The New Rimland Doctrine

Introduction

In the 1930s and 1940s Nicholas John Spykman in several geopolitical works warned the United States of the danger of world domination of Germany. He also suggested in a Rimland Doctrine that the Eurasian coastal lands (Rimland) were the key to world control because Eurasia has the world’s largest population, there were rich resources and it had access to interior sea lines. Off the Rimland were continents and islands (such as Africa, Australia and Indonesia to mention a few).

Looking back at the Rimland Doctrine it turned out to be correct in many respects. During the Cold War the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, fought for control of the rimland. Several wars raged in the area: the Korean War and the two Indochina wars, to mention a few. Moscow was seeking control over Western Europe and tried to get access to the Indian Ocean. As it turned out the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. This to a great degree eliminated the threat from the Heartland (a term also used by Spykman).

In 1949 the communists had gained control over China, an important part of the Rimland and in the twentyfirst century one of the reasons to take a fresh look at the Rimland Doctrine. At present there is a great power or super power rivalry.

The New Rimland Doctrine

It is time to study the Rimland Doctrine but now from the perspective of a search for hegemony by China. The dangers coming from the Eurasian coastland are not the same in the twenty  first century as when Spykman first formulated his concept. The threat to the U.S. from the heartland (Russia) has decreased. There is no imminent danger of Russia dominating Western Europe. Instead the European nations have formed a union (EU).

In reformulating Spykman’s doctrine Britain, Japan and Taiwan would have to be regarded as part of the Rimland as well as Pakistan. Instead of the former Soviet Union China has emerged as a new competitor, perhaps seeking to combine with radical Islamic regimes in the Middle East part of the Eurasian coastland.

American Grand Strategy

Several aspects of a future American grand strategy would have to be considered.

U.S. policy of economic relations to main possible competitors must always serve strategic and foreign policy goals. This requires prevention of transfer of any important technology to competitors. It should also be in response to EU’s attempts to block American companies.

The importance of alliances is growing in 2021.  While NATO can still be useful America ought in the future to mainly rely on ad hoc coalitions.

By preserving the leading role of the U.S. in the world a geostrategic depth must be created by combining modern weapons (including weapons for defense in space), advanced military technology and geographic factors.

At all times the defense of the Homeland should be given main priority. America (Spykman’s New World) is no longer protected by its geographic position on the northwestern side of the Atlantic Ocean. Importantly it is the only power that can defend Western civilization.

In the foreseeable future the problem of international terrorism will not be a problem of law enforcement. It is mainly a matter of using necessary military force. An important tool to prevent terrorists from waging biological, chemical and nuclear terror is Special Operations Forces. These must be expanded in a new coalition with willing partners of the United States in Asia that have a similar capability.

New Rimland Doctrine demands that the Eurasian coastline must continually be kept secure to protect the United States. The securing of Afghanistan and transforming Pakistan from a haven of terrorism support into a strategic partner of the U.S. has clearly failed. The gradual establishing of a Nation of Hindu culture of growing wealth in South Asia is now a step to be considered. Japan, Taiwan and South Korea are vital elements of a secure coastal area of Eurasia. That leaves China as a remaining threat to a secure continent.

Future New Rimland Doctrine Geopolitics

Modern World Civil War makes all areas and fronts interrelated. It is necessary to treat the world as a whole and to take measures to secure victory for liberty and democracy in light of the conditions in all theaters.

The global leadership of the United States could in the future be outweighed by a combined power potential of China and radical Islam armed with weapons of mass destruction provided by rimland regimes.

America is obliged to safeguard her position by making certain that it is not overwhelmed by terrorists, Muslim extremist regimes combining with China.

In the twentieth century, within the framework of a geopolitical analysis, the United States could be seen to be geographically isolated. This is not so any more after the collapse of the Soviet Union 1991. Since then America has a worldwide responsibility to lead the struggle for freedom and democracy.

Power constellations in Eurasia is of everlasting concern to the United States both in time of war and in time of peace.

It must depend on its own national strength. The failure of the leading hegemon to consider power could lead to its eventual destruction and conquest. Failure to consider power has meant the downfall of all great states that have been tempted by flabby ease of unpreparedness.

The southwestern part of the Rimland of the Eurasian landmass is presently the central zone of conflict. The most dangerous zone begins outside the Rimland on the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco and stretches to Iran. Radical Muslim tyrannies in this area are a continuing danger to Western civilization. Combining with China this could be a new competitor that is as dangerous as the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany combined.

Europe

After the Cold War victory of the free world over the Soviet Union Europe has been at peace and the heartland threat has diminished. However, there has been a steady decline into relative weakness of Europe compared to the United States. As a weak entity it views the use of force differently than strong powers. European powers have problems even taking care of security in the Balkans. Nominally there is a force of 2,5 million men under arms in Europe. At most 3 percent are deployable. Roughly 85 percent of U.S. forces are deployable – and sustainable – at any given moment. America must therefore make strategy without Europe and let the Europeans to a greater extent take care of their own area of the Rimland.

Middle East

The United States and Israel are together confronting terrorism in this part of the Rimland. This struggle must be supported by the international community. The area needs modernizing. Some regimes like Syria and Iran are likely to collapse. Terrorism must be defeated and terrorist organizations have to be rooted out.

Turkey

The United States has been supporting Turkish membership in the European Union. This is no longer possible because the growing Chinese influence in Turkey is growing.

India and Pakistan

This area of the rimland has seen conflict and wars since World War II. It is important that the rise of India is supported and that the so called Quad is turned into a permanent alliance.

Indochina

The two Indochina wars was an example of the validity of the Rimland Doctrine. The Eurasian littoral has been and will in the future be the area of geopolitical tension. The rise of China since around 2000 confirms the analysis of Spykman.

Conclusion

The New Rimland Doctrine would have to be further studied and developed. The United States and Israel are united in combat against terrorism. Thus the defense of Israel is a vital part of the new doctrine.  

After the cold war the Rimland of Nicholas Spykman, the coastal area of Eurasia, has taken on a new significance. No other geopolitician is today so important as Spykman. He was during his liftetime regarded as a political realist. Modern American foreign policy clearly is demonstrating the importance of combining vision and realism. The vision to fight for global freedom and the realism of regarding the Rimland as the main battleground are the pillars of a future grand strategy. If decoupling is taking place from China of the American economy Latin America would be of great importance as it has potential for American investment.

Note

Nicholas John Spykman (1893 – 1943) was a Dutch-American journalist, sociologist, political scientist and foremost a classical geopolitician. He created the Rimland Doctrine.. Basically it is the theory that since World War II most larger wars and civil wars have occurred in the Rimland.  The doctrine was not fully developed but can well serve as a future nucleus of grand strategy for the United States. Spykman earned his doctorate (1923) from the University of California (UC) after having worked as a journalist. From 1923 to 1925 he was an instructor of political science at UC. After that he moved to Yale and in 1935 became chairman of its Department of International Relations and Director of the Yale Institute of International Studies, positions he held until 1940.

His two main geopolitical works are “America’s Strategy in World Politics” (1942) and “The Geography of Peace” (1944), the latter published posthumously. Professor Spykman is not remembered at Yale. No buildings are named for him and there is no information concerning the collection of his papers in the database of the Research Libraries Information Network (according to letter to the author from Manuscripts and Archives, Sterling Memorial Library, Yale, of November 13, 1995).