Retorno a Mackinder: La Pax Eurasica, APEC y la alternativa rusa al unipolarismo
Introductory Notes to Heartlands and Rimlands
In reading the articles in this section, there are a number of things that you should keep in mind. Two theories of Geostrategy were developed by Halford Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman.Halford Mackinder developed a theory called the Heartland Theory. In the Heartland Theory, Mackinder said the greatest land power would be sited in Asia, the "World Island" containing the world's largest land mass in terms of size and population. He theorized that its interior (or Heartland) would provide a base for world conquest.
This theory was later modified by Nicholas Spykman who agreed with Mackinder that Eurasia was the likely base for world conquest. But, he argued, the coastal fringes contained dense populations, abundant resources, and had access to both the seas and the continental interior. This become known as the Rimland Theory. The Rimland has tended, throughout history, to be politically fragmented. Spykman believed that it would be to the advantage of both the U.S. and USSR if it remained that way.
In 1904, Sir Halford Mackinder published a theory about political strength in Eurasia. He analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the various regions and concluded that the Russian Core and areas east of the core contained the potential to become a world power. In 1919 he revised his theory to include Eastern Europe and the theory became known as Mackinder's Heartland Theory.
Basically stated:
- Who rules East Europe commands the heartland.
- Who rules the heartland commands the World Island (Eurasia and Africa)
- Who rules the World Island commands the World.
In 1942, Nicholas Spykman proposed a theory which countered Mackinder's Heartland Theory. Spykman stated that Eurasia's Rimland, the coastal areas or buffer zone, is the key to controlling the World Island, not the heartland.
Nicholas Spykman's book, "America's Strategy in World Politics" was published during World War II and deals with political and military strength of the United States at that time. Today we look at the Rimland in terms of its economic strength and potential. While the book does deal with economic issues, what has become known as the Rimland Theory deals primarily with military intervention, control and conquest of the Old World. The chapter entitled "The Geography of the Second World War" deals with this military situation on a global geographic basis. It is in this chapter that we find the foundations of the Rimland Theory of global domination. The theory was later expanded and refined in a series of lectures which were transcribed into the book "The Geography of the Peace".
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