The Unconventional Career of a Marine and Scholar

Aaron O’Connell, Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, joins the show to talk about the “founding fathers” of 20th century geopolitical thought: Mahan, Mackinder, and Spykman. 

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Times 

  •    01:46 Introduction 

    •    02:20 From Marine to scholar to the NSC

    •    06:24 Alfred T. Mahan

    •    12:27 Choke points, decisive battle, and battleships

    •   15:45 Security through imperialism  

    •    18:08 Chinese Mahanians

    •    20:33 China’s crowded neighborhood

    •    21:27 Halford Mackinder

    •   28:56 Heartland rising  

    •    31:36 Inner and outer crescent

    •    33:01 Nicholas Spykman 

    •    37:55 The nature of power

    •    39:03 Containment

    •   42:11 The American role

    •    46:22 The path of partnerships

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