Geopolitical Theories

In this episode, we explore the history and evolution of geopolitics, the study of how geography shapes power, strategy, and international relations. We examine the foundational ideas of thinkers like Alfred Thayer Mahan and Halford Mackinder, whose theories on sea power and the Heartland helped define how states understood global competition and territorial control. The episode also traces how major powers such as the United States, Germany, France, and Russia developed distinct geopolitical traditions, from rigid geographic determinism to more modern frameworks centered on strategy and statecraft. We also confront the darker chapters of the field, including its association with Nazi ideology, before turning to its reinvention in contemporary scholarship through critical geopolitics and geoeconomics. Finally, we consider how these ideas continue to shape the modern world, from China’s Belt and Road Initiative to the growing strategic importance of energy transition and renewable resources.