Geopolitics and Geostrategy: Essential Concepts for Exams

Posted on May 28, 2026 in Social sciences

Geopolitics and Geostrategy: Complete Study Blocks

Prof. Mariano Bartolomé | UCJC | 2025-2026

Study in order. One block at a time. Read aloud. Do not look at the notes.

Block 1: Classical Geopolitics

Geopolitics is the study of how geography—physical, political, and human—shapes the power, behavior, and international relations of states. It analyzes the connections between territory, location, resources, and political power.

Four Dimensions of Geopolitics

  • Practice: States competing for territory.
  • Worldview: A specific way of seeing the world.
  • Multi-actor Competition: Individuals, NGOs, corporations, and criminal organizations.
  • Critical Exercise: Deconstructing dominant narratives.

Key Thinkers and Categories

  • Naturalistic/Organicist: Ratzel (Lebensraum) and Kjellén (coined the term).
  • Civilizing/Anglo-Saxon: Mahan (Sea Power), Mackinder (Heartland), and Spykman (Rimland).
  • Ideological: Haushofer (Pan-regions).

Exam Tip: Ratzel = Lebensraum + 7 laws. Kjellén = coined the term. Haushofer was not Hitler’s philosopher.

Block 2: Neoclassical and Critical Geopolitics

Neoclassical Geopolitics reworks classical theories by including multiple actors (corporations, institutions) and variables (energy, technology). Key thinkers include Brzezinski, Klare, and Kaplan.

Critical Geopolitics deconstructs how world politics is represented. It identifies three types (O Tuathail):

  1. Practical: Decisions and speeches by state leaders.
  2. Formal: Theories from think tanks and academia.
  3. Popular: Representations in media, film, and pop culture.

Block 3: Geostrategy and Geo-economics

Geopolitics describes the what (sources of power), while geostrategy explains the how (goals and planning).

Geo-economic Instruments

  1. Trade Policy
  2. Investment Policy
  3. Sanctions
  4. Financial/Monetary Policy
  5. Aid
  6. Cyber Operations
  7. Energy and Commodities

Block 4: Globalization

Globalization is the increasing interconnectedness of societies. Friedman identifies three stages: 1.0 (Nation-states), 2.0 (Multinationals), and 3.0 (Individuals/Value chains).

  • Multinational: Nationally organized.
  • Transnational: Globally integrated value chains.

Block 5: State, Agents, and Structures

Max Weber defined the state as a community claiming the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force. Modern geopolitics views the state as one agent among many, operating within structures (rules, laws, and norms) that both constrain and enable action.

Block 6: Cold War and Post-Cold War

The Cold War was defined by the Containment Doctrine and bipolarity. The post-1991 era shifted toward humanitarian interventions, the War on Terror (post-9/11), and the rise of new regional powers. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine highlights the ongoing relevance of territoriality, security dilemmas, and the failure of international guarantees like the Budapest Memorandum.

Master Thinkers Summary

  • Mahan: Sea Power.
  • Mackinder: Heartland.
  • Spykman: Rimland.
  • Ratzel: Lebensraum.
  • Kjellén: Coined the term.
  • Haushofer: Pan-regions.
  • Brzezinski: The Grand Chessboard.
  • Luttwak: Geo-economics.