Geo-strategic View of Mackinder and Spykeman
Part II (1+1+1 System) Geography Hons.
Paper: V
Module: IV
Topic: 4.3
Geo-strategic View of Mackinder
Most outstanding British contribution to political geography perhaps came from the geographer-
statesman, Halford J. Mackinder (1861-1947). His heartland theory propounded in early twentieth
century is still
read with interest even today. His famous lecture entitled ‘The Geographical Pivot of History’ delivered before
the Royal Geographical Society (Mackinder, 1904). In this paper he advanced the view that the Eurasian core
which he named as ‘Pivot Area’ (later as Heartland in 1919) was
•
inaccessible to sea power and
•
possessed the vast capability of becoming the seat of a great world power which would be able to
dominate the whole world.
The Heartland Theory
In 1919 Mackinder published his book ‘Democratic Ideals and Reality’, in which he formulated his
heartland theory. Although Mackinder modified the areal spread of the pivot area in 1919 and again in 1943, the
essential features of heartland concept remained unchanged throughout. His theory is stated in three lines:
“Who rules East Europe, commands
the Heartland,
Who rules the Heartland, commands the World Island,
Who
rules the World Island, commands the World”.
World’s geopolitical organization
Mackinder conceived of one landmass which he called the world island, comprising of Europe,
Asia and
Africa in the midst of one World Ocean. He considered the British and Japanese islands as offshore islands and
the two Americas and Australia, as outlying islands.
Proportion of coverage
Area
Population
World island
2
3
�
proportion
14
16
�
proportion
Outlying islands
1
3
�
proportion
2
16
�
proportion
In the world island Mackinder pointed out to the existence of two significant areas - an entirely
continental pivot-area or heartland and partly continental and partly oceanic area as the inner or marginal
crescent. The world island was surrounded by a wholly oceanic outer or insular crescent made up
of the land
areas of North and South Americas, Australia and Africa, south of the Sahara (Fig.).