AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Geopolitical Theories

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 MackinderWorld 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 stateCriticized 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”