Geopolitics Flashcards
What were the three main challenges of early humanity and to what did they lead to?
- Conflict
- Cooperation
- Decision Making
—> politics and system of defined rules emerge
Why did fields like calculation or systems of trade even emerge in the first place?
Since during the neolithic revolution and the switch from hunter-gatherer to agriculture. (These systems were needed to be created to divide and capitalise on your produce to survive)
What does the term „terra nullius“ encompass and what are important examples including background info?
Terra nullius = nobodys land, he who claims it, can own it
1. Bir Tawil: unclaimed area between Egypt and Sudan near Halaib triangle (claimed by Sudan, administered by Egypt and rich in oil)
-> nobody willing to claim Bir Tawil, since in int court a trade with Bir Tawil and Halaib could be decided (one side gets useless Bir Tawil and other side lucrative oil fields in Halaib)
2. Mary Byrd: 1,6mil km2 of unclaimed ice —> Antarctic Treaty 1959
-> Trump intended to build case on american pilot having flown over it as first person (never happened)
Why was the Antarctic Treaty signed 1959 and what does it protect or result in?
Fear in 50s of countries claiming antarctic territory and thereby prohibiting free exploration lead to this Treaty in 1959 that clearly states that all antarctic land shall be claimed by nobody and countries can only conduct peaceful exploration without nuclear weapons or other military intentions. Scientific cooperation and openness as basis of treaty (observers of every MS have right to insight into every mission)
11 then to 53 MS now
What are main reasons certain territories remain unclaimed?
- int treaty
- no resources or other value
- possible conflict
- not easily reachable
Definition and criteria State
- permanent pop (may be of diff backgrounds)
- defined territory (non-abindance has legal consequences)
- gov`t
- monopoly of legal force (against int and extern agression)
- sovereignty (state as ultimate source of legitimate power - Jean Bodin)
—> gov`ts and regimes come and go, states stay
Definition Gov`t
Organ implementing thing by public policies, democratic or authoritarian, acts in interest of leader/ppl
—> ordered rule
What is the Montevideo convention of 1933 and how does this declarative theory differ from the constitutive one developed since the Treaty of Westfalia 1648?
Montevideo convention: State = a humanly-created artifact, born in 1648, highest form of pol authority, building block of world politics
Declarative theory (Montevideo; state exists no matter if recognised by others or not)
Constitutive theory (Westfalia, state only exist when recognised by others)
State capacity concept
Measurement of states ability to efficiently fulfill its functions and accomplish it`s goals
1. effective supply of public goods
2. Maintaining Rule of Law
3. Monopoly of force
—> Weak, failed and collapsed states (siehe Rotberg)
How does Rotberg classify states in strong, weak, failed and collapsed states?
Strong: strong institutions, effective state, high quality pub goods, undisputed borders (high GDP, HDI)
-> CH
Weak: insufficient supply of pub goods (due to tensions), corruption, low-income and development, inable to control territory and weakened monopoly of force
-> Belarus, NK
Failed: little pub goods, warlords and terrorists control, inflation and famine, criminality and dissolution ( gov`t unable to provide public goods or safety) -> ruled-led opression leads to new elite
-> Afghanistan, Sudan
Collapsed: vacuum of authority (darwinist power distribution), unprotected pop, goods are traded privately, no basic infrastructure
-> Somalia
What are general indicators that may very sell lead to state failure or even collapse?
- ethnic conflicts
- corrupt states and leaders
- Guerilla rebels
- ineffective democracies
-> high infant mortality, low HDI/GDP, high corruption index
What is the Treaty of Westfalia, what is it`s content and relevance and why was it created in the first place?
1648: catholics lose war against protestants (loss of power leads to point zero of state)
Content: state as highest form of entity and independant actor with legal pers; legal equality between states (non-intervention); defined territories, monopolies of force
—> first modern expression of int order!
—> solved religion problem, but created question of who should obey to whom (-> BoP with allies)
What is the Treaty of Utrecht, what is it`s content and relevance and why was it created in the first place?
-> difference to Treaty of Westfalia
Treaty of Utrecht 1713: Spanish Succession War last 13y before treaty; Treaty established prohibition of F and ESP being led by same throne; established a BoP between ESP, F and GB empires; incorporation of BoP for first time in history (just equilibrium of power)
-> difference: did not only define states by family dynasties, but also linked sovereignty with geography
-> helped to establish BoP as basis of european politics; five powers arose: GB, F, Prussia, Russia, Austria
What was the Concert of Europe and why was it successful? (+ content)
After battle of Waterloo and the consequent loss of Napoleon, Europe`s five big powers agreed upon not furthering their spheres of influence and keeping BoP
Content: legitimacy of monarchies (no new ideologies allowed), no compensation for war wictims, BoP
-> European powers started to conquer Africa as a result of concert and to find much needed commodities for further industrial growth
-> return to monarchy and security, anti-liberal
What was the League of Nations and why did it fail?
LoN: first global peace-keeping inst created with help of Wilsons 14-point-plan, promoted open cooperation, diplomacy and humanitarian work, victors club (no GER or RU); comprised of Assembly and Council representing 45 states
Reasons for failure:
1. unanimity in Council leads to ineffectiveness
2. no mil power
3. States had to submit issues, LoN cant act on their own
4. slow and inefficient (rise of parallel diplomacy)
5. no binding power
6. can only act in regards to MS
-> relevance of LoN historically: promoted int coop and groundbreaking attempt to create int order
-> effective in preventing conflicts of small MS not big MS
What are the Origins and Functions of the UN Security Council? (+ Decision Making process and Membership)
Origins: int coop and prosperity after devastating WW2 much needed -> UN, WTO, Bretton Woods inst
Functions: Created in 1946 to foster int coop and peace (approves mil actions, sanctions,…) and additionally approves new UN Charter members
5 normal members with veto and 10 rotary members by world region
-> problem: umbrella effect of veto power (US for Israel, Russia for Syria)
What were the three main pillars of the int order after 1945?
- multilateral econ and pol inst (UN)
- regional security org (Council of Europe)
- liberal norms and value
—> US centrality crucial!!
What is power diffusion and transition?
Diffusion: gov`ts are losing power since several NSAs gain influence in this global world (harder for state to keep sovereignty)
Transition: the change in power distribution away from West towards Asia
Who are the Kurds, why and which problems are they having in Turkey?
Kurds: largest stateless pop united by ethnicity and culture, but with different dialects and languages; were key to fighting IS (have now been sacked by US, even though they`ve been promised to be protected)
Situation in Turkey: PKK has been in conflict with turkish state for years and since 2020 studying Kurding or going to a kurdish School is prohibited (major protests with civilian causalties after Siege of Kobani and several other riots/protests)
-> half of Kurds live in Turkey (originally of mesopotamian descent); were promised an own state but when Ottoman empire fell in 1923 and modern borders of Turkey denied Kurds poss of own territory
Who are the Rohingya, why are they opressed and which are the challenges they face?
nationless pop which is mostly muslim with a minority being hindu, that had to flee Myanmar into Bangladesh due to prosecution in their homelands ( no poss of education, use of public inst); not accepted by buddhist Myanmar
-> reason for recent escalation: political Rohingya group ARSA attacking burmese customs officers
Conservatism definition
- accumulated wisdom
tested by time - Tradition, authority, property
- Pessimistic view: humans are 1 seek security 2 morally corrupt (greed) 3 unable to comprehend worlds complexity
- Hierarchies and authority lead to social cohesion (basis of social order)
Socialism definition (+ problems)
- Form of egalitarianism
- Vision of human beings as social creatures united by their common humanity
- social equality as guarantor of social stability and freedom by providing basis for pers development thru the delivery of basic goods
- Answer to rise of discriminated industrial workers
- Revolutionary soc: overthrow of current state
- Reformist soc: accepts basic democratic instruments such as constitutionalism
- Fundamentalist soc: abolish inferior system of capitalism through common ownership
- Revisionist soc: aims to reform capitalist system (-> social democracy)
Critic: common ownership leads to need of regulation, which in turn lessens the freeing effect of soc
Explanation for failure of soc: Socialism is flawed OR their ideas are no longer rooted in socialist ideas
Liberalism definition
- liberty>equality
- trust in nature of people (optimism);
- embrace change and distrust power concentration
- individualism and meritocracy (more work more reward)
- Classical lib: minimal state, self-sufficiency of people and market
- Modern lib: unreg capitalism creates injustice -> certain reg needed
- Capitalism <-> liberalism
- 18th cent classical lib (laissez-faire), 19th cent social lib
- Liberalism tries to establish a society in which everyone can live upon their own standards (meta-ideology)
Fascism definition (+ diff totalitarianism and authoritarianism)
- strength through unity
- Anti-character (anti-liberal,rational,capitalist,communist)
- Unity > individuality
- freedom and equality irrelevant in the name of struggle
- Submission leads to freedom, dictatorship is democracy
- progress stems from struggle and war, only destruction leads to creation
- „new man“ driven by duty to sacrifice his life for glory of nation and to follow supreme leader
Diff tot and auth: totalitarianism > authoritarianism; tot requires overtaking whole gov`t
What are the factors making a democracy liberal?
- fair elections
- freedom of speech and opinion
- protection of minorities
- Rule of Law
- Human and Civil Rights
- Separation of powers
—> every modern western democracy
What are the factors making a democracy illiberal?
- limited freedom of speech and assembly
- lacking separation of powers
- controlled media
- political opposition
- weak RoL
-> ex India: courts are controlled by Modi, media limited for muslims, no protection for muslim minority
What are the key geographical aspects of the US?
- vast resources and land, navigable rivers (Mississippi), fertile land and diff climates, self-sufficient agriculture bordering two oceans, lots of natural resources
- deserts in Mexico and forestland with mountains in Canada protect US
- isolated from european and asian powers
- no real external threats (apart from ESP in 18th cent)
—> land of opportunity, American dream, american exceptionalism
What is the Monroe doctrine of 1823 and what were its effects globally as well as nationally? (+ why was it extraordinary?)
1812 GB gets defeated by US, migration and economy of US is booming, all acts of colonisation in Western Hemisphere will be viewed as agression (But US hereby wont interfere with european colonialisation in africa)
-> first act of protecting american sovereignty
Effect: first time US actually involved itself globally in regards to european imperialism and involvement
—> together with Mahan doctrine and american exceptionalism crucial for US leaving isolationism behind
—> first american expansion: purchase of Lousiana 1803
—> extraordinary bc american exceptionalism was founded on idea of US being a distinctive soc not to be mixed with other less destined nations
What is Manifest Destiny and what is its relevance in regards to how the US acts?
Strongly linked with concept of American exceptionalism (US destined to be a better superpower, imperialising the rest of the less advanced countries and hereby helping them)
US has right and mission to colonize the world, mission of expanding democracy and american dream
-> fate to civilize the world (Louisiana 1803, Florida 1810, Mexico 1846, Alaska 1868)
—> together with american exceptionalism led to justification of foreign involvement in the name of promoting peace and spreading american constitution and (US const as sth supreme to other const)
—> used as justification for US expansion to West coast
Why was isolationism so crucial in the beginning of the United States of America? (Also defended by thinkers and intellectuals)
Isolated geography with a weak military and economy, desire to escape never-ending wars of „Old Wars“, aim to build a distinctive new society (even Jefferson and Washington during speeches highlighted importance of isolationism)
1776-1824: securing own borders and recovering from war, goal to be recognised by other states
1824-1890s: Monroe doctrine, focus on gaining land on own continent
1890s-WW1: Mahan`s idea of sea power, US imperial ambitions (mainly by navy)
What is the importance of Mahans doctrine of Sea Power in regards to the US advancement towards global intervention?
Mahan fostered a revival of Manifest Destiny coupled with imperial naval ambitions, naval race against JP and Europe, „he who owns the sea, owns the world“
—> US annexing countries in Carribean and Pacific plus Hawaii
—> led to US finally expanding their interest from American continent to rest of world
How and why did the US decide to switch from initial isolationism to active engagement in WW1?
European naval blockade: GB with help of US blocks GER from exiting onto maritime sea
—> Lusitania Desaster 1915: ship bombing by GER with 100 US citizens dead
—> Zimmermann telegram: GER urging MEX to restart war with US to destabilise US
—> Pres Wilson breaks isolationism; 2mil soldiers for WW1 and more to contain effects of soviet revolution 1917 in Russia
