The case for geopolitics: Venice, Ottoman Empire, and Ming China.

摘要

This dissertation aims to revive the concept of geography in the study of international relations. I argue for the continued importance of geography in shaping the grand strategy of states. Specifically, I consider three geographical features: location of resources, layout of trade routes, and nature of state borders. These features, by constraining or creating opportunities for state action, define an underlying geopolitical reality.; I argue that states increase and maintain their relative power by pursuing a geostrategy that matches the underlying geopolitics. I demonstrate that when states expand their influence toward trade routes and resource-rich locations, while paying attention to their land borders, they succeed as great powers.; I illustrate my argument with three historical case studies: the Venetian empire from the 10th to the 16th century, the rise of the Ottoman empire from the 14th to the 17th century, and Ming China from the 14th to the 17 th century. These case studies cover roughly the same period in history characterized by the 15th century Portuguese and Spanish “discoverers” who, by exploring new routes between Europe and Asia, dramatically altered the geopolitical situation of the world. Given this geopolitical change, I examine the changes in geostrategy, or lack thereof, made by the three Eurasian powers.; The importance of this research project is twofold. First, from a theoretical perspective, it adds analytical and explanatory power to the literature of international relations theory. The resulting theory will be perhaps less parsimonious but more explanatory and attuned to the realities of the world. Second, this dissertation also bears on current foreign policies, reflecting the continued relevance of geography in international relations. For instance, I argue that the foreign policy of modern China, like that of Venice or the Ottoman Empire, is guided by its quest for resources and control over trade routes. Over the next few decades, China will direct its attention to controlling trade routes in either the Pacific Ocean or in Central Asia, depending on whether its land borders are threatened.