Last update: PhDr. Michael Romancov, Ph.D. (22.02.2012)
Geopolitics of Land, Sea, Air and Space
Abstract: The aim of this course is twofold. First of all basic historical concepts of geopoltics will be introduced. Namely tellurokratic "continental" approach of German, French and Russian schools of geopolitics, based on "supremacy on the Land"; and Anglo-American thalassokratic approach of different authors, including extention of its principles from Sea to Air and Space. Second objective is to introduce concrete historical examples when such geopolitical behavior was visible in steps taken by particular powers. Fundamental attention will be paid to such occasions which were crucial for adjusting of International System, including recent procesess evoked by economic crissis..
Plan of lectures:
1. Political Map - basic source of information; how to read and how to understand political map. 2. Territorial state - basic unit of political organization of space. Historical development and main characteristics. 3. Tellurocratic approach and its development. Organic state theory. German, French and Russian tradition. 4. Thalassokratic approach and its development. Anglo-American tradition. 5. Population and wealth: the sinews of military power; the economic foundation of military power. 6. Land power: dimensionality and limitations. Napoleonic wars, WWI and WWII. 7. Naval power: dimensionality and limitations. World in 19. century. British naval supremacy and Russian supremacy on the land. 8. Air power, strategic air power and its limits. WWII, war in Vietnam. 9. Nuclear weapons and the balance of power. 10. Space power. Astropolitcs as newest geopolitical theory. 11. Global World during Cold War period - geopolitical evalutaion. 12. Global World after the end of bipolarity - geopolitical evaluation. 13. Test
Evaluation: Written test with 20 questions and multiple-choice answers + 5 "open" questions
Literature:
Glassner, Martin Ira (1996): Political Geography (second edition). John Wiley and Sons. New York, Chicago. Gray, Colin, S.; Sloan, Geoffres (eds) (1999): Geopolitics, Geography and Strategy. Taylor and Francis, Inc. O´Tuathail, Gearóid (1996): Critical Geopolitics. Borderlines, University of Minnesota Press, Minnneapolis. Mearsheimer, John, J. (2001): The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. University of Chicago, W. W. Norton and Comp., New York, London.
Electronic sources:
Perry Castaneda Library Map Collection at: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ www.electoralgeography.com www.worldmapper.org
