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EUS-201European Geography

James LeighUniversity of Nicosia

Lecture 2

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EUS-201e – European Geography

Why Study Geopolitics with IR?

Merkel/Sarkozy: http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1016911.shtmlPutin: http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/film_song_2000.htmlAhmadinejad: http://payvand.com/news/09/jan/1248.html

Dr. James Leigh, CGeog. FRGS.University of Nicosia

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With Special Reference to EuropeEuropean Union

Maps: http://www.eucountrylist.com/map.html

EuropeN America

Africa

Asia

S America

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Readings

1. Friedman, G. (2008) America in the 21st Century [Video], Stratfor Inc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBjWmUPYoow

2. Chapters 1 and 2, in Leigh, J. (2009) Death of Nations in Civilization Clash, Nicosia, Afi Touch Editions.

3. Chapter 7, in Ostergren, C. and Rice, J. (2004), The Europeans: A Geography of People, Culture and Environment, NY, The Guildford Press

4. Wolff, A, (2008) Geography as a Diagnostic Tool in International Relations: A Geographic Analysis of the European Union’s Eastward Enlargement, PaperPresented at the International Studies Association Conference, San Francisco, California, March 28, (see course notes/handouts) also online http://www.allacademic.com/one/isa/isa08/index.php?cmd=Download+Document&key=unpublished_manuscript&file_index=2&pop_up=true&no_click_key=true&attachment_style=attachment&PHPSESSID=4f9d3b9d56b04a010f510cc214703527

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Geopolitics: a branchof Geography

• “The most stable factor upon which the power of a nationdepends is obviously geography.” (Morgenthau, 1966, p. 106)

• Geopolitics: “The law of history that peoples must expand by ‘conquering space’, or perish, and the relative power of nations is determined by the mutual relation of the conquered spaces.” (Morgenthau, 1966, p. 153)

• Morgenthau is critical of the abuse of geopolitics turned into a pseudoscience by the Germans as they justified their actions into and during WWII.

• “International Relations is the discussion of how the international system works. Geopolitics is a particular method for analyzing it [through a spatial view]. [Mackinder said] that [t]he single most important factor in how nations behave is geography. It defines their character, economies, politics, and military capabilities. So where International Relations is the arena, Geopolitics is the science that turns to explaining and predicting.” (Friedman, 2008)

Morganthau, http://www.bookyards.com/biography.html?author_id=4286&author_name=Morgenthau%2C%20Hans%20J.

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Why Geography?1. Only with Geography can we see what is happening in

IR with a full spatial view – this is vitalfor a full understanding.

2. Geography (Geopolitics) is largely shunned in the world of IR and diplomacy. Diplomats shun geopolitics – it is too

real and stark for them. (You can’t always talk up or dialogue a solution.)

4. Two favorite geopoliticians of mine: venerable (94 years old) Bernard Lewis (Princeton) and late Samuel

Huntington (Harvard) are world names, macro-historians and geopoliticians.

5. Some very prestigious schools take geopolitics seriously – University of London has a Masters degree

in geopolitics. (One of my students is doing it.)

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Geography and macro-history1. Macro-history is the study of history for major trends and movements, and their effects, to understand by precedent,

what current world events portend.(Nothing new under the sun.)

2. Without geography (with macro-history) we don’t know what is happening where, and how it will affect elsewhere,

now and in the future.

3. Geopolitics: the influences that geography has on political relations between countries; and also the study of nations

with particular reference to borders and the struggle for power and dominion in international relationships.

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Geographic brain teasers

• East Jerusalem in West Bank• West Berlin in East Germany

Jerusalem, http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/westbank.html

Berlin, https://whewert.wikispaces.com/East+Germany?f=print

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Purpose of Presentation

• Emphasize the importance of geography (geopolitics) in international relations

• Demonstrate use of geography to analyze international affairs.– How geography influences Europe both:

• Internally among the EU nations• Externally (internationally) outside the EU with

international relationships

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Geography’s Relevance1. Geography plays a role in international relations. 2. Shapes attitudes and encourages or constrains

actions and policy.3. One of the permanent and fundamental causes of

a state’s charactera) Its viabilityb) Its society’s behaviour – both mental and actionsc) Its internal and external interactions.

4. Despite power of geography in mankind’s affairs, it is downplayed in academia as a factor in international relations.

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How Geography Influences Nations

• There are physical and human geographic phenomena

• Some of the main physical phenomena:1. Topography (shape of land surface and what is

on it: landforms: mountains, rivers, seas and human environment and constructions)

2. Size (shape and dimensions)3. Location (international relationships: borders,

proximity)4. Climate (climate effects on human activity and

development)5. Natural resources (trade and industrial

development)

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1. Topography• Great Northern Plain• Largest, funnel shaped• Surrounding natural barriers –

mountains and seas• Climate (temperate/moist/soils

– rich agriculture• Also internal barriers, forests, rivers• Populations interacting

(ethnicity within European culture)• Push/pull factors across pan European culture vs national ethnicity• South somewhat different looking to Mediterranean and less to north to Europe• Danube links areas including SE to Central Europe (Germany) and Black Sea

Rivers

Mountains

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World, http://www.ispor.org/meetings/MeetingsWorldwideIndex.aspx

• Affects power and strength• Strong states ~ big states: except naval

states - Europe’s colonizers; Japan unique; Australia

• Big ~ climatic, economic diversity, and large manpower base

• Small ~ weak, lack of power, subject to foreign intervention

• Shape – Compact (circle) more cohesive and defendable

2. Size

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Size:Europe – mostly smallish sovereign statesIndividually each is diverse and “weak” -

can’t sustain world hegemony• Many smallish states, ~no physical barriers, especially in north throughout the great plain• Much international interaction in successive periods of war and peace• German history pursues hegemony• International intervention stalled German hegemony – e.g. UK and USA triumph over Nazis in WWII

EU: http://www.eucountrylist.com/map.html

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3. Locations• Who are the neighbors?

• Where are the resources, ports, links etc

• What are the natural andphysical borders?

• German heartland

• Borders Russia across great plain

• Buffers? Smaller weaker statesand conflict zone between big powers

• External: Main direct Eurasian threatfrom Russia most significant

• Buffer: Eastern Europe

• Internal: Germany is Europe’s “centre”and most powerful nation

Centre, http://www.en.bmi.bund.de/nn_1035306/EU2007/EN/DomesticPolicyGoals/News/Content__News/Mittelpunkt__derEU__en.html

Russia

Buffer states

Buffer, http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/europe/eud/eurealm/eurealtx.htm

German heartland

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Euro-Russian Perennial Problem• Great Plan is shared – easy travel• Freezing winters act as a winter ground-level “border”• No real physical border between Europe and Russia• So borders and sphere of influence often contested

through politics and forceMoscow is in

physical Europe

Wikimedia

Ural Mountains end physical Europe

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Russian main gas pipelines to Europe

CNN

18http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8186946.stm

Nord StreamGermany:Russia

South StreamRussia:Bulgaria etc

NabuccoEU:Turkey, Central Asia

Sidelines Russia

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Romance

Germanic

Slavic

Germanic

Slavic

Romance

Language/Religion Association

Religion

South and west Germany mainly Catholic (31% Germany)

Languages

Germanic Languages ~ Protestant

Slavic Languages ~ Orthodox

Romances Language ~ Catholic

Shatter belt

(Wikimedia Commons)

(MacDonald, 1997)

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Note: Christianity and Islam are neighbors, also Christianity is split in two, Western

(Roman) and Eastern (Orthodoxy)

Orthodox (Eastern)

Christianity

Islam

Western Christianity

http://blog.lyjh.tp.edu.tw/social/?cat=3&paged=21

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Historic Euro Empire(s) & Islam

(Leigh, 2009, pp. 24, 29)

Islam ~ AD 1000

23Leigh, 2009, p. 40

Potential

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4. Climate• Affects level of flexible productive activities• Temperate ~ good for agriculture

– Sufficient rainfall for agriculture– Not to hot or too cold, so convenient for outdoor activity / farming

• Note the south – Mediterranean climate – N:S divide

Europe

Climates: http://www2m.biglobe.ne.jp/ZenTech/English/Climate/index.htm

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5. Resources• Without massive levels of imports Europe will die in days or weeks.• Europe import huge amounts of food, fossil fuels, minerals etc • Minerals and fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are vital for economic

development• International self sufficiency strength independence• International dependence imports vulnerable dependence• Europe depends on Islamic Persian Gulf countries for huge 40% of its oil• Vulnerable to chokepoints (sea gates)

Chokepoints: http://asianenergy.blogspot.com/2009/04/world-oil-flows-and-piracy.html

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Where is EU in New Tripolar World of Civilization Clash?

EuropeChristian

AsiaMystical

PanArabiaIslam

© Leigh, 2009

Non-Arab Iran

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Conclusion• Geopolitics shows us what is happening and

where, and the spatial implications for:– Sovereign nations– The vitality of their economies and peoples

and human activity– As it influences their borders and

international relationships• Geopolitics shows us the spatial specifics in

the struggle for power among the nations• We have seen some of the major geographical

factors that influence EU internally and externally

28(Tracy Bucco)