Geography and Strategy

East Asia Globe IWP 634
Two credits

This eight-week seminar demonstrates the importance of geography to international politics, economics, national security, and strategy. It introduces students to the geographic and geopolitical factors that have shaped the field of world politics. It is required for all M.A. degree candidates.

The course explores how geography has helped influence aspects of world history and how it is likely to do so in the future. After discussing the relationship between physical geography and strategy, the course covers physical geography, maritime geography and the geography of space. It concludes by examining geopolitics - the analytical method that stresses the importance of geography and in determining national interests and international relations.

Students should have read a strategic atlas, such as the one on the required reading list, prior to the start of class.

Required Texts

Battling the Elements: Weather and Terrain in the Conduct of War, Harold Winters
Essential Atlas of The World, Dorling Kindersley Publishing
Class Reader: "Geography & Strategy"

Semester Available

Fall Semester
Spring Semester

Principal Professor

Marek Jan Chodakiewicz

Professor of History, The Kościuszko Chair in Polish Studies {read more}

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FEATURED FACULTY

Walter Jajko

Professor of Defense Studies; Brigadier General, U.S. Air Force (retired)

Diplomacy: Challenges of the 21st Century

Diplomacy: Challenges of the 21st Century will examine the conceptual and practical aspects of diplomacy in historical context, with particular emphasis on new challenges especially in the aftermath of the Cold War and the technological revolution of the past two decades. The initial part of the course will focus primarily on the political philosophy debates that are relevant to the meaning of relevant concepts, such as power, war, peace, negotiation, justice, sovereignty and legitimacy.

Principal Professor

John J. Tierney, Jr.

Juliana Geran Pilon