Descriptif

Course description and objectives:

What exactly is geopolitics? Where, when and how did it appear in the field of political-academic reflection? What have been its evolutions? Why was it long shelved after 1945? Why and how did geopolitical thinking come back to life and vigour in the last quarter of the twentieth century? How useful is it for understanding international conflicts?

This course introduces the study of geopolitics from an international relations perspective. The course should enable the acquisition of the tools necessary for the geopolitical analysis of the international scene, which implies in particular being able to: 1. define geopolitics as a "discipline"; 2. explain how space is a factor in international relations; 3. situate geopolitics in the historical evolution of the international system; 4. explain and criticize geopolitical conceptions before 1945; 5. explain the taboo of geopolitics after 1945 and the reasons for its revival at the end of the twentieth century; 6. carry out a geopolitical analysis of an international situation – real or fictional.

Evaluation format:

Class participation: 20%

Take home exam : 30%

In class exam: 50%