Hal Brands on the Eurasian Century; Five Essays for Engelberg Ideas

 

Pix credit here

In this special series on the "Eurasian Century" at Engelsberg Ideas, leading historian and geopolitical commentator Hal Brands guides us through the major conflicts of the past century and the lessons they offer.

Links to each of the five essays follows below. 

 

essays

The Eurasian Century, Part I: What Mackinder Knew

Sir Halford Mackinder believed that major showdowns in international affairs of the 20th century would revolve over control of the Eurasian continent and its maritime approaches. H..

Hal BrandsDecember 6, 2021

essays

The Eurasian Century, Part II: The Great Black Tornado

Germany’s drive for dominance unleashed the great black tornado of the First World War. Only a global coalition, including the US, could hold Eurasia in balance...

Hal BrandsDecember 6, 2021

essays

The Eurasian Century, Part III: The Totalitarian Challenge

The Second World War showed that the difficulties of blunting Eurasian challenges early could be severe—but that the price of rolling them back later could be far worse..

Hal BrandsDecember 6, 2021

essays

The Eurasian Century, Part IV: Cold War

An authoritarian, expansionist Soviet Union represented the heartland threat Mackinder had long foreseen. But ironically, his insights birthed a strategy for containing that threat..

Hal BrandsDecember 6, 2021

essays

The Eurasian Century, Part V: Beijing’s Gambit

In many ways, Xi Jinping’s China is a state like no other. But its ambitions for global supremacy are but a new twist on a familiar problem – and are eliciting a familiar response ..

Hal BrandsDecember 6, 2021