Democratic Ideas and Reality

Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland:Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island:Who rules the World-Island commands the World.On January 25 1904 Halford Mackinder read to the Royal Geographical Society an article titled The Geographical Pivot of History and proposed his Heartland theory. With this article Mackinder created the modern field of geopolitics. Mackinders theory was later developed further in his book Democratic Ideals and Reality: A Study in the Politics of Reconstruction in which he demonstrated prescience by predicting that the Great War will be followed by another great struggle for the dominance of the Heartland.His Heartland theory has since become one of the foundational theories of geopolitics and continues to influence geopolitical thinkers and planners to this day.Sir Halford John Mackinder was an English geographer best known for being the founder of the discipline of geopolitics. He was also a politician an academic and served as the Director of the London School of Economics.Mr. Mackinder has produced a book which is of signal interest and importance to all students of history and of politics.Frederick J. Teggart The American Historical ReviewThe book abounds in interesting suggestions and is written in the author''s characteristically vivid style.Ellen Churchill Semple American Journal of SociologyThe most important general paper that has been communicated to us is contained in Mr. Mackinder''s masterly address.The Geographical Journal