 “Every empire will die….”
 States, like societies or men are born, grew up,
decline and die.
 Geopolitics is about interactions between
 Time
 Space
 Politics
Geo=
space
Polis=
rules
of city
Tique
=
techniqu
e
geop
olitic
s
A mix
time
space
politics
Geopolitics
In movement
State
Nation
City
space
power
geostrategy
 Geopolitics = each event is different and politics is
the expression of the human’s wish to live together.
 Politics takes place among time and space
 How territories got influence on men and how men
can transform their territories ?
 For geopolitics, understanding politics requires a
collection of data such as territories, natural
resources, distances, needs….
 To realize a geo strategy
3 main data
men
time
space
men
 If men is different from the animal, he’s
nevertheless under the law of evolution (Darwin)
 Men is an animal like the other species following
the law of the strongest
 His main goal is to survive
Men ? An animal
other
tools
death
territory
not like the
society
language
writing
power
Time
 Past
 Men built an history, a patrimony by founding
new territories. It’s in constant evolution.
 Nation can not get separated from its history.
 Geopolitics has to take in consideration the
Nation’s past because past is involved in
geography
Past/ time / men and territory
Balkans
Yugoslavia
Kosovo
Antiquity
Foundation
of Israel
Palestine
Asia
China
Taiwan
 space
 History and geography are linked.
 Ex: UK is an island per se. But in the middle age UK
covered a part of France. After the 100 years war. UK
become an island and got smaller.
 UK seeks revenge through a competition with France
and by building a colonial empire.
 The story of a nation or a state is linked to the story
of a territory
Time and space
 Don’t forget
 An issue in geopolitics raises three questions
 What is the reason ?
 When ?
 Where ?
Everything regarding geopolitics includes balance of
power and geostrategy..
Everything regarding geopolitics
and geo strategy involves power
struggle
 Fighting legitimates men’s power.
 Conquest of territory is sign of power
 Are all power the same ?
 Why Us is a big power ? Why USSR was a poor
power ?
,
To elaborate geo-strategy
 Power depends on two factors
 Independent factors : quality of territory, climate,
natural resources, quality and number of men
 Dependent factors : role of elites, economical
structures, social structures etc
To Understand the mechanism of power, we need to
evaluate situation.
Each situation is unique. Why USSR collapsed in 1991,
France in 1940 or US in Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s ?
 Elements of power struggle process
 Men
 Money: how much it costs ? Who pays? How?
 Ideas, religion, cultures.
Independent
dependent
Components:
men, money,
ideas
situation
Dynamic and
unpredictable
To understand geopolitics and geo strategy
Data : men , time, territory, resources, factors dependent
and independent,
Considering evolution of the situation by raising
questions
what
when
why
space
Geopolitics
Geo-strategy
time
Balance of
power