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Geography and Foreign Policy, II

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  • Spykman, Nicholas J.

Abstract

In the first part of this article, we analyzed the effect of size and world location on the international relations of states and the problems of foreign policy. But more immediate in its conditioning effect is regional location—location viewed with reference to the immediate vicinity.Like world location, regional location is a question of facts plus the significance of those facts at any given historical period. Just as it was found necessary to consider world location in relation to two systems of reference, the geographic and the historical, so the full meaning of regional location becomes apparent only after considering both the geography and the historical and political significance of a state's immediate surroundings.Regional location determines whether neighbors will be many or few, strong or weak, and the topography of the region conditions the direction and nature of contact with those neighbors. The man who once formulated the foreign policy of Manchuria had to do so with one eye on Japan and the other on Russia; every international gesture of Belgium is conditioned by the fact that she lies between France and Germany and across the Channel from Great Britain; and the states of Central America can never for a moment forget that the territory north of them is occupied by one large power and not by several whom they might play off one against the other as their European counterparts, the Balkan states, have been able to do from time to time with their northern neighbors.

Suggested Citation

  • Spykman, Nicholas J., 1938. "Geography and Foreign Policy, II," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 213-236, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:32:y:1938:i:02:p:213-236_03
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    Cited by:

    1. A. J. Enterline, 1998. "Regime Changes, Neighborhoods, and Interstate Conflict, 1816-1992," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 42(6), pages 804-829, December.
    2. Germond, Basil, 2015. "The geopolitical dimension of maritime security," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 137-142.
    3. Scholvin, Sören, 2010. "Emerging Non-OECD Countries: Global Shifts in Power and Geopolitical Regionalization," GIGA Working Papers 128, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    4. Maruev, Aleksey (Маруев, Алексей), 2018. "Development of a System for Ensuring the Integrated Security of Transboundary Transport Corridors in the Far East and the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation [Разработка Системы Обеспечения Компл," Working Papers 041833, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

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