Aaron O’Connell, Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, joins the show to talk about the “founding fathers” of 20th century geopolitical thought: Mahan, Mackinder, and Spykman. ▪️Times   •    01:46 Introduction     •    02:20 From Marine to scholar to the NSC    •    06:24 Alfred T. Mahan    •    12:27 Choke points, decisive battle, and battleships    •   15:45 Security through imperialism      •    18:08 Chinese Mahanians    •    20:33 China’s crowded neighborhood    •    21:27 Halford Mackinder    •   28:56 Heartland rising      •    31:36 Inner and outer crescent    •    33:01 Nicholas Spykman     •    37:55 The nature of power    •    39:03 Containment    •   42:11 The American role    •    46:22 The path of partnershipsFollow along on Instagram