Fred K. A. W. C. Ratzel

Friedrich Ratzel was a German geographer and ethnographer, known for his influential work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He developed the concept of "Lebensraum," or "living space," which suggested that nations require territory to grow and thrive. Ratzel’s theories connected geography with politics and anthropology, highlighting how environment shapes culture and society. His ideas influenced various fields, including political geography and ecology, and had significant impacts on geographic thought and nationalism. Ratzel’s work laid the groundwork for later theories in geopolitics, even influencing ideologies in the 20th century.