Geographic and Strategic History 1871-2050 (Geopolitical Theory Series)
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: Frank Cass
Published: December 1, 2002
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9780714653488
Subjects: Geopolitics; Politics / Current Events; Political Science; Politics/International Relations; History & Theory - General; Political Science / History & Theory
Description: This volume examines geopolitics by looking at the interaction between geography, strategy and history. This book addresses three interrelated questions: why does the geographical scope of political objectives and subsequent strategy of states change? How do these changes occur? Over what period of time do these changes occur? The theories of Sir Halford Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman are examined in order to provide an analytical narrative for five case studies, four historical and one contemporary. Taken together they offer the prospect of converting descriptions of historical change into analytic explanations, thereby highlighting the importance of a number of commonly overlooked variables. In addition, the case studies will illuminate the challenges that states face when attempting to change the scope of their foreign policy and geo-strategy in response to shifts in the geopolitical reality. This book breaks new ground in seeking to provide a way to understand why and how the geographical scope of political objectives and subsequent strategy both expands and contracts.--