Geopolitical Theories

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Geopolitical Theories

• AP Human Geography

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GEOPOLITICS

• The power of the state to control space or
  territory and shape foreign policy of individual
  states and international relations.

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ORGANIC STATE THEORY

• 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.
• The state has a life cycle (birth to death)
• Adolf Hitler used this theory to invade
  surrounding countries and build German
  nationalism.

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Friedrich Ratzel

• Organic Theory of States
• lebensraum

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HEARTLAND THEORY

• Founded by Sir Halford Mackinder
• World power is based on the assumption that the
  land based state controlling the EURASIAN
  heartland has the key to world domination.

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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. Cold War
• Korea (1950)
• Vietnam (1964)
• Afghanistan (1980)

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Bush Doctrine

• Two main pillars are identified for the doctrine
  
• 1. preemptive strikes against potential enemies,
  and
• 2. promoting democratic regime change.

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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