Heartland Theory

A theory of geopolitics proposed by J. Halford MacKinder at the beginning of the 20th century. MacKinder taught geography at Oxford University and served in the British parliament for 12 years and was well connected to the policymakers and strategic thinkers of his time. Great Britain was still the world’s foremost power when MacKinder put forth his ideas, and it is clear that he viewed British imperialism as the most moral and just among the European empires. It is likely that he was deeply influenced by notions of the “Great Game” between Russia and Great Britain that had motivated British policy in south Asia during the second half of the 19th century. MacKinder believed that the heartland theory was in reality a roadmap to global domination in an age when Britain’s preeminent position in international affairs was being challenged by emerging powers such as Germany and Russia. His ideas are firmly rooted in territoriality, as he held that control of a key geographic space was essential to political power.

MacKinder first publicly presented his theory to the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in 1904. The title of his paper was “The Geographical Pivot of History,” which was published later the same year. In this discussion MacKinder analyzed the distinction between, and relative merits of, “land power” versus “sea power.” Moreover, he sought to identify a larger geographical relationship to historical events, postulating a “geographical causation in universal history.” He suggested that the Eurasian landmass was the key to global political power, represented by a core “pivot region” that encompassed much of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and extended across northern Russia. This “geographical pivot” region, according to the theory, had been from ancient times the key to territorial control of greater Eurasia, although during the “Columbian epoch,” as MacKinder termed the previous four hundred years, the importance of dominating the pivot region had temporarily been overshadowed by the rise of sea power. MacKinder acknowledged that the dominance of the high seas by the English navy had been vital to the construction of the British Empire, but argued that the development of extensive railway networks in Asia would offset the advantages of controlling the world’s sea lanes and choke points. The Russian empire had begun construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad about a decade earlier, and this development very likely convinced MacKinder that the vast expanses of Asia could be connected via rail. His thesis also was influenced by organic theory, as he spoke of history and physical geography as being “organically connected,” and there are clear undertones of environmental determinism in his ideas regarding the relationship of history and physical geography.