Heartland is a geopolitical concept, which means a significant part of northeastern Eurasia, limited to the east and south by mountain systems. Moreover, researchers differently determine the specific boundaries of this territory. In fact, this is a geopolitical concept that was first voiced by British geographer Halford Mackinder in a report that he made for the Royal Geographical Society. Later, the main provisions of the report were published in a famous article entitled "The geographical axis of history." It was this concept that became the original starting point for the development of the classical Western theory of geostrategy and geopolitics. Moreover, the term itself began to be used later. In 1919, it began to be used instead of the concept of "axis of history."
1904 Article
Heartland is the key concept for the Geographic Axis of History article, which was published in 1904. By him, the author of the theory Mackinder understood part of northeastern Eurasia with a total area of about 15 million square kilometers. Initially, this territory almost repeated the shape of the catchment basin of the Arctic Ocean, excluding only the basins of the Barents and White Seas. Moreover, it approximately coincided with the territory of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union.
In the southern part of Hartland, according to Mackinder, steppes stretched, on which historically mobile and strong nomadic peoples lived for many centuries. Now these spaces are also under the control of Russia. At the same time, Heartland is a territory that does not have convenient access to the World Ocean, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, which is almost all covered with ice.
This part of Eurasia is surrounded by coastal territories that stretch to northeast Asia from Western Europe through the Middle and Near East, as well as Indochina. It is noteworthy that Mackinder singled out the so-called "outer crescent" of the sea powers, which included Australia, both America, Africa, Oceania, Japan and the British Isles.
Geopolitical significance
The geographer attached great importance to this territory. In his concept, the Heartland is a stretch of the planet rich in natural resources. Also, its significance was influenced by the fact that it was inaccessible to Great Britain and any other maritime power due to the lack of a merchant and navy. In this regard, the Heartland, he called the natural fortress of people caught in land. In this zone, Mackinder in the theory of Hartland placed the axial state.
The appearance of this concept was influenced by the colonial division of the world, which had almost ended by that time, in which the British Empire had settled on a kind of “internal crescent” of Eurasia. From the point of view of the researcher, the political forces of the "inner crescent" and the "axis of history" must historically confront each other. Moreover, Britain must constantly experience a certain onslaught from the first, by which the geographer understood representatives of different peoples - the Mongols, Huns, Russians, Turks.
At the same time, Mackinder emphasized that the "Columbian era", when the world was dominated by sea powers, is a thing of the past. In the future, he saw a key role in the development of the transcontinental rail network. They, in his opinion, should have been the main competitor to the navy, and in the future, perhaps even surpass the ships in importance.
The conclusion from Heartland's theory was obvious. It is necessary to unite to withstand this onslaught. Preferably under the British Empire.
"Democratic ideals and reality"
Mackinder developed similar ideas in his later works. In 1919 his article "Democratic ideals and reality" was published. In it, as well as in the works of his followers, the borders of the Heartland underwent certain changes.
So, in an article of 1919, he included in the "axis of history" the basins of the Baltic and Black Seas. Also, H. Mackinder in the theory of Heartland noted that this territory is surrounded by intractable spaces on all sides, with the exception of the West. Only in this part is there an opportunity for interaction. Therefore, Eastern Europe from this point of view acquired special significance in foreign policy.
According to Mackinder's forecast, it was on this territory that cooperation between the sea powers and the Heartland or major conflicts should begin.
Who rules the world?
It was in this article, speaking of Heartland, geopolitics, that he formulated his famous maxim: who controls Eastern Europe, he commands the Heartland. And whoever leads the Heartland is at the head of the World Island, by which he understood the territories of Africa and Eurasia. Finally, the one who controls the World Island rules the world. Determining who dominates the Heartland, the author of the formula implied that these same forces are becoming one of the most influential in the world.
Over time, the Heartland ceased to seem to him an independent political force, but only an amplifier of the power of the power that controls all of Eastern Europe. It is worth noting that this formula was the result of the uncertain political status of this territory due to the Civil War, which at that time continued on the territory of Russia. Also, the just ended World War I had an impact. The consequence was the creation of a natural barrier from Slavic countries in Eastern Europe. This was to prevent the unification of the eastern and strategic Heartlands, that is, Russia and Germany.
"Round Peace and Peace Achievement"
In 1943, the Heartland concept was continued in an article entitled "Round Peace and Peace." This time, the territories around the Lena River and east of the Yenisei were excluded from the composition of these territories, which were attributed to the so-called "belt of waste land" that surround the Heartland.
In the West, its borders now coincided exactly with the pre-war borders of the Soviet Union. Events on the Soviet-German front confirmed that it was now turning into a great land power, which occupied an exclusively defensive position.
At the same time, post-war demilitarized Germany was to become a kind of channel for cooperation between Western Europe and North America with the Heartland. In the West, this interaction seemed important for the preservation of a single civilized world.
Only during the Cold War did this last work of Mackinder come to be seen as a contrast between West and East, the creation of a bipolar world.
Followers of the theory
Many of Mackinder's followers at odds with his ideas. For example, they determined the borders of this region in their own way. Moreover, in almost all of them, he appeared to be a key region in world politics, which was identified with the Soviet Union, which after the war was considered a key opponent of the West.
In 1944, American geopolitics Nicholas Speakman put forward the concept of Rimland as opposed to the Heartland. This territory almost completely repeated the borders of Mongolia and the Soviet Union. Only the Far East was excluded, since this territory was assigned to the Pacific basin.
At the same time, Rimland was to play a key role in world geopolitics, as well as in influencing Eurasia. American foreign policy should have been directed precisely at his control.
It is believed that the practical consequence of this approach was the creation of pro-American military blocs. First of all, NATO, as well as SEATO and CENTO, which actually covered the territory of Rimland and surrounded Heartland.
Continental Bloc Strategy
The ideas of the German geopolitician Karl Haushofer, who developed the strategy of the "continental block", are also based on the concept of the Heartland. It is believed that she had a great influence on the school of Eurasianism, which emerged in the 1920s.
Followers of mackinder
Some American political scientists have actively used the concept of "Heartland." For example, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Saul Cohen.
Cohen included in the heartland the entire east of the Soviet Union, including territories in the Pacific Ocean, and in the west excluded part of Ukraine and the Baltic states.
At the same time, the Heartland was included in a single continental region in terms of geopolitics, together with the communist Korea and China. Cohen, following Mackinder, declared Eastern Europe the region that should serve as the “gate”. He divided the rest of the world into several geostrategic regions, each of which had its own local "gate".
When the Soviet Union collapsed, this concept was positively accepted by some domestic researchers. For example, Dugin.
French political scientist Emerik Choprad and today actively uses the ideas of Mackinder, combining them with the work of his followers.
