Geopolitics
Immanuel Wallerstein
World System Theory
a social system, one that has boundaries, structures, member groups, rules of legitimization, and coherence.
1970
3 GEOGRAPHIC AREAS:
Core
-advanced areas
-strong state structures and national culture
-economoic powers connected by trade and technology
-exploiters of the periphery
Periphery
-weak states
-dependent on core
colonial states or states with a low degree of autonomy
Semi Periphery
-act as a buffer between the core and the periphery
-emerging somewhat but still dependent on the core.
Nicholas Spykman
Rimland Theory
a buffer zone between the land powers and sea powers, it must defend itself from both sides, and therein lies its fundamental security problems.
1952
northern half of world will always be better than the southern half.
opposed Mackinders 'Heartland' Theory
RIMLAND: Western Europe. Middle East. South Asia. Southeast Asia and the Far East.
Friedrich Ratzel
Organic Theory
state is like an organsim attached to earth that competes with other states to thrive.
1897
must devour other territories to achieve this goal.
state requires lebensraum: living space.
Halford Jr. Mackinder
Heartland Theory
geopolitical hypothesis stating that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain sufficient strength to eventually dominate the world.
1904
thought Germany would be a threat to control the resources of Eastern Europe and the Heartland.
advents of railroads released countries from dependence on Navy to move Army.
