Great Game or Grubby Game? The Struggle for Control of the Caspian
In: Geopolitics, Band 9, Heft 1, S. 138-160
ISSN: 1465-0045
In this article, I examine the way in which resource conflict in the Caspian Sea Basin has become entwined in the development of geopolitical thought & ideas since the late 19th century. I argue that Mackinder's inclusion of the Caspian in his original pivot was significant & that because of its considerable strategic importance control of the region was seen as crucial to all sides in both WWI & WWII. The struggle for control of the Caspian bolstered Mackinder's ideas which were influential in the development of Cold War geopolitics. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the desire to control the 'heartland' has been played out via the control of the region's energy resources. Adapted from the source document.