The Geographical Pivot of History

"The Geographical Pivot of History"
AuthorHalford John Mackinder
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
1904
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePaper

"The Geographical Pivot of History" is an article submitted by Halford John Mackinder in 1904 to the Royal Geographical Society that advances his heartland theory.[1][2][3] In this article, Mackinder extended the scope of geopolitical analysis to encompass the entire globe. He defined Afro-Eurasia as the "world island" and its "heartland" as the area east of the Volga, south of the Arctic, west of the Yangtze, and north of the Himalayas. Due to its strategic location and natural resources, Mackinder argued that whoever controlled the "heartland" could control the world.

  1. ^ Mackinder, H. J., "The Geographical Pivot of History", The Geographical Journal, Vol. 23, No.4, (April 1904), pp. 421–437
  2. ^ Mackinder, H. J., Democratic Ideals and Reality. A Study in the Politics of Reconstruction, National Defense University Press, 1996, pp. 175–193
  3. ^ Charles Kruszewski, "The Pivot of History", Foreign Affairs, April 1954