THE FORMATION OF THE BRITISH GEOSTRATEGIC THOUGHT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54503/2953-8165-2026.5(2)-8Keywords:
Great Britain, Geostrategy, Geopolitics, theory of "Sea Power", Halford MackinderAbstract
The article explores the development of geostrategic thought in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the relationship between Geographical Determinism, Political Geography, Geopolitics, and Geostrategy. It examines the emergence of geostrategic theories in the major world empires, with particular attention to Great Britain as a maritime power. The study focuses on the British geostrategic objective of establishing control over strategically important geographical nodes and international maritime trade routes and examines the theory of “Sea Power” as a response to these strategic imperatives. The article also considers the development of the Anglo-Saxon theory of “Sea Power” in Great Britain and the USA as a counterbalance to the German theory of “Middle Europe” (German – Mitteleuropa), which emphasized the strategic importance of a central continental location.
The study concludes that British geostrategy was fundamentally shaped by the pursuit of maritime dominance, which enabled Great Britain to secure strategic resources, particularly Middle Eastern oil, protect India, and thereby reinforce its status as a global power.
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