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GEOPOLITICS

-CONCEPTS & THEORIES-

Prof. Dr. Ahmed IRAQI

RECAP

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SESSION II OVERVIEW

SESSION 1 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

SESSION 2 CONCEPTS & THEORIES OF GEOPOLITICS
SESSION 3 SOFT POWER & INFLUENCE
SESSION 4 INTERNATIONAL ACTORS & DIPLOMATIC STRATEGIES
SESSION 5 MIDTERM EXAM
SESSION 6 GROUP PRESENTATIONS
SESSION 7 CASE STUDY
FINAL EXAM

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PLAN

I. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF GEOPOLITICS

II. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF GEOPOLITICS

III. CLASSICAL THEORIES OF GEOPOLITICS

IV. TYPOLOGY OF CONFLICTS

V. GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS:AN INTRODUCTION

VI. EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS

DISCIPLINE AT THE INTERSECTION OF

GEOGRAPHY HISTORY POLITICAL SCIENCE

LAND TERRITORY

TERRITORIAL WATERS

AEROSPACE

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS

2 DEFINITION TRENDS

SCIENCE OF SPATIAL
POLITICAL THEORY THAT JUSTIFIES
DETERMINANTS OF POLITICAL
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES
PROCESSES

REFLECTION THAT PRECEDES

POLITICAL ACTIVITY

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GEOPOLITICS: DEFINITION

GEO + POLITICS

Geography Politics

Territorial space Governance & Power

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GEOPOLITICS: DEFINITION

Geopolitics: Interdisciplinary field that explores how a country’s geography and

policies affect its situation and the manner that other foreign countries, organizations
and individuals relate to it.

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS

interplay between

GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS NON GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS

INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL POWER

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

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HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

TERM OF “GEOPOLITICS”

COINED & USED FOR THE 1st TIME IN 1899 BY

Rudolf Kjellén
Swedish historian and political scientist

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HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

TERM OF “POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY”

COINED & USED FOR THE 1st TIME IN 1897 BY

Friedrich Ratzel
German Geographer and Ethnographer

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY => POLITICS POLITICS => GEOGRAPHY

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS GEOSTRATEGY

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS GEOSTRATEGY

GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES
PLANNING/DIRECTING/EXECUTING
&
THE GEOPOLITICAL THRUST
POLITICAL PROCESSES

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS & GEOECONOMICS

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICS & GEOECONOMICS

GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES

& &
POLITICAL PROCESSES ECONOMIC PROCESSES

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GEOECONOMICS: DEFINITION

Geoeconomics: Interdisciplinary field that explores how a country’s economic

policies affect its situation and the manner that other foreign countries, organizations
and individuals relate to it.

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

GEOPOLITICAL ‘’CHESSBOARD’’

Metaphorical concept
States are like players on a chessboard, making strategic moves to secure:
advantageous positions, resources, and geopolitical influence.

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

Theories of Mahan (1890), Mackinder, (1904) and Haushofer (2000)

Rooted in the realities and experiences of the 19 th century and the 1st half of the 20th century.

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914)

“ROLE OF THE SEA IN POLITICAL SPACE”

▪ The struggle for global domination is related to the sea.

▪ The sea is a path that connects various parts of the lands.

▪ Main factors determining the naval power:

-Geographical position
-Physical conformation/Infrastructures
-Extent of territory
-Population size
-Involvement of the population
-Character of the government

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

Halford J. Mackinder (1861-1947)

“HEARTLAND THEORY: WORLD DOMINANCE”

(Most influential geopolitical theory of the 20th Century)

▪ Divided the world map into 3 areas:

-World-Islands (Europe-Asia-Africa)
-Offshore islands (British isles and islands of Japan)
-Outlying islands (North America, South America and
Australia)

▪ Whoever rules the heartland (eastern Europe), could easily

gain control the rest of the world.

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

Halford J. Mackinder (1861-1947)

“HEARTLAND THEORY”
(Most influential geopolitical theory of the 20th Century)

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

Karl Haushofer (1869-1946)

“AXIS POWERS – PAN REGIONS”

▪ Attempted to fit the Axis powers by uniting the potentials of

countries to gain a global position.

▪ Advocated the Berlin-Moscow-Tokyo (and the USA) axis as

the best political division of land potential to augment the
German strategic control of eastern Europe (Eurasia).

▪ Formulated a thesis of four pan-regions:

-Pan-European
-Pan-Russian
-Pan-American
-Pan-Pacific

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CLASSICAL THEORIES

CLASSICAL GEOPOLITICAL THEORIES

MAKE THE LINK BETWEEN THE THEORY AND THE POLITICAL

OBJECTIVES OF A STATE

USED TO JUSTIFY THE EXPANSIONIST POLICIES

CONTROVERSIAL ASPECT OF THE CLASSICAL THEORIES

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TYPOLOGY OF CONFLICTS

TYPES OF CONFLICTS

TERRITORIAL ETHNIC AND CULTURAL ECONOMIC

GLOBAL POWER COMPETITION IDEOLOGICAL RESOURCE SCARCITY

ARMS PROLIFERATION PROXY CYBERSECURITY

REFUGEE AND DISPLACEMENT

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GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS: AN INTRODUCTION

GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS

DESCRIPTIVE PRESCRIPTIVE PREDICTIVE

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EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY

vs

CASE STUDY

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EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY

▪ Nature
Specify the nature of the conflict
▪ Context
Mention the major events or turning points that have influenced the dynamics of the conflict over time
▪ Actors (SWOT)
Identify the key actors involved in the conflict and conduct a SWOT analysis for each one
▪ Actions/Actor
Describe the actions taken by each key actor involved in the conflict
▪ Consequences
Examine the short-term and long-term outcomes of the conflict

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RECAP

Geopolitics I Chapter II I Prof. Dr. Ahmed IRAQI 31

CONTACT

Prof. Dr. Ahmed IRAQI

airaqi@esca.ma
/profahmediraqi

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