Addressing the weakening of the nation-state and the globalizing tendencies of the 21st century, this compilation of writings looks at international wars, boundaries, cultural conflict and world economy in a bid to address the changing relationship between politics and geography.

LE MONDE OCCIDENTAL CREE L'UNESCOEN 1945 ET Y EXERCE UN POUVOIR SANS PARTAGE LUI PERMETTENT D'UTILISER L'ORGANISATION AUSSI BIEN A DES FINS DE POLITIQUE DE PUISSANCE CLASSIQUE QU'A DES FINS DE PROJECTION CULTURELLE. L'ENTREE DU MONDE SOVIETIQUE, EN 1954, COMMENCE A LIMITER CETTE LIBERTE D'ACTION. LE TIERS-MONDE ENTRE EN MASSE A PARTIR DE 1960 ET VA, PAR ETAPES SUCCESSIVES, PRENDRE LE CONTROLE DE L'UNESCO EN 1974. AVEC L'APPUI DU MONDE SOVIETIQUE, LE MOUVEMENT DES NON ALIGNES IMPOSE ALORS SON REFUS DE "L'IMPACT CULTUREL" DU MONDE OCCIDENTAL ET CONCOIT UN PROJET DE CONTROLE DE LA COMMUNICATION DESTINE A FAIRE OBSTACLE A CET IMPACT : LE NOMIC (NOUVEL ORDRE MONDIAL DE L'INFORMATION ET DE LA COMMUNICATION). EN 1980, LES USA REAGISSENT VIGOUREUSEMENT ET LE NOMIC SERA UN ECHEC DU AUSSI BIEN A DES CAUSES CULTURELLES PROFONDES QU'A LA DISPARITION DE SES DEUX PROTAGONISTES.

Although we live in a globalised world, territorially embedded factors are highly relevant in such domains as security, economy, energy, environment, politics & diplomacy. Today’s analysts of world affairs are often loosely referring to ‘geopolitics’, but do not always clearly define it. This book therefore offers a necessary framework: an introduction into the main components of geopolitical analysis, an overview of the main geopolitical schools of thought, as well as reflections on how technology and geopolitics affect each other in economy, energy and security. In addition, several empirical studies are showcased, each developing innovative approaches. Leading authors reflect upon containment, analyse geopolitical myths, research geoeconomic rivalries, study mental maps, analyse conflict through territorially embedded variables & greed motivations and apply ‘neo-medievalism’ to study sub-state diplomacy. Contributors include: David Criekemans, Gyula Csurgai, Luis da Vinha, Manuel Duran, Alexandre Lambert, Antonios Nestoras, and Steven Spittaels.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the pre-modern economic history of Central Asia and the Silk Road, covering several millennia. By analyzing an abundance of sources and materials, it illustrates the repeated economic heydays of the Silk Road, during which it linked the Orient and Occident for many centuries. Nomadic steppe empires frequently dominated Central Asia, molded its economy and influenced trade along the Silk Road. The book assesses the causes and effects of the wide-ranging overland trade booms, while also discussing various internal and external factors that led to the gradual economic decline of Central Asia and eventual demise of the Silk Road. Lastly, it explains how the economic decline gave rise to Chinese and Russian colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. Detailed information, e.g. on the Silk Road’s trajectories in various epochs, is offered in the form of numerous newly drafted maps.