Lebensraum: Geography, geopolitics, and the Third Reich

Abstract

It is the author's purpose in this paper to examine the importance of understanding geography in connection with international relations. An attempt will be made to discuss the basic elements of political geography and geopolitics as well as the relationship between the two. The political geography of Germany after World War I will be examined as will the ideas of the German Geopolitik. An attempt will be made to relate these things to the policies of the Third Reich. The idea of Lebensraum, or living space, will be discussed as a motive for the territorial expansion of Germany. The contributions of Haushofer, KJellen, Ratzel,Mackinder, and Hitler shall be included. The paper is limited in scope to a discussion of geopolitics in Germany; no mention is made of the geopolitics of Russia, England, and America.