Maritime Commercial Empires and Land Territorial Empires in the Black Sea Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/mhpi2018.37-38.14-25Abstract
The research I conduct is focused on establishing and describing the major patterns of international interaction in the Black Sea region which have repeatedly occurred throughout history, based on two main criteria: the major players acting in the region (extra-Pontic maritime commercial empires; northern Pontic land territorial empires; southern Pontic land territorial empires) and the relations developed between them (confrontation; cooperation). For achieving this goal of enhancing the historical and geopolitical knowledge of the Black Sea region, a preceding analysis of its geographical position and its key physical features (the ‘board’), of its geoeconomic and geopolitical characteristics (the ‘stake’), as well as of its key strategic points (the ‘trump cards’) is needed. This analysis is carried out in the present paper, while the description of the patterns and the comparison with the current situation and developments in the region shall be tackled in a subsequent paper.
Key words:Black Sea, geopolitics, history, empires, land, maritime
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