Go with the Floe: Geostrategic Ramifications of a Changing Artic
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to analyze some current geopolitical issues in the Arctic region through a specific lens. Focusing on the importance of sea lines of communication and their geostrategic relevance, this paper explores how the Arctic in 2014 offers new trade routes and geopolitical options. The author analyzes the reasons why the Panama Canal project turned out so favorably for the United States, while the 1956 Suez War was disastrous for the British, and seeks to apply takeaways from those two phenomena toward the Arctic in 2014. First, the author explores some current geopolitical issues in the Arctic region, with specific regard to American, Canadian, Russian, and Chinese interests. Next, he undertakes a historical study of America s role in the building and administration of the Panama Canal. Following that, the writer addresses Great Britain s winning war against Nasser s Egypt in 1956, which ended up costing Great Britain control of the canal. Through those studies, he stipulates how the United States successfully used its diplomatic instrument of power in Central America, while Great Britain over-relied on its military might to the detriment of her political efforts, subsequently fighting a winning war which could not deliver the ends London sought. Finally, the author calls on contemporary materials and analysis to make recommendations for American and Canadian policy efforts in the Arctic, as well as advocating further study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA620838
Entities
People
- Kit Conn
Organizations
- Air University