Technology, not geography, will grant global power in the 21st century

In 1904, the British geographer and strategist Sir Halford Mackinder delivered a paper to the Royal Geographical Society in London titled, “The Geographic Pivot of History.” In it, he argued that control over the Eurasian heartland—what he called the “pivot area”—would determine the future of world power. His theory became foundational to modern geopolitical thought, influencing everything from British imperial strategy to Cold War containment doctrine.

Mackinder’s central premise was simple but profound: geography shapes destiny. Railroads, industrialization, and continental-scale military logistics were transforming the old maritime balance of power, and Mackinder believed that the vast landmass of Eurasia—with its resources, manpower, and central position—would become the key to glob