The Rimland Thesis & US Containment: Spykman's Rimland Thesis
September 19, 2025
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37:23Now PlayingThe Rimland Thesis & US Containment: Spykman's Rimland Thesis
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as posted by the channelWhat is the Rimland Thesis and how has it influenced US foreign policy? In this video (Part I of II), we outline Nicholas Spykman's Rimland Thesis, place it within the context of its 2 main influences (Mackinder's Heartland Thesis and interwar American isolationism), discuss its implications for US strategy, and evaluate its strengths and limitations.
All interpretations and errors are my own.
▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬ SOURCES ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Spykman N. America’s Strategy in World Politics: The United States and the Balance of Power. Harcourt, Brace and Company Inc 1942.
Spykman N. The Geography of the Peace. Harcourt, Brace and Company Inc 1944.
Spykman N. ‘Geography and Foreign Policy, I’. The American Political Science Review 2:1 (Feb 1938).
Spykman N. ‘Geography and Foreign Policy, II’. The American Political Science Review 32:2 (Apr 1938).
Spykman N, Rollins A. ‘Geographic Objectives in Foreign Policy, I’. The American Political Science Review 33:3 (Jun 39).
Spykman N, Rollins A. ‘Geographic Objectives in Foreign Policy, II’. The American Political Science Review 33:4 (Aug 39).
Gerace, M. ‘Between Mackinder and Spykman: Geopolitics, Containment, and After’, Comparative Strategy 10:4. 1991.
Holmila A. Rethinking Nicholas J Spykman: from Historical Sociology to Balance of Power. The International History Review 42:5 (2020).
Katsoulas K. The United States and Greek-Turkish Relations: The Guardian’s Dilemma. Routledge 2022.
Sempa F. Spykman’s World. AmericanDiplomacy.org 2006.
Sloan G. Geopolitics, Geography and Strategic History. Routledge 2017.
For sources reMackinder, please see my video on the Heartland Theory
For sources reUS policy in Latin America during WWII, please see my video on the subject
▬ ATTRIBUTIONS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Script + Graphics: Microsoft Office 2013
Script Editor: QuillBot, Grok
Audio: ShureMV7, Audacity, WavePad
Video Processing: VideoPad
Thumbnail: Adobe Photoshop, MS Paint, Powerpoint
Wikipedia (basic facts + dates)
Maps:
Robinson (Rimland)
Robinson (USCentered)
Mercator (Heartland)
Geog Barriers
EURASA 1960
Specific Info:
Continental/Regional/Subregional GDP 2025
[Also some google searches re: GDP of select Chinese/Russian subdivisions]
Energy Intensity of Transport
US Regime Change to 1960
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