Megan Ouellette Abstract Abstract This study constitutes an analysis of American conceptualizations of the Czech Republic as presented in presidential materials from 1989 to 2009 and American media reporting the cancellation of the Third Site of ballistic missile defence from 14-25 September 2009. It draws on the previous research offered by constructivist interpretations of international relations and the field of critical geopolitics to explore how, and for what purpose, certain American sources of geopolitical reasoning have portrayed the Czech Republic. By comparing and contrasting the ways in which the Czech Republic has been conceptualised in presidential materials over a period of twenty years and in media sources over a two-week period relative to a particular event, the study identifies trends and thematic (in)consistencies in American "mental maps" of the Czech Republic. It shows the extent to which media reporting on President Obama's ballistic missile defence policy shift recycled pre-existing conceptualizations of the Czech Republic broadcasted on the presidential level over the twenty years prior to the policy shift. The results of content analyses of each set of texts reveal that the Czech Republic holds specific symbolic and strategic value that ultimately points back to a particular...

This thesis deals with Russian and Ukrainian foreign policy. The challenge is to analyse the attitude of Russia and Ukraine towards NATO and CIS and the role of both States in the shaping of other groupings in the post-Soviet space. Russia was claiming to get back its super power status and NATO enlargement considered as threat. On the other hand Ukraine was seeking security guaranties and partners to counterbalance the imperial ambitions of Russia. CIS and some other groupings in the region posed for Russia instruments of economic and political domination of post-Soviet space. On the other hand, Ukrainian attitude in relation to CIS integration under the Moscow's leadership was very restrained and vigilant. Kiev initiated other groupings independently from Moscow. In this work were preferred descriptive and empirical analytical techniques. There was used method of comparison more precisely double case study. Geopolitics was chosen as theoretical framework. The results of comparison help us to make a conclusion about the impact of Russian and Ukrainian policy in relation to NATO and CIS towards each other and post-Soviet space. There were found fundamental differences between Russian and Ukrainian attitude towards NATO and CIS or rather post-Soviet space. In these cases the differences resulted...

This thesis deals with the Russia's foreign policy pursued by presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev, respectively. The studied phenomenon is viewed through the lens of the theory of neo-Eurasianism, coined by the Russian philosopher and political scientist Alexander Gelevich Dugin. The starting point of the neo-Eurasian geopolitical theory is a conviction that the current world order is unipolar and that the U.S.-led globalization is an instrument of its reproduction. The alternative to the hostile, free development of nations curtailing, Atlantic order is represented by multipolarity which, according to the neo-Eurasian theory, will supposedly be established through the messianic mission of Russia-Eurasia, which has nevertheless first to free itself from the Atlantic bond. Application of the neo- Eurasian theory in the context of Russian foreign policy since 2000 then points to the conclusion that Russia's foreign policy can, to some extent, be considered neo-Eurasian.

This thesis presents an analysis and confrontation of the classical and current strategic naval thinking aimed to discover whether the classical theories of naval power are still relevant for the current strategic thinking of the United States of America and operational conduct of the U.S. Navy. This is done by creating a theoretical analytical framework based on the analysis of the works of two chosen classical naval thinkers Admiral A.T. Mahan and Sir Julian S. Corbett. This theoretical framework is then applied to the analysis of the current American strategic documents: National Security Strategy, National Military Strategy and Naval Strategy. By applying the theoretical framework to the analysis of these documents, the thesis will confirm or disproof the relevance of the classical naval thought to the current one. The thesis further continues to apply the theoretical framework to the part of the thesis, which analyses the Pacific Fleet of the United States and their area of responsibility in order to identify the strategic challenges that the Pacific Fleet encounters in its area of responsibility. Further analysis is focused on identifying and evaluating the reactions of the Pacific Fleet to the identified challenges.

Piracy is one of the oldest known illegal activities, and its very existence endangers the international arena due to its lawless nature and ruthless methods. Todays' piracy, particularly prominent in Africa and Asia, has contemporary political and social implications, and is viewed as a new threat to international order. The aim of this thesis is to present piracy as both local and regional issues, and an international problem, and to observe how these two separate perspectives come together. It analyses how modern-day piracy operates, where it thrives, and what are its geopolitical impacts. It also provides a valuable addition to current views on the state of global affairs and geopolitics; by examining international legislative and interventions created to tackle piracy, and by showing that their effectiveness is insufficient. The text argues that the role of states, their sovereignty, and their lack of it are closely connected to piracy, and that the international arena, and contemporary efforts of nations and international organisations to confront piracy are mainly driven by power struggles. It is concluded that piracy is a result of continuous global tensions, thus allowing this crime to exist and expand. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

<p>Докторска дисертација &laquo;Русија на почетку XXI века &ndash; геополитичка<br />анализа&raquo; је рад који се састоји из шест делова. У првом делу &laquo;Теоретско &ndash;<br />методолошки увод&raquo; је постављена методолошко појмовна основа рада, извршен преглед досадашњих истраживања на ову тему и сабрани и анализирани</p><p>потребни извори и литература. Други део &laquo;Физичко &ndash; географске одлике<br />територије данашње Русије&raquo; се бави анализом и вредновањем рељефа и<br />педолошког покривача, климе, хидрографског потенцијала, биљног и<br />животињског света, те рудног и енергетског блага на подручју савремене Русије.<br />Док су први и други део рада квантитативно невелики (слично петом и шестом<br />делу), трећи и четврти део обухватају највећи део дисертације. Трећи део<br />&laquo;Историјска анализа геополитичке позиције Русије&raquo; се бави територијалним<br />развојем руске државе кроз историју, при чему су анализирани и остали<br />геополитички значајни фактори генезе њеног историјског положаја. Посебно је<br />посматран утицај који су на Русију кроз историју имали континенти на којима<br />се распростире, а извршена је и анализа билатералних историјских односа са<br />најзначајнијим суседима и светским силама, где су уочене и извесне<br />геополитичке правилности (по историчару Броделу то би биле историјске појаве<br />&laquo;средњег&raquo; и &laquo;дугог трајања&raquo;).</p><p>Четврти део &laquo;Геополитичка позиција савремене Русије&raquo; анализира<br />данашњу Русију са унутрашње и међународне позиције. У оквиру унутрашње<br />позиције се анализира економија, демографија, социолошка структура, култура<br />и унутрашњо &ndash; политичка позиција савремене руске државе. У односу на<br />окружење се анализира укупна позиција Русије у свету и посебно у односу на<br />суседе и поједине важне државе (са свим државама Европе и Азије и са<br />најважнијим силама на другим континентима). Пети део &laquo;Перспективе Русије у<br />следећим деценијама XXI века&raquo; садржи основне елементе предвиђања<br />унутрашњег развоја земље, као и њену позицију у светским токовима. Шести<br />део је прегледни &laquo;Закључак&raquo;.</p> / <p>Doktorska disertacija &laquo;Rusija na početku XXI veka &ndash; geopolitička<br />analiza&raquo; je rad koji se sastoji iz šest delova. U prvom delu &laquo;Teoretsko &ndash;<br />metodološki uvod&raquo; je postavljena metodološko pojmovna osnova rada, izvršen pregled dosadašnjih istraživanja na ovu temu i sabrani i analizirani</p><p>potrebni izvori i literatura. Drugi deo &laquo;Fizičko &ndash; geografske odlike<br />teritorije današnje Rusije&raquo; se bavi analizom i vrednovanjem reljefa i<br />pedološkog pokrivača, klime, hidrografskog potencijala, biljnog i<br />životinjskog sveta, te rudnog i energetskog blaga na području savremene Rusije.<br />Dok su prvi i drugi deo rada kvantitativno neveliki (slično petom i šestom<br />delu), treći i četvrti deo obuhvataju najveći deo disertacije. Treći deo<br />&laquo;Istorijska analiza geopolitičke pozicije Rusije&raquo; se bavi teritorijalnim<br />razvojem ruske države kroz istoriju, pri čemu su analizirani i ostali<br />geopolitički značajni faktori geneze njenog istorijskog položaja. Posebno je<br />posmatran uticaj koji su na Rusiju kroz istoriju imali kontinenti na kojima<br />se rasprostire, a izvršena je i analiza bilateralnih istorijskih odnosa sa<br />najznačajnijim susedima i svetskim silama, gde su uočene i izvesne<br />geopolitičke pravilnosti (po istoričaru Brodelu to bi bile istorijske pojave<br />&laquo;srednjeg&raquo; i &laquo;dugog trajanja&raquo;).</p><p>Četvrti deo &laquo;Geopolitička pozicija savremene Rusije&raquo; analizira<br />današnju Rusiju sa unutrašnje i međunarodne pozicije. U okviru unutrašnje<br />pozicije se analizira ekonomija, demografija, sociološka struktura, kultura<br />i unutrašnjo &ndash; politička pozicija savremene ruske države. U odnosu na<br />okruženje se analizira ukupna pozicija Rusije u svetu i posebno u odnosu na<br />susede i pojedine važne države (sa svim državama Evrope i Azije i sa<br />najvažnijim silama na drugim kontinentima). Peti deo &laquo;Perspektive Rusije u<br />sledećim decenijama XXI veka&raquo; sadrži osnovne elemente predviđanja<br />unutrašnjeg razvoja zemlje, kao i njenu poziciju u svetskim tokovima. Šesti<br />deo je pregledni &laquo;Zaključak&raquo;.</p> / <p>The doctor dissertation named &ldquo;Russia in the beginning of the 21th<br />century &ndash; geopolitical analyses&rdquo; is the work which is consisting of the six parts. In the<br />first part &ldquo;Theoretical methodological introduction&rdquo; is a setup of the methodologicaly<br />conceptual basis of this work and noticed previous researches of this subject matter<br />and summarized and analyzed the resources and literature. The second part of the<br />work &ldquo;Phiysical and geographical attributes of the nowdays Russian territory&rdquo;<br />engages in analyzing and valuing relief and soil cover, climate , hidrographycal<br />potential, wildlife, mineral and energy resources of nowdays Russia. While the first<br />and the second part of this work quantitative are a small (alike the fifth and the sixth<br />parts of the work ) the third and the fourt parts borders is the largest part of<br />dissertation . The third part of the work &ldquo;An historical analyses geopolitical positions<br />of Russia&rdquo; engages in territorial development of the Russian Government trough its<br />history whereat are analyzed another geopolitically important factors of genesis its<br />historical position. Especially is observed influence to Russia by continents of its<br />broadcasting and noticed some analyses of the bilateral historical attitudes to the<br />most important neighbourhood and other major world powers , where is noticed some<br />geopolitically regularities (accordin to a famous historian Brodel there are a historical<br />apparations named a period of medium-sized duration and a period of long- sized<br />duration) . The fourth part of the dissertation &ldquo;Geopolitical position of modern<br />Russia&rdquo; analyzes nowdays Russia in domestic policy and international context .Within<br />interior position is analysing economy, demography, social structures, culture, and<br />domestic policy position of modern Russia. Concerning to surroundings is analysing<br />position of Russia in wholle especially concerning to the neighbourhood and some<br />important countries ( and all countries of Europe, Asia, and the most important<br />powers of other continents). The fifth part &ldquo;Perspective of Russia in the next decades<br />of the 21 th century&rdquo; conteins a basic elements of the anticipations of internal<br />development and Russia&rsquo;s position in the world. The sixth part is a previewed<br />&ldquo;Epilogue&rdquo;.</p>

The main aim of this diploma work is to present the main topics of the soviet geopolitical thinking. The main thesis are presented at the beggining of the work and were influenced mainly by personality of Joseph Stalin. At the end of the first chapter those main goals of the soviet geopolitics are evaluated as well as the role of Stalin for the USSR. The timeline of this diploma work streches from 1953 - 1982 and the main events of this period are mentioned. At the end the role of the three soviet leaders is summarized and their actions evaluated.

This thesis deals with the geopolitical aspects resulting from the increasing EU dependence on natural gas imports from the external suppliers. In addition to the investigation into he current situation of the EU market with natural gas, nature of major suppliers is explored, the thesis tries to identify the main risks to the security of supplies, especially the possibility of politically motivated supply disruption. From a broader perspective, it scrutinizes whether the natural gas market is driven by the market-based principles and regulated by international organizations (Market and Institutions scenario) or the bilateral relations between producer and consumer are the decisive factor (Regions and Empires scenario). Furthermore, the analysis of relevant documents issued by the EU institutions is also included and the thesis aims to assess the feasibility of the single 2 European external energy policy. Finally, the thesis includes two case-studies: the first one is dealing with energy relations between Russia and Belarus and Ukraine. The second one is dedicated to the Nord Stream gas pipeline project.

The submitted dissertation tries to introduce neoclassical geopolitics as a viable approach to the study of international politics from geographical perspective. The dissertation is a compact of six already published articles and a common introduction highlighting main points of the articles and further discussing some issues which were (i) eliminated due to space constrains, or (ii) their significance is rather contextual, in the sense that they set the articles into broader discussions. The first part of the thesis (supported by two articles) deals with a current stage of political geography and geopolitics. The main result is that geopolitics is today a divided (sub)discipline, as geographers are mainly engaged in critical geopolitics and scholars of the International Relations continue in classical geopolitical reasoning (namely those who subscribe themselves under the label of neorealism). The main difference is that geographers consider space as an inter-subjective entity - socially constructed, whereas IR scholars tend to see space as an objective factor. In the combination with other epistemological differences, this different consideration of space has produced an exorbitant barrier between these two fields. One factor dividing the two approaches looms especially large - it is an arduous...

Neoclassical realism has the ability to advance our understanding of foreign policy responses through the recently designed neoclassical realist model. However as international relations have proven, a theory is not a concrete motionless design. Improvements can be made and the fluidity of theory allows social sciences to adapt and advance. This thesis introduces developments to neoclassical realism by stating that the individual factors and intervening variables hold varying degrees of importance that alter between each foreign policy decision. There is no overarching set of instructions for 'foreign policy', rather an adaptable model that takes into consideration the geopolitical arena, the state and the statesman. The case study chosen for this thesis is the Russian foreign policy response to annex Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Analysis and comparisons of the variables resulted in three factors standing out as most significant. The most important influence within the systemic stimuli was the nature of the strategic environment and the window of opportunity that arose in Crimea due to Ukrainian political and military instability. The intervening variable leader images proved to be the decisive factor, as the consolidation of power by Vladimir Putin allowed the annexation to be completed...