Imperialistic Geopolitics , Positive and Negative Sides

What are the major points of Imperialistic Geopolitics? What were its positive and negative sides? Can it be used today? Discuss.

Refik Baran 

-) As we know, geopolitics can be split up in a “4” major group which names are Imperialistic Geopolitics, Cold War Geopolitics, New World Order Geopolitics and Environmental Geopolitics. In addition, Anti-Geopolitics is existed after these types of Geopolitics. In this question, I want to clarify the major points of Imperialistic Geopolitics and discuss availability of Imperialistic Geopolitics’ in these days.

First of all, by means of colonial expansionism, cultural transformation, social upheaval, technology and industrial modernization, Imperialistic Geopolitics was occurred in the decades of 1870’s to 1945 and after to nowadays. In these years, wars and fought were made an infrastructure of Imperialistic Geopolitics. Throughout the years, the Great Imperial Powers can rank among Russia, France, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and later Japan. . Each of these imperialist states produced their own leading intellectuals of statecraft and came to develop their own distinctive cultural variants of geopolitics, congealments of geographical knowledge and imperialist power strategizing. As everybody know, the most popular Imperialistic Geopolitics defender is Mackinder. He supported Geographical Education and worried about the rising power of German Empire on the European continent. For Mackinder, Geographical education was an important weapon in the struggle of relative efficiency between the Great Powers, so powerful states. Geography was a discipline that disciplined; it taught the uneducated masses to think in the political way that experts like Mackinder wanted them to think. Geography could also educate the political leaders of the Empire about the geographical factors that Mackinder claimed conditioned human history and the conduct of strategy. For him, the landpower of men who control the heartland, so the power can control overseas and lands, and it is effects invasions and expansions. The other important Imperial Geopolitics’ defenders are Roosevelt Corollary, Karl Haushofer, Adolf Hitler. As we can see, Imperialistic Geopolitics  sometimes defends own interests, and sometimes racist movements can occurred such as Adolf Hitler and the other illustrates. As I said, Imperialistic Geopolitics defends the expansion, invasion under the rights of own interests from the lands to seas and overseas. In this notion, for Great Powers, earnings (especially oil, land) is very important. But, under the light of this situation, Imperialistic Geopolitics believe the importance of general education and education in statecraft. Thanks to all of these notions, we can say Imperialistic Geopolitics is realistic in the every area. On the other hand, for Imperialistic Geopolitics, leaders should learn to use all available tools. This idea infrastructure under the idea of Education, so Imperial Geopolitics should know practical experience.

Consequently, these sentences which I wrote clarified the characteristics of Imperialistic Geopolitics such as education in every field especially in statecraft, invasion and expansion over the land and seas, seeking the state’s interests on the every field, colonialism, cultural transformation and improve technology.

When we look at these attributes, I wanted the stress the underline of positive and negative sides of Imperialistic Geopolitics. Initially, Imperialistic Geopolitics defends the education in the every area, and by means of this attribute, elite leaders and elite community can exists in every area. This effects the relationships between states and in spite of the every conflicts between states, conflicts can resolve. It can be count for a positive side of Imperialistic Geopolitics. On the other hand, secondly, the states’ interests is very important issue for Imperialistic Geopolitics, and under the rights of these idea,states can seek own interests whatever states want. In this point, sometimes, states (especially the Great Powers) can exploits the other states’ oils, lands, seas etc. I think, it is a negative side of Imperialistic Geopolitics. A lot of poor and weak states suffering from expansionist and invasional movements.  In addition to that, cultures and technology can effects from the Imperialistic Geopolitics. Technology and different cultures can spreading over the every area which are doesn’t matter weak or powerful. In this aspect, I do not know this attribute is positive or negative, it is changeable.

Now, I want to discuss, Imperialist Geopolitics is using or not today. I strongly believe that, Imperialistic Geopolitics is still living in today. Powerful states can exploit the weakness states such as Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somali, Surinam etc. Imperialistic Geopolitics defends the invasions and expansionism. Nowadays, in today, we can see a lot of things which are supported Imperialistic Geopolitics. In this notion, technology and cultural differences rising day by day.