Geopolitics

As a Realist, Conservative and Determinist Theory of International Relations

Origins, Late 19th, Early 20th Century

• 20th Century’s history started in Bosnia, ended in Bosnia

• Ca. 1904: Antant formed, international alliance system

• Ca. 1904: Mackinder’s speech on sea and land powers and mobility

• The colonial system completed in the World

• Nation states created in Europe

Origins II.

• Global economy and trade as a worldwide network (first steps of globalisation?)

• Mass production and innovations

• Global infrastructure (ports, telegraph, urbanisation, railway)

• Mass production and innovations in weapons

Origins III.

• World system

• Two groups of European States

• By the status of competition for space

Other Sciences

• Biology, Evolution:

• Evolutionism, Charles Darwin

• Social Evolutionists, like Herbert Spencer

• Biology, Level of Observation:

• Moritz Wagner

• Super Organism

Rudolf Kjellén

• Swedish professor of political sciences• 1899 created the word: Geopolitics (also

National Socialism)• The first book in 1916 in Swedish, in 1917 in

German:• The State as a Living Form• Competition and age of states,• changing balance between states• Changing borders between states

Summary

• Geopolitics is Realist because:• Accepts the wars as interaction between

states• Chaos in the International Relations• Relation between states (and border

situation) depend on the power of states• International organisations have

importance only if they are military organisations

Homework for All

• Written definiton of Geopolitics and Key Geopoliticians 1 page

• Differences between Geopolitics and Geopolitik A few sentences