ABSTRACT
Geography continues to exert a relatively consistent influence on strategy over relatively long periods of time. The Horn of Africa, to pick but one example, is a watery crossroads connecting Asia, Europe, southeast Africa, and the Middle East. As new powers arranged in new geographical patterns seek to consolidate their growing influence, C. Dale Walton suggests that they will turn to innovative forms of military technology and innovative ways of using it. Other geopolitical analysts may offer alternative interpretations. Meanwhile, as the chapter on grand strategy noted, strategists must pay particular attention to the political dimension of geopolitical analysis. In 2016, for instance, the North Korean official news agency threatened to turn South Korea into a ‘pile of ashes’ and a ‘sea of fire’. Terrorist leaders make extreme threats as a matter of course. Some analysts argue that contemporary terrorists are becoming increasingly willing to act on such statements.
