Geopolitical Context, Ideologies and Motivations

Krasznay, Csaba and Bányász, Péter and Jakusné Harnos, Éva (2025) Geopolitical Context, Ideologies and Motivations. In: Hybrid Warfare Reference Curriculum Volume II. Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó, Budapest, pp. 187-205. ISBN 9789636531065

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Abstract

The 21st century global power shift has brought the revival if geopolitics both as a theory of international relations and a framework for analysis. Geopolitics is the study of the struggle for the control of geographical entities for political advantage. On the world stage, states are competing as strategic rivals using their territories and natural resources to a maximum in order to gain control over more. Competition for geopolitical power has material, relational and ideological dimensions. This means that, against the background of the race for material assets, relations, e.g. alliances and institutions are being restructured, and new ideologies are formulated in order to justify the objectives of the rising powers, while discourse about prevalent ideologies is amplified so as to stabilise the current international system established by the leading powers of the post-World War II era. So-called revisionist states have challenged the current status quo in international politics, first of all, China and Russia, and other ambitious rising powers can be seen in each region of the Globe. Fragmentation and re-arrange- ment impact nearly all components of the geopolitical framework: places, regions, territory and networks. This results in a re-interpretation of territoriality, region- ality and identity, the re-conceptualisation of which is facilitated by modern technology, especially digital networks. The latter may also affect societies and disseminate ideologies unnoticed and at incredible speed. Consequently, the population of any country can be directly targeted by any system of beliefs and social or political philosophy, even hostile and subversive, which may lead to the loss of the internal and external sovereignty of a state. The power struggle for establishing a new world order has been extended to cyberspace. The importance of digital technology and the efficiency of digital networks is also proven by a case study of the Ukrainian−Russian war. Apart from the study of the effect of networks, two new factors should be considered: the geographical environment is changing due to climate impact; for instance, the Arctic has been drawn into the geopolitical competition; and the role and number of non-state actors is increasing, including NGOs, multinational corporations and high-tech giants.

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