Geopolítica

G E O P O L I T I C S

Classical and Modern


A Selected Bibliography and an Introduction

by

Bertil Haggman


Helsingborg 1988. 2nd edition 1996.

Introduction

There are a number of different opinions concerning
the definition of geopolitics. It must be regarded
as a science bordering on geography, history,
political science and international relations.
Out of the classicalapproach grew one branch,
which to some extent was used by the Nazis as
a pseudo-scientific rationale for their expansionist
policies. This resulted in a setback for geopolitics
that lasted at least until the mid-1970s. Modern geo-
politics draws much from classical geopolitics
and relates power politics and geograpy. The politician,
the military planner, and the diplomat can usegeopolitics
as a method to analyze how geographical factors can be
of importance when planning. In the latest 15-20 years many
writers have come to let geopolitics mean just political
geography or the relationship between politics in general
and geography. Geopolitics in South America differs
somewhat in context from Western geopolitics in general.
Some basic facts and selected bibliographies onthis
branch of geopolitics has been presented seperately by CRG.

A concept closely related to geopolitics is geostrategy.
It can be defined as the application of geopolitics
to military planning on high level, how to best use national
defense and war-making resources.

Some of the basic concepts of geopolitics were presented
by the German geographer, Professor Friedrich Ratzel
(1844 -1904), who coined the phrase anthrogeographical
meaning a combination of anthropology, geography and politics.
According to Ratzel states had many of the characteristics of
living organisms. He also introduced the idea that a state had
to grow, to expand or die and of *living frontiers*, that
borders were dynamic and subject to change.

The Swedish Professor Rudolf Kjellen (1864 - 1922) wasfirst
to use the term geopolitics (in Swedish *geopolitik*) and he can
be regarded as the founder of the science of geopolitics. The
basics were presented in 1900 in the book _Introduction to
Swedish Geography_ based on lectures at the Gothenburg University.
_The State as a Living Form_ (1916) is generally regarded as his
most important book in relation to geopolitics.

Meanwhile ageopolitical school was developing in the United
Kingdom and the United States. Sir Halford Mackinder (1861 - 1947),
a British geographer, stressed the importance of land transport
as a key to control and power. The core of Mackinders
land-based power was the Eurasian *Heartland* of Russia. Eurasia
and Africa constituted the *World Island*. The power that could
control the Heartland would have adominant position, what we
today would call a superpower status. Admiral Alfred T. Mahan
(1840 - 1914) of the United States on the other hand stressed
the significance of sea power and that control of sea lanes
of communication was the most effective way of exercising
control and power in the world.

After World War I a German geopolitical school was developing
under General and Professor KarlHaushofer (1869 - 1946). He
used the basic concepts of Ratzel and Kjellen. Between 1925
and 1945 he and his colleagues produced a mass of geopolitical
writing and he founded Journal of Geopolitics (Zeitschrift
fuer Geopolitik). Haushofers geopolitical ideas were used
to give legitimacy to the conquests of Nazi Germany before and
during World War II. It must, however, be noted that Haushofersinfluence was exaggerated by the allies and that he had no access
to the inner circles of the Nazi Party. Also, he spent some
time in concentration camp at the end of the war and his son
Albrecht was executed for his participtaion in the 20 July coup
against Hitler.

At about the same time the American Professor Nicholas Spykman
(1893 - 1943) felt that Mackinder had put too much...