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Conflict and Ideology. Many conflicts have particular ideological roots, as one society tries to exert its world view on another Remember the Cold War?. The Heartland Theory. What is the theory?. The Pivot of History is a geostrategic theory, also known as Heartland Theory . [1]
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Conflict and Ideology • Many conflicts have particular ideological roots, as one society tries to exert its world view on another • Remember the Cold War?
What is the theory? • The Pivot of History is a geostrategic theory, also known as Heartland Theory.[1] • "The Pivot of History" was an article submitted by Halford John Mackinder in 1904 to the Royal Geographical Society that advanced his Heartland Theory.[2][3] • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geographical_Pivot_of_History
according to Mackinder, the Earth's land surface was divisible into: • The World-Island, comprising the interlinked continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa. This was the largest, most populous, and richest of all possible land combinations. • The offshore islands, including the British Isles and the islands of Japan. • The outlying islands, including the continents of North America, South America, and Australia.
Later, in 1919, Mackinder summarised his theory as: • "Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; • who rules the World-Island commands the world." (Mackinder, Democratic Ideals and Reality, p. 150) • Any power which controlled the World-Island would control well over 50% of the world's resources. • The Heartland's size and central position made it the key to controlling the World-Island.
Why Eastern Europe? • at the time, the vast resources of Eastern Europe were considered incredibly important (coal, farmland, and lots of flat land for expansion, urbanization)
Influence of the theory on foreign and military policy • Mackinder identified a geopolitical scenario that was to haunt the world's two sea powers during the first half of the twentieth century — Great Britain and later on the United States. • The scenario was that if Germany or Russia were allowed to control East Europe then this could lead to the domination of the Eurasian land mass by one of these two powers as a prelude to mastery of the world.
Against: • it did not take into consideration future rise of the USA as a major international power - militarily and economically • it did not foresee the rise of aircraft as a major military weapon • it did not foresee nuclear deterrence, nor intercontinental ballistic missiles
Emergence of the U.S., both from a social and economic perspective
How do these weapons change how wars can be fought? They are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
In support: • the USSR did try to expand out from the Heartland - it dominated the countries of Eastern Europe militarily and economically after WWII • NATO was the military alliance that was created to stop this expansion • Warsaw Pact and COMECON were alliances of the Soviet bloc
USSR sponsored communist parties outside Eastern Bloc and tacitly supported terrorist movements to undermine the security of western nations (e.g., IRA (Britain), Red Brigades (Italy), Red Army (Japan) • Cuba, Vietnam and Afghanistan can also be seen as efforts by the USSR to expand beyond the Heartland • they also supported a variety of governments throughout the developing world
The IRA has been featured in the media on a regular basis, as it’s conflict with Great Britain has been well-documented.
The Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse in Italian, often abbreviated BR) was a Marxist-Leninist organization, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead". Formed in 1970, the organisation sought to create a "revolutionary" state through armed struggle, and to remove Italy from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Red Brigades attained notoriety in the 1970s and early 1980s with their violent attempts to destabilise Italy by acts of sabotage, bank robberies, and kidnappings.
The Japanese Red Army (日本赤軍, Nihon Sekigun, JRA) was a communist militant group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre. The JRA's stated goals were to overthrow the Japanese government and monarchy and to start a world revolution.
Containment • Containment was the West's response to Soviet expansionist threats as seen at first in the context the Heartland theory • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization – USA, Canada, Great Britain), SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization - Philippines, Pakistan, Thailand, Australia ), and CENTO (Central Treaty Organization – Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan) were the military alliances set up, mainly through US pressure, to carry out the policy of containment. Seato and Cento no longer exist.
NATO This 2001 movie is partially linked to NATO.
Basically, Soviet expansion was contained to the Heartland by the threat of first strike nuclear retaliation if the Soviets invaded any allied member or threatened the security of any member nation • Soviet response to containment was to leap-frog Western Europe and to establish pro-Soviet bases (countries) elsewhere - Angola, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba
Tartus: The last remaining Russian military base outside of the old Soviet Union
the Soviet response to containment was itself contained by the further threat of nuclear war - especially the case with Cuba (and the 1962 Missile Crisis) President John F. Kennedy, US President during 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
This theory has been modified (twisted) to fit a smaller scale like a country. • The theory has also become an economic one (remember Wallerstein). • In Canada we have the Heartland-Hinterland theory. The Heartland being southern Ontario and Quebec. Where all the industry, manufacturing, finances and other major functions are located. The Hinterland is the rest of Canada that supplies, labour and raw materials to the Heartland. • The USA considers its Heartland the agricultural heart of the country – states like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas are considered the Heartland.
Globalization Was supposed to help overcome geographical, and ideological sources of conflict.
Has it? Made the World Safer, That is? • What things, by virtue of increasing globalization, can we no longer really control as a state? • See Article: How Globalization Went Bad • Reading: pg 360-361 Global Connections
