Nicholas J. Spykman

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Nicholas John Spykman (born October 13, 1893 in Amsterdam, † June 26, 1943 in New Haven, Connecticut ) was a Dutch - American geostrategist , known as the intellectual creator of containment politics . As a political scientist, he was one of the founders of the realistic school of international politics . As a professor of international relations, he taught at Yale University . One of his main concerns was to convey the meaning of geography to his students : geopolitics can only be understood with the help of geography.

Spykman published two works on foreign policy: America's Strategy in World Politics was published in 1942 after the United States entered World War II . Concerned about the balance of power in international relations, he argues that isolationism, which relies on ruling the seas to protect the United States, is doomed to fail. His aim was to prevent the US from withdrawing as it did after the First World War . The Geography of the Peace was published a year after his death. In it he presents his geostrategy. The central thesis is that the balance of power in Eurasia directly affects the security of the USA.

Spykman believed that a global state of peace was impossible. Because of the multitude of different values ​​between the countries of the world, a stable world peace order based on common values ​​is an illusion. Although such an order could solve the security problems of individual countries, he did not believe that a world community could be founded on the basis of these values. He therefore emphasizes that peace can only be achieved through a country's foreign policy that is sufficiently effective to minimize the risk of aggression from other countries.

In his writings on geography and foreign policy, he follows deterministic ideas. Since geography is "the most fundamental factor because of its durability", the potential foreign policy of a state must be analyzed mainly on the basis of its geographical conditions.

Life

Spykman grew up in the Netherlands, where he led the University in Delft attended. After that he stayed in the Middle East for four years . Among other things, he worked for the Dutch diplomatic mission in Cairo and in the Dutch East Indies . In 1920 Spykman came to California from Jakarta . There he began to study politics and economics at the University of California and obtained his Ph.D. in 1923. with the font The Social Theory of Georg Simmel . In 1925 he was called to Yale University, where he was appointed Professor of International Relations in 1928 . From 1935 to 1940 he was chairman of the international relations department and director of the Institute of International Studies.

He was married to the author of children's books, EC Spykman. He died of cancer at the age of 49.

Spykman's geostrategy

Heartland Mackinders

NJ Spykman can be seen as a disciple and critic of the geostraters Alfred Thayer Mahan and Halford Mackinder . His basic assumptions are similar to those of Mackinder: the unity of world politics and the unity of the ocean. He extended this concept to the unity of the atmosphere. The consideration of the world perspective shows that the foreign policy of a single country not only influences its immediate neighbors, but also the orientation of all countries in all regions of the world. Spykman adopts Mackinder's division of the world regions, renaming them:

  • Heartland / Heartland ;
  • Rimland (similar to Mackinder's "inner or marginal crescent"); and
  • the coastal islands and continents (Mackinders "outer or island crescent").

Heartland

Because of his emphasis on the strategic importance of maritime areas and coasts, his analysis of the "heartland" differs significantly from that of Mackinder. He does not see the heartland as an area that will be united by infrastructure measures in the near future. Even if that happened, that area would not be able to compete with the US as a sea power. He grants the heartland a unique position of defense, but nothing more.

Although Russia encompasses a large land mass, its fertile land is limited to a small part that is mainly to the west. The mineral resources are also mostly to the west of the Urals. The political and material focus is in the West, so Spykman thinks it is rather impossible that the Soviet Union could wield great power in Central Asia.

Nevertheless, Russia will remain the largest land power in Eurasia, which could make it a peacemaker or a problem.

Rimland

Rimland map Spykmans

The areas of Rimlands (Mackinder's "Inner or Marginal Crescent"):

  • European coastal countries;
  • the Near and Middle East
  • the Asian "monsoon" countries.

Spykman considers the first two to be meaningfully defined, but rejects the grouping of Asian countries into a "monsoon" country. In his opinion, India, the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the culture of India can be clearly separated from China geographically and culturally.

The distinguishing feature of Rimlands is the middle position between the heartland and the sea powers on the edge. As an amphibious buffer zone between the land powers and the sea powers, it must defend itself against both, and therein lies its fundamental security problem. Spykman's concept bears more resemblance to Alfred Thayer Mahan's "debated and debatable zone" than to Mackinder's "inner or marginal crescent".

Rimland is of great importance due to its demographic weight, its natural resources and industrial development. Hence, it will be vital to control of the Heartland, while Mackinder believed the "island crescent" was the determining factor.

Continents outside the coast

There are two continents outside the coast bordering Eurasia: Africa and Australia . Spykman sees the status of these continents as determined by control over the Mediterranean and the "Asian Mediterranean". None of the continents has ever been the origin of any significant political power, as Africa's chaos prevents its resources from being used and Australia does not have enough fertile land to serve as a power base.

Outside the two continents, there are also coastal islands of importance such as Great Britain and Japan, while the American continent is sealed off by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The dynamism of Eurasia

Heartland and Rimland

Mackinder viewed the wars in Eurasia as a conflict between the heartland and the naval powers for control of the Rimlands, which at the same time meant a contrast between land and sea powers. Spykman, on the other hand, states that in history Great Britain fought against Russia with the help of allies of the Rimland or Great Britain with Russia against a dominant Rimland power. It was therefore not about the control of the heartland by the sea powers, but the avoidance of the control of Rimland, which was fought for.

Spykman recalls Mackinder's famous saying:

Whoever controls Eastern Europe controls the heartland.
Whoever controls the heartland controls the world island.
Who controls the world island, rules the world.

But he transforms it according to his understanding:

Whoever controls Rimland controls Eurasia.
Whoever rules Eurasia determines the fate of the world.

Therefore Great Britain, Russia and the USA would play the decisive role in the control of the European coasts and thus of the balance of power in the world.

US strategic goals

In Spykman's view, in the interests of the United States, Germany should remain powerful after World War II in order to balance Russia's power. From a strategic point of view, there was no difference between a dominance of Germany as far as the Urals and a dominance of Russia as far as Germany. Both scenarios were equally threatening for the USA.

Spykman predicted the defeat of Japan in the war for the Pacific. China and Russia would remain in conflict over border disputes. He also predicted the rise of China to Asian supremacy, which is why the US must take responsibility for defending Japan.

Spykman was an opponent of European integration. A balance of power in Europe corresponds more to the interests of the USA than an integrated power. The USA fought against Germany to prevent the conquest of Europe. There was no point in federalizing Europe and thereby uniting Europe after a war had been waged to maintain the balance of power in Europe.

John Foster Dulles and the creators of the containment strategy borrowed heavily from Spykman and Mackinder in developing the Cold War strategy.

Quotes

“There are not many examples in history of large and powerful states entering into military alliances or international agreements to limit their power. States are always busy reducing the power of another state. States are only interested in a balance of power if it is in their favor. Their goal is not balance, but a generous margin. There is no security when you are as strong as a possible opponent. Security is in being a little bit stronger. There are no options for action when one's own power is completely balanced by the opposing forces. A positive foreign policy is only possible when there is a surplus of power that can be used freely. Apart from theories and rationalizations, the practical aim is to constantly improve the relative power position of the state. The balance of power that one desires is the neutralization of other countries, which enables one's own state to be the decisive power and the decisive voice. "

- America's Strategy in World Politics

Works

Monographs

  • The Geography of the Peace , New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company (1944)
  • America's Strategy in World Politics: The United States and the Balance of Power , New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company (1942)
  • The Social Theory of Georg Simmel , Chicago, University of Chicago Press (c1925)

items

  • The Social Background of Asiatic Nationalism, The American Journal of Sociology 1926, issue 3
  • International Relations from the Point of View of Teaching, in: Proceedings of the Fourth Conference of Teachers of International Law and Related Subjects, Washington 1930
  • Methods of Approach to the Study of International Relations, in: Proceedings of the Fifth Conference of Teachers of International Law and Related Subjects, Washington 1933
  • States' Rights and the League, The Yale Review 1934, issue 2
  • Geography and Foreign Policy, I, The American Political Science Review 1938, issue 1
  • Geography and Foreign Policy, II, The American Political Science Review 1938, issue 2
  • with AA Rollins, Geographic Objectives in Foreign Policy, I, The American Political Science Review 1939, issue 3
  • with AA Rollins, Geographic Objectives in Foreign Policy, II, The American Political Science Review 1939, issue 4
  • Frontiers, Security, and International Organization, Geographical Review 1942, issue 3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Nicholas Spykman, Geography of The Peace , 1969 (1944), p. 4
  2. ^ Nicholas Spykman, Geography of The Peace , 1969 (1944), p. 5
  3. ↑ Frederick J. Teggart: In Memoriam: Nicholas John Spykman, 1893-1943. In: American Journal of Sociology , Vol. 49, No. 1, The University of Chicago Press, July 1943, p. 60, online , accessed January 22, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Spykman, Nicholas J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Spykman, Nicholas John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch-American geostrategist
DATE OF BIRTH October 13, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Amsterdam
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 1943
Place of death New Haven (Connecticut)