Geopolitical Theories
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Transcript Geopolitical Theories
Geopolitical Theories
AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
GEOPOLITICS
The study of power
relationships past,
present, and future
Branch of political
geography that
considers the strategic
value of land and sea
area in the context of
national economic and
military power and
ambitions
Alfred Thayer Mahan: 1890
Sea power necessary to facilitate trade and peaceful
commerce
The country that possessed power would be one that
could control the sea
Development of a strong navy was essential
ingredient to a powerful state as was the country’s
location
Most powerful country would have accessible and
large coastline and good harbors
Mahan
Friedrich Ratzel
Organic Theory of
States
“lebensraum”
ORGANIC STATE THEORY: 1897
* Founded by Friedrich Ratzel
The state is an organism conforming to natural
laws and forced to grow & expand into new
territories in order to secure resources needed for
survival.
State requires lebensraum
Translates to “living space”
Adolf Hitler used this theory to invade surrounding countries
and build German nationalism
Must devour other territories to achieve this goal
HEARTLAND THEORY
Founded by Sir Halford Mackinder
World power is based on the assumption that the
land based state controlling the EURASIAN
heartland has the key to world domination.
• Advent of railroads
released countries from
dependence on navy to
move to army
• Warfare would move
from the water to land
• Railroads would make
heartland easy to defend
and hard to conquer
Heartland Theory Contd.
Summary:
Believed the physical geographical quantities
(land) are the most important aspect of state
Criticized for oversimplifying the complexity of
factors that shape global geopolitics
DOMINO THEORY
Cold War and Eastern Europe
Destabilization from any cause in 1 country can result in the collapse
of order in a neighboring country leading to a chain of events that
affect adjoining states in turn.
Korea (1950)
Vietnam (1964)
Afghanistan (1980)
Domino Theory Contd.
President Eisenhower Speaks Out Against
Communism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N1_JGG4XX8
Domino Theory – Presidents’ Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP9QDRDLw6c
Bush Doctrine
Two main pillars are
identified for the
doctrine:
1. preemptive strikes
against potential
enemies, and
2. promoting
democratic regime
change.
Bush Doctrine
preventive war,
depose foreign regimes that represented a potential or perceived
threat
a policy of spreading democracy around the world, especially in
the Middle East
Close Read and Annotate
Independently, close read and annotate “Hitler and
Lebensraum”