Geopolitics and Cooperation(and conflict)

What is “Geopolitics”?

“The interplay of political, economic, and geographical factors at a national and international level. This affects gov’t decision making and relationships among countries.”

How geography shapes our politics (policies) and how our politics shapes our geography.

What are examples of geopolitics?

Borders are made Neighbours being enemies or allies Free Trade agreements

Environment policies. Soverienty

Nation State An independent nation of people who

have adopted a unique common identity and who live together under one government within a defined geographical area. It possesses sovereignty.

Sovereignty the authority of a state is not

subject to control by other states. Political autonomy Borders mark sovereignty

• Canada’s arctic• The peacemaker

Ideology Read What is an Ideology from Text.

The point when relations between two major countries become so bad that the threat of war is constant, but there is no actual fighting.

Between 1940 and 1980’s international politics were shaped by the intense rivalry, distrust, and suspicion between the US and the USSR.• Ideologies:

US – democratic and capitalistic USSR – Communist

Political Ideologies were not compatible.

Democratic countries accused comm. countries of spreading communist thinking and trying to pressure unstable regions into becoming communist.

(Vice versa)

After WWII the US brought in a system of containment to prevent the spread of communism. Set up• Marshall Plan• Southeast Asia Treaty Organization• US became involved in several armed

situations to prevent Soviet expansion. (Korean and Vietnam Wars, Afghanistan in 1979 and 1989.

1962 Very serious. Closest point of all out nuclear war. Soviets placed nuclear weapons in

Cuba. These missiles had the range of most of Canada.

Cuba was heavily penalized for this. Still today.

Instead of actual combat both sides competed in different ways, providing $ to competing countries, providing arms, and other supplies in opposing sides of civil wars.

The biggest Cold War competition was the?• Space race.

Since the USSR sent the first rocket and satellite into space the US HAD to get to the moon first.