ID | 115339 |
Title Proper | Geopolitics and deterrence |
Language | ENG |
Author | Gray, Colin S |
Publication | 2012. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | Geography is context for all strategic history. Everything must happen in geography, while many conflicts actually are about geography. Geopolitics is the political meaning of geography. Ironically, the pervasiveness of geography in its relevance to strategy renders its influence somewhat elusive. When everything has some geographical content and meaning, geography tends to escape the analyst's notice: because it is everywhere, it might as well be nowhere. A focus on the geography of deterrence brings the influence of geography, physical, psychological, and political, into useful focus. The geopolitical dimension to deterrence is not well-tilled scholarly ground. This is unfortunate, because the prospects for successful deterrence can be impacted heavily by the relevant geographical context. There is physical geography and there is also the geography of the imagination. Deterrence typically is geopolitical, but if the political meaning of geography is discounted, deterrence challenges will not be properly understood. |
`In' analytical Note | Comparative Strategy Vol. 31, No.4; Sep-Oct 2012: p.295-321 |
Journal Source | Comparative Strategy Vol. 31, No.4; Sep-Oct 2012: p.295-321 |
Key Words | Geopolitics ; Deterrence |