examination of spatial organisation of human activity▪

Human geography○

Landforms and continents□Glaciers, rivers, climate, oceans, earth-sun interaction, hazards□

Surface of the earth▪

Changed through economic and/or political intervention (geopolitics)▪

Physical geography○

Human interaction with the land▪

Language, religion, medicine, cities, economics, entertainment▪

Cultural geography○

Types of geography•

Identifies the sources, practises and representations that allow for the control of territory and the extraction of resources

○

Uses components of human geography to examine the use and implications of power○

Settings of people's everyday lives□Places▪

John Agnew 1987□

Role a place plays in the world◊

E.g. Key industries, employment, etc.◊

Often multiple roles◊

Location

People operate as part of groups◊

Institutions that organise activity, politics, and identity in a place◊

E.g. Families, labour unions, parties, religious groups◊

Locale

Unique character of a place◊

Identities guide actions

Gives a sense of belonging◊

Bought about by collective identities due to membership in groups

◊

E.g. Class, gender, race◊

Sense of place

Three key factors form places□

About place and location▪

1○

Definitions•Geopolitics

IntroductionMonday, 31 July 2017 10:33 PM

Content Page 1

E.g. Class, gender, race◊

Nature of place is function of its connectedness to outside places

Places are contested, and contestation produces dynamism

Factors are connected rather than separate entities□

See definition above◊

Spaces = human geography

Setting of our everyday lives–Place is one scale in a hierarchy

E.g. Individual

E.g. Globe

Actions range in their geographical scope◊

E.g. Protest

Scales are made by political actions◊

Scales are socially constructed◊

E.g. Terror = individual and regional

Many scales are implicated in an event◊

Politics of scale (geopolitics)

How these places and their interests influence the course of world politics□

Socially constructed◊

Functions of a place, institutions within it, what people do◊

Products of human activity

Preferences, perspective, aspirations

Change over time◊

Translated into projects that make and remake places◊

E.g. WWII impact◊

Dynamic

Places can only be fully understood through their interaction with other places globally

Three key points regarding geopolitical places and spaces□

Geopolitics is the practice of states controlling and competing for interests in resources and territory

Much of the world is contested space□

Emphasis on the geographies that shape and result from that politics○

And how the interests of the communities that occupy those places influence WP○

Ditmer J and Shap J 2014 'Geopolitics' pg 3○

How geography is implicated in global politics/IR○

Geography has role in shaping dynamics of opportunities and risks○

Harvey Starr○

Study of relevance of space, geography, distance, geo-strategic history▪

To questions of international relations▪

I.e. Geography, history, IR▪

Classical○

How this is conceived, represented and use in political discussion○

Global scales○

Geographical arrangement of power○

Linked to European modes of conceiving the world○

3○

Borders○

Resources○

Flows○

Territories○

Identities○

4○

Defined the ideological space from which the geographic categories and its workings are derived

○

Wallerstein 1991○

Elements•

Content Page 2

Role of nations and states▪

Politics of sovereignty○

Especially control of natural resources▪

Distribution of economics○

Geographic icons▪

Natural or constructed▪

Symbolic culture○

Contests around physical space▪

Internal and external▪

Territory○

Elements•

Strategic studies▪

Bureaucratic reports▪

Foreign/defence policy documents▪

Academic studies▪

Formal geopolitics○

Political speeches▪

Actions by state and non-state actors▪

Practical geopolitics○

Media▪

Culture▪

Public opinion▪

Popular geopolitics○

All bound by geography○

Not necessary centred on individual states○

Approaches•

Divided up▪

Labelled▪

Greater and less importance□By political leaders□

Sorted into a hierarchy of places▪

Political leaders, elites, academic, mass publics

Actors act in the world in pursuit of their own identities and interests□Provides geopolitical framing within which:▪

E.g. North, South; East, West▪

The world is actively spatialised○

Places geography together with politics and history○

Inescapable geographies▪

Geopolitics is beyond state and globalisation○

Border disputes are constant between states and people○

Globalism is an ideology masking geographic divisions○

Perspectives•

Gated communities▪

Ghettoes▪

Border patrol□Nations▪

E.g. EU□Regions▪

All levels○

Guarded○

Sense of community▪

Inherent in the behaviour of people○

Even under globalisation and nationalism▪

Boundary making activities continue○

Geopolitical borders•

Geopolitical conflicts (late 1800s-)Issues of course•

Content Page 3

Geopolitical conflicts (late 1800s-)○

30 years' war□Cold War□Post-Cold War□

Global territorialisation and de-territorialisation from the 1800s▪

Territorial ebbs and flows○

Bipolar world?▪

Tensions with India and Japan▪

'One Belt One Road'▪

Rise of China as a great power○

Post-CW US strategic architecture▪

'Clash of civilisations'▪

War on Terrorism○

Asia-Pacific Pivot▪

'New Great Game'▪

American Grand Strategy○

Globalisation, Capitalism, Migrants and Refugees○

Australian Foreign and Defence Policy▪

Russian Geopolitics○

Genuine Sustainability▪

Geopolitics of Climate Change○

Oil and gas reserves▪

Water▪

Arable land▪

Energy-Food-Water-Climate nexus▪

Risk multipliers▪

Struggle for resources○

Astropolitics▪

Geopolitics of the Oceans and Space○

Content Page 4

See Intro○

Treaty of Tordesillas□Portugal and Spain split the world in half▪

▪

1494○

Age of imperialism

Discovery and incorporation of the world□

Westphalian state system□Development of territorial state as the political ideal□

Context for modern world Geopolitics:▪

1600s○

E.g. Media consumption□Greater franchise propagated the merits of 'Empire' and imperialism▪

Doyle reading□Noted by J. A Hobson□European powers engaged in a period of imperial expansion and territorial acquisition

□

But pursued and backed up by force

Also engaged in informal imperialism through free trade□

Commerce◊

Strategy◊

Finance◊

Religion◊

Cultural expansion◊

Metrocentric/economic

Balance of power imperialism◊

Prussia, Britain, Germany and Italy

Expansion and compensation not possible within Europe

In response to overcrowding in Europe and elsewhere◊

Rational, unitary, strategic, etc.

Zero-sum game

Driven by systemic (realist) notions of state◊

Systemic

Steadily growing informal and formal empire◊

Pericentric

Main views□

Scramble for Africa▪

1870-1890s: Imperialism○

Spatialisation•

Origins of geopoliticsTuesday, 8 August 2017 9:23 PM

Content Page 5

Steadily growing informal and formal empire◊

Energised by trade◊

Extension of metrocentric◊

Oversaving and underspending in rich centres creates conditions such that imperialist trade expansion becomes inevitable

◊

Manipulated politics

Aristocracy

Civil service

Military

Alliance with key actors stood to gain

Political–

Material interest

Economic–

Sociopsychology–

Three forces driving◊

Hobson

Imperialism is necessary for capital◊

Poor people can't afford new goods

As industrialisation occurs

Look for new markets to purchase new goods

Imbalance of capitalism◊

Lenin

War machine

Objectless, unlimited, forcible expansion

Schumpeter

People□

E.g. 110,000,000 new subjects□

□

Imperial expansion into the early 1900s▪

Content Page 6

□

Chinese investment in South East Asia and Africa▪

Transnational corporations▪

Still subject to imperialism?○

Instrumental in establishing geopolitics as an academic discipline○

'Politische Geographie' (1897) and 'The Spatial Growth of States' (1896)○

Coined the term□Thinking globally on behalf of particular state explicitly connected by formal geopolitical reasoning to their potential for acting globally

□

States are dynamic entities

More vigorous and advanced, the greater right it had to expand its domain and influence

–Engine for growth = culture

Naturally grow with greater strength◊

States engaged in a struggle for survival of the fittest

Social Darwinist perspectives states to prevail□

Rudolf Kjellen (1899)▪

Haushofer▪

German Geopolitics Institute

Influenced:○

Freidrich Ratzel•

Geographical causation of history

Ideas formed part of justification of Hitler's goals□Derived from past civilisations and conflicts□Regions have a history of geography's influence on politics□

Looked at the world and formulas which express geographical causation in history

As theory○

"Who rules the Pivot Area (Russia) commands the Heartland; Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island (Eurasia); Who rules the World-Island commands the World"

Mackinder, Democratic Ideals and Reality, p. 150□

"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; who rules the World-Island commands the world."

Summative statements○

Centre of World-Island

Minus Kamchatka Peninsula□Ruled by Russian Empire and then Soviet Union at the time

Heartland○

Crucial for BE to avoid alliance of Russian-German alliance□Invasion of Russia by Western European nation□

Springboard for global domination if:▪

The oversetting of the balance of power of pivot state (through alliance) would permit the use of vast continental resources

○

Halford Mackinder (1904)•

Content Page 7

Railroad removed the Heartland's invulnerability to land invasion

Invasion of Russia by Western European nation□

If Japan occupies China it could lead to the "yellow peril"

Conquest of Russia by Sino-Japanese empire□

Advantage unavailable to Russia

Or yellow peril if China expands beyond its borders because it would add ocean frontage to vast resources of Eurasia

□

Bridge heads such as France, Italy, Egypt□Deploy land forces to compel pivot allies to do so, preventing them from concentrating strength on fleet

□

Occurred post-WWII□

Outside forces would ally to control and contain Eurasia▪

To stop Germans expanding east□Motivation for US intervening in WWII?▪

"About to be covered with a network of railways"□Strengthened by mobility▪

Pivot region inaccessible to ships○

Warning to Britain▪

Declining importance of traditionally invincible sea power○

Page 312▪

Potentialities of population and materials which will lead to a "vast economic world" developing

○

▪

Spread of Russia over time in Eurasia○

E.g. Russia establishing buffer zone in EE in Cold War○

E.g. Containment of USSR along heartland○

E.g. Russian occupying Ukraine○

1904 vision

E.g. Germany, India, China

Could build fleets to seize territory elsewhere

Size□Central location□Supremacy of land power□

Strategic importance

Inner crescent○

E.g. Britain, South Africa, Australia, US, Canada, Japan

Outer crescent○

Criticised HeartlandNicholas Spykman (1893-1943)•

Content Page 8

Which are accessible throughout the year□Crimea?□

Need to prevent Heartland (e.g. Russia) from conquering ports in Rimlands▪

Post-war return to isolationism would be unwise□So US should be involved□

"Who control the Rimlands rules Eurasia"▪

"Who rules Eurasia controls the destiny of the world"▪

Including oil□Rimlands are resource rich▪

Amphinious buffer zone between land and sea powers▪

Rimlands more important for control of Eurasia○

Heartland and inner crescent would battle for Rimlands?○

Russia was agrarian (at the time)□Bases of industrialisation were found at the west□

E.g. Ice, lowering mountains

Area is ringed by some obstacles to transportation□

Never a simple land power-sea power opposition□

Not a potential hub because:▪

Heartland overstated○

E.g. Cold War contestation for Middle East○

○

Criticised Heartland○

□

Content Page 9

□

Washington's Farewell Address (1796) rejected US involvement in European wars○

President Monroe□

European powers should not "extend their system to any portion of this [western] hemisphere"

Inherent geopolitical dimension

Monroe Doctrine (1823)○

Acquisition of Louisiana (Louisiana Purchase) and Alaska○

1907-1909 under orders of Roosevelt

Purpose was the showcase US naval power□On a world voyage□16 battleship fleet□

US Great White Fleet○

States with at least one land border

Split budgets between land, navy (and sea)–Thus less robust navy–

Germany (continental) spent 20% of military budget on army

Britain (maritime): 60% navy so more effective navy

E.g. Before WWI–

E.g. Russian bombed close to Tbilisi pipeline which could easily cut off a key Georgian revenue source

–

Less secure, have to divert attention to defences on land

Continental/land power

No land borders

Less secure

Maritime powers

Determines which states succeed at sea or are relegated to second tier naval status

Continental vs maritime powers□Geo-strategy and political/naval control of the sea□

Impact of a powerful navy on a state's foreign policy and economic prosperity

□

Thesis rested on relationship between:□

Economic prerequisites of a powerful navy□

Defending around coastline)□Brown-water□

Able to project and sustain US power globally□To blue-water force□

Transition of US navy from□

AT Mahan (1980)○

US•

Content Page 10

Able to project and sustain US power globally□Also see China□

Great White Fleet□

Pacific and Atlantic power

"There is no place in the world for nations… who have lost their fibre of figour and manliness" 1956

A corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

The US had a right and obligation to exercise an "international police power" in the region as it was the most civilised and superior state in the American hemisphere

US became geopolitical power looking for resources□

Spanish-American War (1898)□

Philippines (colonised)

Guantanamo Bay as a naval base in perpetuity

Lordship of Cuba

Guam

Hawaii

Acquired Pacific foothold:□

To project power further□Built panama canal□

□

Influenced Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)□

US sphere of influence and military-strategic control in South East Asia□

Voice for liberal internationalism□

For US geopolitical culture

An alternative geopolitical tradition to isolationism□

Published Foreign Affairs 1922□Established 1921 Council on Foreign Relations□

Open Door□American Lebensraum through trade□

Liberal democracy□National self-determination□Open door trade□

League of Nations□Collective security□

Involved in post-WWI negotiations and with Wilson's new world order□

Economic expansionism vs territorial concepts of power□Clash between American universalism and European nationalism□

US has continental resource base to be world power□De facto empire in CA, Philippines and Caribbean□

Not universal interest□Wilsonian creed = just American conceit□

Criticised by Haushofer□

Isaiah Bowman (1878-1950)○

Content Page 11

Not universal interest□

Nazi journalists, diplomats, politicians and teachers were trained here

That he claimed governed IR

Wanted to educate leaders of state in geographical relations□

Disregard of geopolitics is increasing dangerous

"Scientific equipment of concrete facts and proven laws"◊

To see political situations as they really are◊

Gave leaders ability to analyse and interpret events

Reason Germany lost WWI: leaders didn't study geopolitics□

Germany needed Lebensraum to survive□IR a struggle for survival□

Countering British and French maritime empires

Germany should form an alliance with a pivot power (e.g. Russia)□

Led by Karl Haushofer

Propagandised

German Geopolitik Institution○

Crude, social Darwinist, racist vision of the world

Living space□Every society needs space and resources□Between the wars□Germans bitter about treaty□Felt they were being contained□Foreign policy: "acquiring the necessary soil for our German people"□

France is the mortal enemy of German which robs us of our strength

'Impotent nation' from Treaty of Versailles□

To reincorporate German diaspora

Drove eastward expansion□

Lebensraum

Defined by culture and language□

Pseudo-scientific binary distinctions

Jews, Gypsys, Bolsheviks◊

Untermench

Struggle between the Aryan (pure) and impure□

Racism□

Folk (people) is the basic unit of society

Realism and Social Darwinism□Militarism□

All states are engaged in power struggles

Hitler/Nazism/Mein Kampf○

Applications of geopolitics in the 20th century•

See 30 Years War and Cold War○

Winston Churchill "Iron Curtain" speech○

Berlin Blockade○

Truman Doctrine○

Containment

Domino theory

NSC 68○

Proxy wars along the inner and outer crescents of the pivot area during CW○

Détente□New dialogue with China□

Revival of geopolitics in political discourse from 19709s

Kissinger/Nixon○

Geopolitics dominated our/allies post-WWII worldview•

Content Page 12

○

Content Page 13

Portugese, Spanish, French, Dutch and British○

16-17th centuries○

Exploration▪

Conquest▪

Imperial control▪

Spying▪

Avenues for:○

Continues in modern form○

High demand for maps amid European imperialist countries•

Cartography = territory as projected in symbolic form on a map○

So maps a necessary guide for this▪

Geopolitics = guarding territory and moving beyond territory○

Relationship with violence•

By military and sec of state▪

E.g. For Vietnam and Cambodia▪

E.g. Iraq 2003▪

TV press given conferences with maps to demonstrate○

Political use•

MapsSunday, 13 August 2017 6:21 PM

Content Page 14