Sphere of interest
In geopolitics, the sphere of interest (alternatively sphere of influence ) refers to those foreign areas, countries or continents in which a state has or wants to assert political, economic, social or other interests. As a rule, the influential states are great powers . Depending on the geographical, cultural, historical or political circumstances, other states can also enforce spheres of interest.
The spheres of interest of different states can relate to the same areas and thereby overlap one another. In this case, there can be synergies, but also conflicts of interest. Interests can be enforced with the help of diplomacy or military force .
Exclusive spheres of interest
Some states claim exclusive spheres of interest for themselves, in which they forbid the interference of other states and in the event of non-compliance by foreign powers they may threaten war.
In the 19th century , the United States of America defined the North and South American continents as their exclusive sphere of interest in the Monroe Doctrine . This doctrine continues to this day. For example, the US government perceived the stationing of missiles in Cuba by the Soviet Union ( Cuban Missile Crisis ) in 1962 and the support of the Cuban government not only as a military threat, but also as an impermissible interference in its exclusive sphere of interest. This conflict then led the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation. Another example of defending their sphere of interest is the overthrow of the elected government of Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973. The right-wing military in the coup was supported by the CIA .
During the Cold War (and afterwards) in Western Europe, the USA was ready to provide military support for the territorial and political status quo if necessary, and for this reason kept large troop units in Europe, especially in the Federal Republic of Germany and Great Britain . The interest group of the connected states is NATO , in which the US has significant political and military influence. Make there the SACEUR ( S upreme A llied C ommander EUR ope, commander of NATO forces in Europe) and the commander of NATO in the Mediterranean. This dominant influence in NATO was particularly questioned by France under Charles de Gaulle .
On June 27, 2014, Federal President Joachim Gauck mentioned the crisis in Ukraine on the occasion of an exhibition opening on the centenary of the assassination attempt in Sarajevo , which sparked the First World War : "Russia's resistance to Ukraine rapprochement and behavior patterns that we believed to have long since been overcome on our continent. What we are experiencing today is old thinking in terms of spheres of power and influence - including the destabilization of foreign states and the annexation of foreign territories ”.
See also
literature
- Susanna Hast: Spheres of Influence in International Relations: History, Theory and Politics . Ashgate, 2014, ISBN 147242154X .