Geopolitics in a Globalized World

The term geopolitics basically refers to the political significance of geography in the analysis of international relations and thus takes geographical expression of the world as a political construct.

According to Montevideo Convention which sets out the parameters of a state spells out four aspects for a political entity to be properly called a state: defined territory, permanent people, centralized authority and sovereignty. All these aspects and characteristics are basic criteria to define the modern nation state and to distinguish it from other political entities.

Only one state has monopoly and control over a territory; therefore, there is connection between territory and the exclusive jurisdiction of a state. This jurisdiction and monopolistic authority by a state over a certain territory is assured under international law which, by the cardinal principle of non-intervention, protects the territorial integrity of all sovereign states. This means that territory, associated with the state and considered an inseparable part of it, is legally protected and that violations directed against its integrity lead to legal responsibility. Thus, it is fair to argue that territory holds a political, as well as legal meaning.

“Defined territory” implies that the borders of a state are properly identified and ascertained and that their inviolability is stressed and protected by the community of states. The borders of nation states are specified with utmost certainty, often by imagined lines that exist as constructions.

Other means of influence now gain greater importance in interstate relations to become robust in geopolitical terms. Diplomacy is particularly a vitally important tool for the foreign policies of states in order to make better use of geopolitical opportunities and advantages in a system where coercion and use of force is sanctioned. Improved relations with other states will contribute to the geopolitical stance and reservoir of a state in the changing circumstances and premises of international law and politics.

Nation-state, in technical terms, refers to a political entity that exercises absolute sovereignty over a defined territory and a certain group of people in that territory.

During the Cold War period, the term has been associated with the military strategies and redefined in reference to military objectives which had to bear significance in terms of geopolitical significance. The military terminology in this era made frequent references to the discussions of geopolitics as an analytical tool that contributed to the understanding of strategic considerations and priorities. But through the end of the Cold War era, the term geopolitics started to become part of the critical approaches and scientific initiatives.

The post-Cold War period, particularly the 1990s, is marked with growing interest in the study and understanding of geopolitics. Geography has been made a part of political discussions and analyses. The reason for enthusiasm and interest is the uncertain direction of world politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the bipolar world and the rush to identify the possible trajectory of global developments under the new circumstances. In this environment, many IR scholars established connections between geography and the conventional subjects of the discipline. While some were of the view that geography was no longer relevant as a point of reference, others were busy with identifying new geopolitical trends and postulates to better understand the new web of relations.

Unilateral use of force as well as territorial acquisitions by coercion is strictly prohibited in international law; and as such, states no longer attempt to change their legally recognized borders. Any action that violates this cardinal rule is often sanctioned and punished through collective measures.

Political geography is mainly focused on the politically organized and fragmented realms, as well as their sources, the areas of expansion and the basis of the geographical identities they bear. In brief, it is basically interested in the “state,” the most salient one of these realms.

In its new form, geopolitics help students, scholars and practitioners run predictions on the future course and trajectory of the international political system and develop strong and firm strategic simulations for the potential actions of the individual states and alliances. The potential successful performance attached to geopolitics is relevant to the growing number of elements, interacting with each other, it takes into calculation when assessing the political value and impact of the geography. These variables and elements include, among other things, technology, capital accumulation and economic development.

The End of History thesis further suggested that the world politics is entering a new era where most states will adopt similar values and construct identical identities. This approach further stressed that ideology was no longer a determinative tool in interstate politics and that economic rivalry would become the main dynamic in international affairs. Liberal economy and liberal democracy would reshape the world and nations would show a tendency towards establishing some sort of world government performing roles of global governance in an era of complexity.

Huntington’s famous clash of civilizations argument suggests that ideology is no longer the source of conflicts and disputes in interstate politics which would be from now on characterized by the disagreements associated with desires for domination by different civilizations. Like Fukuyama, Huntington also agrees that the Cold War ended with the indisputable victory of the Western liberal democracy but further recalls that rivalry will not be replaced by permanent and lasting peace just because of that victory. In other words, the clash of civilizations approach underlines that there might be even a fiercer rivalry which, however, will now take place due to intercivilizational disputes and ambitions.

Diversification and complexity in the international affairs led to specialization and compartmentalization in the definitions and the contents of other relevant areas and disciplines, including geopolitics. By nature, geopolitics is already associated with a number of relevant fields; but this connection and association became stronger in the era of globalization. 

Responsible sovereignty is based on a prior idea of sovereignty as responsibility which deals with the notion of sovereignty from a normative perspective rather than a free pass for the independent states in the conduct of their foreign policies.

Human security refers to a shift from emphasis upon state’s own national security concerns to the protection of the security of the individuals in international politics. In other words, individuals have, to a certain degree, become a subject of interstate relations and international law particularly when their survival as groups of people is at stake.

Association between geopolitics and globalization can be maintained in three different levels in the era of globalization. The first is the geopolitics of globalization. There is a need to focus on globalization as a term that can be analyzed from a geopolitical perspective. The second takes place at the national level where geopolitics develops with reference to the difference between states and can be called geopolitics of development. The third is an increasingly complex system governed by globalization which can be called “low geopolitics.” This is the type of geopolitics without consideration of military strategies but with real impacts on everyday life of the people.

The greatest achievement the study of geopolitics has done in this era of globalization is the diversification of the subject matters it deals with and the growing interest in nongeographical matters and issues in a way to propose a geopolitical explanation. More specifically, the study of geopolitics moved from the conventional debates, mostly on the significance of geography in international politics, and maintained relevance between non-geographical matters and the politics of geography in an attempt to identify the geopolitical value and outlook for the governance of world affairs.

Interdependence is a term referring to the intricate ties and bonds between the states and intergovernmental organizations that cannot be possibly ignored in the analysis of world politics. The theory of interdependence basically suggests that due to the inevitable engagement between states in political, military and economic realms, international cooperation is a must and a wise move for the overall betterment of all states and of the international system.

Within the study of geopolitics, national security, particularly the military security of the state, could be evaluated from the perspective of several major factors including historical territory, nationalities, the structure of the state, the possession of and ability to use natural, material and human resources as effectively as possible. In other words, these factors shape the national security issues of each nation state and significantly impact upon the formulation and realization of its national interests. Without taking geopolitics into consideration, a definition of national interest will be missing some core components.