Geopolitics 101: How Power Operates in a Connected World
What Is Geopolitics, What It Isn’t, and How It Connects to The Wireless Cable
To begin with, International Relations (IR) is the study of how nations (and States) interact with each other, with international institutions, and with other national entities (their parliaments, agencies, etc.). IR uses different approaches (liberalism, Marxism, constructivism) and other academic disciplines (like economics, geography, history, (international) law, political science, psychology, sociology, amongst others), to understand the past and the present and, sometimes, to predict future outcomes.
Geopolitics, from our perspective is a more narrow view of these relationships, as it rests solely on the idea of power.
So, where did the term come from?
Rudolf Kjellén was analyzing the theory of what, how and why States are. His idea was that States are organic beings that are born, flourish, and later pass away. He identified three components of the State that shape this process:
its geopolitics (geopolitik), problems and conditions that arise from its geographic features);
its economic factors (oecopolitik), which affect its power; and
the composition of the State’s population (demopolitik), which is based on racial elements.
If this all sounds a bit sketchy, the reason is that the origin of this theory was based on Kjellén’s professor, Friedrich Ratzel, who coined the term Lebensraum ("living space"). And that concept might ring bells (and alarms), but Ratzel’s concept of living raum was not aggressive; it was Kjellén’s pol-sci approach that the National Socialists in Germany adopted as policy to expand the Nazi regime.
The idea of a living space became so popular during WWII as an explanation of why and how the German Reich behaved during this period, driver behind it has been simplified as a only a function of geopolitics. And geopolitics has permeated into the 21st Century as an amalgamation of topics; so much so that sometimes pundits will use it when the actually mean IR; although we’ve also seen it as a catch-all explanation with anything nation-State related.
Geopolitics Today
Indeed, today Geopolitics is considered a broader term: the study of how power is distributed and contested across geographic space. In a way, it brings back the original notions from Kjellén to explain a nation-States life, since the term no longer just means that geography (mountains, rivers, ports) and politics define a nation’s security and destiny; it also encompasses how technology, economics, its population and connectivity alter that equation. In simple terms, geopolitics asks who has power, where, and how they use it.
People might get confused because if, indeed, Geopolitics is what you get when you mix geography with power politics, then why can’t it be the catch-all discipline?
Easy. Because it is not a discipline. If you are interested in learning about it, programs like "International Relations and Diplomacy," "Strategic Studies," or "Public Policy" might offer insight into geopolitics, while at the BA level IR, Political Science, and History will have intro courses in Geopolitics.
And that is the biggest difference with a discipline like IR, which examines interactions between countries and, as mentioned earlier, could use elements of geopolitics to help explain an event or predict an outcome.
Connecting Geopolitics and The Wireless Cable
But it is still important to know why controlling a strategic strait matters, and understand the ramifications of altering its possession; or why access to undersea internet cables can be as vital as holding high ground. And that’s why at The Wireless Cable we merge cybersecurity and geopolitics, we explore government decisions, digital threats and how they intertwine, impacting global stability and national security… in other words, power. But we do it in style and at the highest level, and that’s why our slogan is “where diplomacy meets the digital frontier.”
Main elements of Geopolitics in the 21st Century
So what does geopolitics really cover today? Well, politics shapes how power is exercised, and we’ve come down to six main tracks (in no particular order) that reflect where that power is concentrated, and where we believe most of today’s major dynamics live. We cover all of them regularly at TWC, and believe most topics fit into them:
Territorial Control: Land, Sea, Air, and Space. Of course we have to start with geography. From war-torn fields to contested seas, and from the skies overhead to the final frontier of space, controlling territory remains a cornerstone of geopolitical power. Even in our hyper-connected age of algorithms and cyberspace, geography still matters: Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder that old-fashioned land grabs are not relics of the past, while China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea shows how seizing strategic sea lanes (and even building airstrips on remote reefs) bolsters a nation’s regional clout. Meanwhile, the race to dominate satellite networks proves that space has become the ultimate strategic high ground for modern communications and surveillance. Modern territoriality also extends beyond the physical: nations now vie for supremacy in orbit and in cyberspace by controlling digital infrastructure like undersea cables and data centers that form the backbone of the internet, making bits and bytes as crucial to power as any physical border.
Economic Leverage: Trade, Sanctions, and Supply Chains. Economic leverage is how states wield money, markets, and interdependence as tools of power. Sanctions can cripple adversaries without firing a shot, as seen when the West cut Russia off from global finance after the Ukraine invasion. Trade policy and tariffs are also geopolitical weapons –the U.S.-China tariff war and chip export bans are more than economics; they’re contests for strategic advantage. Infrastructure finance, like China’s Belt and Road Initiative, builds influence under the banner of development, tying ports, power plants, and political loyalties back to Beijing. And supply chains, once taken for granted, have become battlegrounds: COVID-19, war, and rising distrust have exposed how reliance on adversaries for key goods (from chips to gas) can be a liability. Today, reshoring and “friend-shoring” are reshaping global flows, as nations scramble to secure access to the inputs that power economies and militaries alike. Power not only comes from a bayonet or a bomb, it also resides in knowing who owns and manages the spread sheet that holds what moves, where and for whom.
Military Power: Conventional and Hybrid Warfare. Military power is still a blunt but undeniable part of how nations shape outcomes. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reminded the world that tanks and artillery still redraw maps, while NATO’s response has reinforced the value of alliances built on hard power. But warfare has also evolved: drones now patrol battlefields, cyberattacks hit infrastructure in peacetime, and misinformation campaigns soften targets before the first missile is launched (look for our future post about the very novel and ingenious way of Ukraine’s use of drones in Russia). Hybrid warfare (the murky space between armed conflict and covert disruption) is now a core strategy, especially for powers looking to destabilize without triggering full-scale war. At the same time, nuclear arsenals still loom in the background, shaping what states are willing to risk. The tools have changed, but the logic hasn’t: military capability still anchors a state’s ability to act or deter others from acting.
Ideological Influence: Soft Power and Competing Narratives. Power also flows through stories, values, and perception. Countries project influence by shaping how they’re seen: the U.S. has long exported ideals through pop culture, education, and democratic messaging; China promotes state-led development and non-interference; Russia pushes anti-Western narratives and revisionist history. Hard power is that military one and soft power works when others like or align with your model (think Alliance Francaise, Japan Society, Instituto Cervantes and Mexican Cultural Centers, which push art and culture). But sharp power (disinformation, censorship, coercive media tactics), tries to fracture trust from within. Today’s ideological battles unfold on social platforms as much as in speeches, with governments and proxies targeting foreign publics to sway opinion or destabilize confidence, and they happen not only in television, but through the different apps in Social Media. Narratives matter; not because they win wars, but because they can frame them, excuse them, or forestall them. And in a world where global alignment often hinges on how a conflict is understood, that framing is strategy.
Technology and Infrastructure: Chips, Networks, and Platforms. Technology and infrastructure have become central to geopolitical power. Semiconductors are now a strategic resource, with the U.S. imposing export bans to keep China behind in AI and advanced manufacturing. Control over telecom networks, like the pushback against Huawei’s 5G gear, shows how digital infrastructure is treated as national security terrain. Even undersea cables and cloud providers have become points of strategic tension. Meanwhile, tech platforms themselves (from TikTok to Starlink) shape narratives, access, and even military communications. States are responding by funding domestic capacity, setting rules on data flows, and trying to shape global standards. Infrastructure choices that once felt like technical procurement decisions now reflect alignment, leverage, and risk.
Legal and Institutional Power: Treaties and Global Rules. Rules and institutions help organize power struggles. Treaties, courts, and multilateral bodies help states cooperate, but they also become arenas for contesting influence. The post-WWII “western rules-based order” (from the UN to the WTO) is under pressure, as rising powers challenge systems they didn’t design. Russia’s war in Ukraine exposed the limits of international law when vetoes block action, while China has worked to gain influence within existing institutions and build its own. Smaller states often rely on legal tools to check larger ones (like the Philippines’ case against China in the South China Sea), but enforcement is uneven. Alliances like NATO, trade blocs, and even development banks also shape how power is exercised. Whether states follow the rules or rewrite them, the legal and institutional layer still shapes the field on which other forms of power play out.
TWC Insight
Geopolitics is the background logic behind tech bans, energy prices, and the infrastructure choices shaping tomorrow’s internet. What we’re seeing now is a convergence: the cable routes, chip fabs, and legal frameworks that once seemed “technical” are now strategic. And whether it’s sanctions, spectrum, or software, the question beneath it all is the same: who gets to decide?
Takeaway
Geopolitics is the study of power: where it lives, how it shifts, and who pays the price.
FAQs: Common Questions on Geopolitics
1. What’s the difference between geopolitics and international relations (IR)?
IR is a discipline: it draws on theory, history, law, and more to understand how states and institutions interact. Geopolitics is a lens: it zooms in on how power plays out across space, resources, infrastructure, and influence. They often overlap, but geopolitics is more interested in who holds what, where, and how that shapes strategy.
2. Does geography still matter in a connected world?
Yes; it matters even more. Trade routes, undersea cables, critical mineral deposits, and even satellite orbits are all tied to geography. Tech hasn’t erased space; it’s layered more complexity onto it. Digital flows still rely on physical infrastructure, and whoever controls the chokepoints, shapes the system.
3. Is geopolitics just about big powers?
Not at all. Middle powers like India or Turkey shape their regions with diplomacy, deals, or deterrence. Small states like Singapore or Qatar leverage location and finance to punch above their weight. And non-state actors (from tech platforms to militias) also play the game, reshaping influence through less traditional means. The thing is that it’s the big powers that gain more attention because of the relationship between the amount of power they have and how much they can change the system by wielding it.
4. How does this affect people in tech, business, or policy?
From chip shortages to app bans, from AI standards to supply chain shifts, geopolitics is baked into the decisions professionals make every day. It shapes the tools you use, the risks you face, and the rules you work under. You don’t have to be a diplomat to feel its effects.
