Introduction to Geopolitics

Defining a global geopolitical structure: using and 
interrogating Modelski’s model of world leadership 34
The geopolitics of the rise and fall of world leaders: 
the context of contemporary geopolitics? 42
Legacy, change, and world leadership: feedback systems 
in Modelski’s model 49
Pros and cons of Modelski’s model 50
Summary and segue 53
Further reading 54
Chapter 3
Geopolitical codes: agents define their geopolitical options
55
Geopolitical codes 55
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CONTENTS

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Geopolitical codes and the dynamics of world leadership 65
A geopolitical code to challenge the world leader 70
The War on Terrorism as a geopolitical code 72
Summary and segue 76
Further reading 77
Chapter 4
Representations of geopolitical codes
79
War! What is it good for . . . ? 79
Cultured war 82
Orientalism: the foundation of the geopolitical mindset 91
Summary and segue 101
Further reading 102
Chapter 5
Embedding geopolitics within national identity
105
(Misused) terminology 105
The geopolitics of nationalism 1: constructing a national 
identity 106
The geopolitics of nationalism 2: the process of 
“ethnic cleansing” 108
Gender, nationalism, and geopolitical codes 119
A typology of nationalist myths and geopolitical codes 125
Summary and segue 128
Further reading 129
Chapter 6
Boundary geopolitics: shaky foundations of the world 
political map?
131
Definitions 132
Geopolitical codes and boundary conflicts 134
The geopolitics of making peaceful boundaries 146
Boundaries and geopolitical codes 153
Summary and segue 155
Further reading 156
Chapter 7
Geopolitical metageographies: terrorist networks and the 
United States’ War on Terrorism
157
Geopolitical globalization: a new metageography 158
Definitions of terrorism 162
History of modern terrorism: waves of terrorism and their 
geography 167
Metageographies of terrorism 173
Incongruous geographies? 181
World leadership and the War on Terrorism 184
Summary and segue 186
Further reading 187
C O N T E N T S
vi

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Chapter 8
Messy geopolitics: agency and multiple structures
189
Who am I, who am I fighting, and why? 190
Messiness and structure 208
Conclusion and prologue 211
Further reading 213
References
215
Index
223
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C O N T E N T S
vii

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1.1
Africa: independent countries and the decline of white-rule
4
1.2
Lenin Statue, Moscow
9
1.3
The Iron Curtain
15
1.4
Sir Halford Mackinder’s “Heartland” theory
19
1.5
Woman and child in Iraqi bombsite
29
2.1
Modelski’s world leadership cycle
38
2.2
Preference and availability of world leadership
43
2.3
Imperial overstretch
44
2.4
Camp Delta
46
2.5
Unmanned military drone
53
3.1
US troops in Kosovo
56
3.2
British World War II propaganda poster
59
3.3
The Caspian Sea
62
3.4
“Freedom Walk”
75
4.1
World War II memorial, Stavropol, Russia
84
4.2
Hollywood biblical epic
87
4.3
“Nests for spies”
90
4.4
The Arab world
95
4.5
Saddam Hussein: benefactor of the Arab world
97
5.1
World War I telegram to next of kin
107
5.2
Prelude to ethnic cleansing
109
5.3
Ethnic cleansing: expulsion
110
5.4
Ethnic cleansing: eradication
111
5.5
Ethnic cleansing: expansion
112
5.6
Chechnya
117
6.1
Closed border: Egypt–Israel
133
6.2
Open border: Russian Caucasus
134
6.3
Hypothetica
135
6.4
Israel–Palestine I: Oslo II Agreement
143
6.5
Israel–Palestine II: Palestinian villages and Israeli settlements
145
6.6
Korean peninsula
152
7.1
Metageography
159
7.2
Dresden after Allied bombing
163
FIGURES

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7.3
War on Terror
175
7.4
Geography of US bases
183
8.1
Child soldiers
191
8.2
Returning from war
196
8.3
Historical roots of conflict in Kashmir
203
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F I G U R E S
ix

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1.1
The geography of infant mortality rates
5
1.2
Features of classic geopolitics
17
2.1
Cycles of world leadership
37
2.2
US global troop deployments
47
3.1
Constructing a geopolitical code for world leadership
68
4.1