Geopolitical constructs of international politics - their cultural & ideological roots

Today’s geopolitical landscape is highly complex- involving a myriad of actors, factors and external conditions. Assessing this complex structure and its dynamics is a formidable challenge. Most of the constructs advanced to explain it show that these are, however, rooted in specific cultural, historical and geographical experiences: namely that of the 16th-17th centuries in central Europe. The main model used is that of the Westphalian Peace of 1648: i.e., a very specific period in history. In reverse, therefore apparently a vast portion of human history wittingly or not, is blended out. Unfortunately, disturbances in today’s world include a myriad of cultures, regions, and historical experiences. To reduce this complexity to a specific phase in time (16th Century) and to a very tiny part of the globe (Westphalia in Germany) and draw general conclusions out of it is indeed an adventurous attempt- to say the least. This exclusion of a wider historical and cultural background is bound to lead to faulty conclusions and, _eo ipso_ to faulty recommendations. In the current situation with the world armed to the teeth with formidable weapons of mass destruction – this attempt is extremely dangerous – to say the least. In this short paper, we intend to show that such historically and culturally narrow conceptualisations need to be extended including wider cultural and historical experiences- to arrive at palpable and useful explanations and solutions.