Notes to the Students

1. Objective: Understand the concept of geopolitics.
Analyze the similarities and differences between the
theories of Wallerstein, Ratzel, Mackinder and Spykman.

2. 1. I believe that America should try and gain more land
around the world.
2. I believe that weak countries should be taken over by
stronger countries.
3. I believe that every state should make attempts to expand
their borders.
4. I believe that each state is doomed to fail no matter what
resources they have.
5. Like all great states in history, I believe that America will
fall to a greater state.

3.  Geography + power + politics + international relations
 Helps us understand the arrangements & forces that are
transforming the map of the world
 Classical geopolitics
 German School – sought to explain why certain states are powerful and
how to become powerful
 British/America School – sought to offer strategic advice for states and
explain why countries interact at the global scale the way they do
 Most geo-politicians today fall into the British/American school
of thought

4.  Immanuel Wallerstein
 Explains how the Capitalist World Economy was created
 Connections between economic & political factors of states
 Core
 Periphery
 Semi-periphery
 Colonialism
 Capitalism

5. Howdoeseachcountryfitintothebig picturetoday?
Key Assumptions:
1. The world economy has one market (Capitalism) and a global division
of labor.
2. Although the world has many states, almost everything takes place
within the context of the world economy.
3. The world economy is a three-tier structure.

6. Periphery
Semi-
periphery
CORE
• Low Technology
• Lack of Education
• Little Wealth
• Both Core and
Periphery
processes occur.
• Technology
• Education
• Wealth

7.  Europeans laid ground rules for state system and for the rules of
capitalist world economy – (Colonialism set this up…& every state
is interdependent now.)
 Concentration of wealth brought to Europe during colonialism is
the reason for today’s uneven global distribution of power
 Each state fits in somehow
 Need to understand spatial & functional relationships within
world economy to understand any state
 Political independence is possible not economic independence
 Wealth allows for ability to influence others or achieve political
goals
 Often, political power is lacking where there is no wealth

8. What do you notice about the location of Core / Semi-Periphery / Periphery?
How does this connect to previous units on:
Population
Migration
Religion
Colonization
Globalization

9.  Overemphasizes economic factors in political development
 Very state-centric
 No consideration of internal factors
 No clear identification of core/semi-periphery/periphery

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubEhjuDBRKM

11. German 1844-1904 – What’s going on then?
• Why are some states powerful?
• How do states become more powerful?
Main Idea: States must grow, they can only thrive when they attain more
territory (Organic State Theory)
Details:
State resembles a living organism & goes through the life cycle
To thrive, state needs nourishment through lebensraum (living space)
If state is confined, it will die
Borders are temporary
Colonialism / imperialism drive this theory

12.  Criticisms
 Based on speculation
 Ultimately led to Nazi expansionism, Hitler embraced
geopolitics to justify the right for lebensraum because of racial
superiority

13.  Main Idea: Whichever state controls the Heartland could eventually dominate the world
 Details:
 Determination of most strategic places on Earth
 Land-based power, not sea-based will ultimately rule the world
 Heartland = eastern Europe – eastern Siberia
 World Island = Europe, Asia, Africa – contains 50% of the world’s resources

14.  Q. Where would the conflicts be?
 A. The Rimland…also called the Shatterbelt.

15.  Emergence of USSR & control over Eastern Europe gave theory
more attention
 Mackinder issued advice before he died:
 Keep Soviets in check by creating alliance around North Atlantic
 Shortly after, US began containment (policy to stop spread of
communism) and NATO formed
 Domino Theory – if one country falls to communism, many more will
https://ww
w.youtube.
com/watch
?v=rF1BvsT
MxqU
1:45 Min.

16.  Main Idea: The Eurasian Rimland (Western Europe, North
Africa, Asia), not the Heartland would be key to global power
 Details:
 “Who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia, who rules Eurasia
controls the destinies of the world
 Known as the godfather of containment

17.  Must control the
Heartland…but how?
 Warsaw Pact response was
response to NATO.