Imperialism and Colonialism Shape the Modern World

• Territorial divisions have not existed forever.

  • Organizing territory into political units is a recent concept

• Ancient times-19th century: the world’s territory was largely unorganized/organized into city-states and empires

• Territoriality: the connection of peoples, their culture, and their economic systems to a specific area of land, or territory

  • Encompasses the behavior of humans to defend their perceived territory against others

  • Fundamental to the concept of the modern states

Location, Location, Location

• The roots of the modern state are in city-states, the empires of the ancient world, European colonization, and imperialism during the Age of Exploration.

• Geographic determinism: proponents believed geography harmed development and led to a lack of development of any given society

  • Critics saw that the theory reflected a simplistic and biased view of the world.

    • Credited societies for their ability to adapt and innovate

    • Might observe modern society and point out that innovations in communication/transportation have decreased the importance of location and resources for governments

Heartland Theory

• 1904: English geopolitician, Halford Mackinder, theorized that world power depended on controlled the heartland region/pivot area of Eastern Europe/Western Asia.

  • Argued that these regions were vital for political dominance because they are a major source of the world’s grain supply.

  • Germany and Russia have historically competed for control of this territory.

  • Ukraine and Poland have been vulnerable to attacks by surrounding states because of their fertile and resource rich lands.

  • In WWII, Germany tried (and failed!) to maintain control of this region

Rimland Theory

• Political scientist and geo-strategist Nicholas Spykman discredited Mackinder’s theory with the rimland theory.

  • Rimland Theory: modern alliance b/t sea-controlling states could keep a heartland under control and prevent its dominance over other regions

  • Ownership or control of the seas is the most important control of political power.

  • Contributed to the development of containment policy and domino theory

Containment Theory

• Rimland and heartland influenced George F. Kennan’s containment policy

  • To prevent the spread of communism, the U.S. sent financial aid and military support to non-communist states and even places with questionable human rights records.

  • The goal was to build a territorial wall around communist states.

  • Military forces of the U.S. and its allies would intervene if the communist states (i.e. the Soviet Union) attempted to spread their influence to other parts of the world.

  • Successful at the outset, but communist states used their military forces to spread to states in the Outer Crescent (i.e. Hungary, Cuba, and Nicaragua)

Domino Theory

• Domino theory: the collapse of one state will inevitably lead to the collapse of bordering states, UNLESS these states have additional support to bolster them against falling

  • Ex: If China fell to communism, Korea, Vietnam, and Laos wouldn’t be too far behind

• If collapse is imminent, foreign allies should do whatever they can to assist their vulnerable allies.

  • The U.S. believed that surrounding communist states with allied territory and fighting to protect those allies would help prevent vulnerable states from falling to communism like dominoes

Organic Theory

• Mid-1800s: German professor Friedrich Ratzel coined the term “Lebensraum”

  • Lebensraum: living space or habitat

  • Ratzel used this term to develop the Organic Theory of the State

  • Organic Theory of the State: the development of society lays with its people and is influenced by their habitat

    • Believers of this theory view the state as a living, breathing organism that depends on many facets that are in it.

    • Ratzel’s theory and Lebensraum was used to justify the territorial expansion of the Nazis.

Styles of Political Organization

• Social contract theory: Enlightenment theory that people consent to be governed and, as a result, relinquish certain individual liberties in exchange for the benefits that government provides in return

  • Governmental responsibilities: protecting people against threats, assuring that society has the resources needed for survival and development, and providing law and order.

    • Geographic location, population, and available resources can affect these responsibilities