The Heartland Theory

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The Heartland Theory
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What is the theory?

• a theory of geopolitical relations proposed by
  Halford Mackinder after WWI
• whoever controls Eastern Europe controls the
  World Island (Asia, Europe and Africa) and then
  ultimately the entire world

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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)
• according to the theory, once a country controls
  the Heartland, it will seek to control the Inner
  Crescent - Africa and Asia (the rest of the World
  Island)

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• it will do this by first gaining control of the
  warm water ports of western Europe, which will
  give it control over sea lanes and the coasts of
  Asia and Africa

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• eventually the Americas and Oceania would
  collapse and succumb to the overwhelming power of
  the country controlling the World Island
• and so, control of Eastern Europe was considered
  crucial

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How valid is the theory?
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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

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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

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• Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia (Prague Spring
  1968), Poland 1980s are examples of how the
  Soviet government tolerated no independence
• 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)

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• 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

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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 are no more.

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• 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

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• 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
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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.
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The End!