He proposed six conditions required for a nation to have sea power: Mahan's theoretical framework came from Antoine-Henri Jomini, and emphasized that strategic locations (such as choke points, canals, and coaling stations), as well as quantifiable levels of fighting power in a fleet, were conducive to control over the sea. Mahan believed that national greatness was inextricably associated with the sea-and particularly with its commercial use in peace and its control in war.
United States Alfred Thayer Mahan and sea power Īlfred Thayer Mahan (1840–1914) was a frequent commentator on world naval strategic and diplomatic affairs.
While geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states: de facto independent states with limited international recognition and relations between sub-national geopolitical entities, such as the federated states that make up a federation, confederation or a quasi-federal system.Īt the level of international relations, geopolitics is a method of studying foreign policy to understand, explain, and predict international political behavior through geographical variables. Geopolitics (from Greek γῆ gê "earth, land" and πολιτική politikḗ "politics") is the study of the effects of Earth's geography (human and physical) on politics and international relations. Study of the effects of Earth's geography (human and physical) on politics and international relations