Introduction

James Fairgrieve’s Geography and World Power, first published in 1915, remains a critical reference for those seeking to understand the geographical determinants of political power. A product of the First World War, this book offers a historically informed analysis of geography’s impact on state building, military strategy, and global power.

While Sir Halford Mackinder’s work eclipsed this book, Fairgrieve’s geopolitical analysis presciently predicted several trends in modern geopolitics, notably the rising importance of the United States, China, and India.

The report underscored the lasting importance of Fairgrieve’s work for current geopolitical analysts and strategists. Geography and World Power remains a recommended foundational reading for participants aiming to understand the long-term constants in geopolitics.

“Geography and World Power”: A Review

Fairgrieve centres his work on the premise that geography shapes not only history but also the distribution and exercise of political power. Geography and World Power explores the influence of geographical factors, as clearly defined by Fairgrieve, on political development and international conflicts.

The author structured the book historically and regionally. It begins with the deserts and river valleys of Egypt and Mesopotamia, two regions that Fairgrieve interpreted as “The Beginning of History”, and moves through the ancient trade routes of Palestine and Phoenicia, the maritime importance of Greece and Carthage, and the geographical contrasts seen in the Roman Empire. Subsequent chapters analyse the power shifts following Rome’s fall, the impact of the steppes on nomadic incursions, and Islam’s expansion through desert oases.

The book devotes considerable space to the impact of maritime exploration, offering a detailed comparison of the geographical influences on the rise of Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Britain as Atlantic powers. The way Fairgrieve portrays Russia as a landlocked heartland power, and Germany as a state between the forest and sea powers offers valuable insights into continental and maritime strategic traditions.

Following World War I, the author added a chapter which introduced a geopolitical model dividing the world into two landmasses: Eurasia-Africa (the Old World) and the Americas. The book highlights the importance of Eurasia’s central ‘heartland’ and identifies the peripheral oceanic powers, Britain, China, and India, as key potential controllers of this core. He also describes the “crush zone,” a region of smaller states between major land and sea powers.

Fairgrieve’s work avoids deterministic conclusions. While recognising the spiritual and immaterial aspects of history, his analysis concentrates only on material factors. Concerned by the war’s destruction, he hopes for improved international cooperation.

Why This Book Still Matters Today?

Fairgrieve’s relevance lies not in the timeliness of his writing, but in the constancy of the geographical principles he outlined. This book offers a systematic approach to evaluating how power is distributed, considering factors like geography, natural obstacles, sea access, and population density. Despite the rise of digital statecraft and information warfare, physical control of territory and access remains a critical factor.

Many of Fairgrieve’s predictions have come true:

1. The author foresaw the U.S. maritime power’s global dominance.
2. China’s coastal access and cohesion support the book’s prediction of Beijing’s Eurasian centrality, reflected in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
3. The strategic importance of India’s proximity to the Eurasian heartland, as he shows, is becoming more relevant in discussions on the Indo-Pacific.

In intelligence and strategic analysis, historical-geographical reasoning remains an essential tool. Modern geopolitical models, including those of contemporary theorists and strategic planners, continue to draw upon Fairgrieve’s key analytical categories: geographical control, ocean borderlands, heartland, and crush zones.

For aspiring analysts, the value of Fairgrieve’s work lies in its disciplined approach to causality and state behaviour. Rather than focusing on ideology, it emphasises material conditions and strategic positioning. It is suitable as an introductory text for building a structured geopolitical mindset.

SpecialEurasia’s online Geopolitical Intelligence Analysis course uses research, including “Geography and World Power,” to give participants practical tools for geopolitical assessments.  The course offers structured methods for conducting these analyses. For more information about our online courses (one-to-one or small group classes), contact us at info@specialeurasia.com.