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"The need and ability for expansion" : Conceptions of living space in the small-state geopolitics of Gudmund Hatt

Larsen, Henrik Gutzon LU (2011) In Political Geography 30(1). p.38-48
Abstract
Although they are often subjected to critical scrutiny, formal geopolitical practices have rarely been put on trial. One exception is the case of Gudmund Hatt (1884-1960), professor of human geography at Copenhagen University from 1929 to 1947, who was found guilty of “dishonorable national conduct” for his geopolitics during the German occupation. As a contribution to the critical history of geopolitical traditions, this article investigates Hatt as an example of a small-state geopolitician. Particular attention is given to his view of geopolitics as a practice and as an essentially material struggle for Livsrum (living space), and what this made him infer for the great powers and for small-state Denmark. Hatt’s geopolitical ideas had... (More)
Although they are often subjected to critical scrutiny, formal geopolitical practices have rarely been put on trial. One exception is the case of Gudmund Hatt (1884-1960), professor of human geography at Copenhagen University from 1929 to 1947, who was found guilty of “dishonorable national conduct” for his geopolitics during the German occupation. As a contribution to the critical history of geopolitical traditions, this article investigates Hatt as an example of a small-state geopolitician. Particular attention is given to his view of geopolitics as a practice and as an essentially material struggle for Livsrum (living space), and what this made him infer for the great powers and for small-state Denmark. Hatt’s geopolitical ideas had many parallels to those of his great-power contemporaries, but in important respects, his analyses also differed from traditional geopolitics. It is argued that, to a significant degree, this difference is related to the fact that Hatt narrated geographies of world politics from a small and exposed state with few territorial ambitions. This made him emphasize economic relations, efficiency rather than territorial size, and the geopolitical role of the Danish Folk (i.e., the nation). Hatt’s position as a peripheral observer to the geopolitical mainstream may also explain his understanding of geopolitics and living space politics as great power practices. (Less)
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author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
geopolitics, living space (livsrum), World War II, Denmark, Gudmund Hatt
in
Political Geography
volume
30
issue
1
pages
38 - 48
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:79951515832
ISSN
0962-6298
DOI
10.1016/j.polgeo.2010.12.006
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
a896e9b5-4ecf-49c5-9b63-75822fcb36e7
date added to LUP
2017-03-30 22:48:13
date last changed
2022-03-16 21:27:00
@article{a896e9b5-4ecf-49c5-9b63-75822fcb36e7,
  abstract     = {{Although they are often subjected to critical scrutiny, formal geopolitical practices have rarely been put on trial. One exception is the case of Gudmund Hatt (1884-1960), professor of human geography at Copenhagen University from 1929 to 1947, who was found guilty of “dishonorable national conduct” for his geopolitics during the German occupation. As a contribution to the critical history of geopolitical traditions, this article investigates Hatt as an example of a small-state geopolitician. Particular attention is given to his view of geopolitics as a practice and as an essentially material struggle for Livsrum (living space), and what this made him infer for the great powers and for small-state Denmark. Hatt’s geopolitical ideas had many parallels to those of his great-power contemporaries, but in important respects, his analyses also differed from traditional geopolitics. It is argued that, to a significant degree, this difference is related to the fact that Hatt narrated geographies of world politics from a small and exposed state with few territorial ambitions. This made him emphasize economic relations, efficiency rather than territorial size, and the geopolitical role of the Danish Folk (i.e., the nation). Hatt’s position as a peripheral observer to the geopolitical mainstream may also explain his understanding of geopolitics and living space politics as great power practices.}},
  author       = {{Larsen, Henrik Gutzon}},
  issn         = {{0962-6298}},
  keywords     = {{geopolitics; living space (livsrum); World War II; Denmark; Gudmund Hatt}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{38--48}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Political Geography}},
  title        = {{"The need and ability for expansion" : Conceptions of living space in the small-state geopolitics of Gudmund Hatt}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2010.12.006}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.polgeo.2010.12.006}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}