3 research outputs found
The development of poliĀtical geography and geopolitics as an academic and research discipline in the Baltic reĀgion: The historical contribution of Saint Petersburg University
In this article, we address the little-researched and complicated problems of the genesis, periodisation, and development of political geography and geopolitics as academic and reĀsearch disciplines across the Baltic region in general and the contribution of Saint PetersĀburg University in particular. The terms āpolitical geography,ā āgeopoliticsā and the correĀsponding academic disciplines, as well as the first concepts of political geography and geoĀpolitics, emerged in the Baltic. The Russian and German schools of thought made a valuable contribution to these fields of research. Using the historical, structural-genetic, and activity-geospace approaches, we identify and analyse the major historical, research, and academic paradigms in the development of political geography. In doing so, we consider the case of Saint Petersburg University. These paradigms (state-descriptive, anthropogeographical, state-geopolitical, and activity-societal) differ in their methodological frameworks and theĀmatic priorities. We demonstrate that the term āpolitical geographyā and the science it deĀnotes are of Russian origin, having been developed by German scientists during their acaĀdemic service for Russia. Further, we analyse the contribution of German and Russian reĀsearches to the development of the Saint Petersburg school of political geographic and geoĀpolitical thought and describe its current state