Prisoners of Geography
Mountains, rivers, coastlines, and resources constrain political choices without supplying a complete explanation of international affairs.
Marshall interprets regional politics through physical geography.
A mountain does not write a government's policy, but it changes what travel, defence, and trade cost. Geography supplies constraints that political explanations sometimes leave in the background.
Terrain changes the difficulty of movement and defence.
Access to ports influences trade and strategic priorities.
Resources affect dependence and bargaining relationships.
Borders can cut across existing communities and connections.
The constraint is not a complete destiny. Technology, agreements, and institutions can change how a place functions, so a clear map should begin the inquiry rather than close it.
Technology changes constraints without simply abolishing them.
Historical decisions interact with these material conditions.
The regional accounts simplify complex and changing settings.
Geography does not determine every policy or make conflict inevitable.
The conclusion supplies one explanatory layer rather than a complete geopolitical rule.