Political Geography 4712, terms and concepts for weeks 3-4

T&F 49-64

Geopolitics and imperialism – two faces of the same story

Realism vs. idealism

Use by Reagan Administration of Heartland theory

Landpower v seapower model

“Pivot Area” (Heartland)

Heartland Dictum

“Midland ocean alliance”

Treaty of Versailles & German Geopolitics

Lebensraum

Autarky

Economic blocs and pan-regions

Spykman’s Heartland-Rimland Model vs. Mackinder’s Heartland Model

Accuracy vs. perception in geopolitics; ideological utility (pp58-60)

Cohen’s geostrategic regions

Shatterbelts

Geopolitical code

Geopolitical world order

Haushofer WHY GEOPOLITIK

The mission of geopolitik

T&F 74-88

Geopolitical transition to the Cold War

Four phases of the Cold War 1947-1989

Geography of Cold War competition

Cold War: Great Contest or Great Conspiracy?

O’Tuathail COLD WAR GEOP

Truman Doctrine

Manichean categories

Brezhnev Doctrine

Discussion Questions (submit written responses in recitation, 1-2 paragraphs per question, hand-written OK)

Some argue that the Cold War was a great conspiracy to divert attention from alternative politics. Does the current US geopolitical focus on Iraq similarly mask other important world issues?

Are there any parallels between US perceptions of the Soviet Union during the Cold War and current perceptions of fanatical Islam?