1st Edition

Geopolitics and the Great Powers in the 21st Century Multipolarity and the Revolution in Strategic Perspective

By C. Dale Walton Copyright 2007
152 Pages
by Routledge

160 Pages
by Routledge

160 Pages
by Routledge

This book argues that in the twenty-first century Eastern Eurasia will replace Europe as the theatre of decision in international affairs, and that this new geographic and cultural context will have a strong influence on the future of world affairs. For half a millennium, the great powers have practised what might be called ‘world politics’, yet during that time Europe, and small portions of... Read more

Introduction: New Powers and Old Politics  Mackinder and the Cold War.  The Death of the Columbian Epoch.  The Post-Columbian Epoch.  The Center of the Action.  The Revolution in Strategic Perspective.  The Argument  Part 1: Geopolitics in an Uncertain World: The Case for Classical Geopolitics  An Unearned Infamy:  The Reputation of Classical Geopolitics.  Geopolitics as Counsel.  The Usefulness of Classical Geopolitics.  The Enduring Relevance of Geography.  A Twenty-First Century Geopolitics.  The Post-Columbian Epoch.  Conclusion: Capturing the New Epoch  Part 2: The Geography of Universal Empire - The Geopolitics of the Columbian Epoch  Seeing One World, Whole.  Strategic Culture and Geography.  Strategic Learning and the Post-Columbian Epoch.  The Stakes: Why the Politics of Eastern Eurasia are of Global Importance.  Conclusion  Part 3: The Grand Casino Reopens:  Multi-Polarity and International Politics  The Short Half-Life of Unipolarity.  The Character of Multipolarity.  Beyond Bipolarity:  The Balancing of China.  The American Factor Nightmare:  The Possibility of a Great Power Axis.  Great and Small Power Interactions.  Conclusion  Part 4: Leviathan Slimming: Guarding American Interests in a Multipolar Environment  The Second American RMA.  The Danger of Resting on Laurels.  Rogues and Suckers: The Challenges of Preeminence.  Leaving the Beltway:  Moving Beyond Multipolarity.  Comparing Nineteenth-Century Britain and the Twenty-First Century United States.  Conclusion  Part 5: Strategizing Without a License: The Non-State Challenge to World Order  The Islamist Threat in Context.  Rise of the Lilliputians.  The Great Powers and the Terrorists.  Conclusion  Part 6: Strategy 2.0: Great Power Competition in an Era of Technological Revolution  Faster, Cheaper, Better: The Technological Explosion.  The RSP and the Next Revolution in Military Affairs.  A Thought Experiment:  The Military Application of Artificial Intelligence to Airpower.  The Case for Technological Exuberance.  Conclusion.  Geopolitics and the Revolution in Strategic Perspective

Biography

C. Dale Walton