The Strategic Earth Volume VII: The Great Game and Imperial Scramble (1815 – 1914)

by GEW Social Sciences and Humanities Group (Author), Hichem Karoui (Editor)

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Global East-West For Studies and Publishing
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages

A study of the worldwide competition for land, power and strategic advantage in the long nineteenth century.

It was a century of enormous change. The European equilibrium created after Napoleon co-existed with expanding maritime empires, the acceleration of industrialisation, the emergence of new financial networks and the growing intensity of competition at crucial frontiers all over the world. By 1914 the international system that had developed was both more complex and more fragile.

The Strategic Earth: A Geopolitical History from Antiquity to the Digital Age, Volume VII, explores this transition and the interplay of geography, technology, economic capability, diplomacy, and imperial ambition.

The volume starts with the post-Napoleonic settlement and the emergence of Pax Britannica, exploring how European equilibrium permitted Britain to concentrate resources on naval supremacy and overseas influence. It then looks at the logistical basis of imperial power, covering naval bases, coaling stations, communications infrastructure and the strategic importance of the Suez Canal.

In Central Asia, the Anglo-Russian Great Game emphasises the significance of buffer zones, mountainous borders, and entry into the Eurasian heartland. The strain of foreign powers on Qing China and the growth of Meiji Japan in East Asia indicate how the established powers and the rising governments responded differently to the problems of the contemporary international system.

The book is mostly about Africa. It looks at the Berlin Conference, the cartographic division of the continent, and the different ways that Britain and France colonised Africa. Further chapters explore the ambitions of later imperial aspirants, the international politics of sovereign debt, and the rise of American dominance from a continental to an oceanic scale.

Significantly, the collection also addresses indigenous opposition, diplomatic accommodation, and the limits of imperial rule. The book ends with a discussion of the climax of imperial rivalry and the increasing tensions that culminated in the First World War.

Global history, international relations, military strategy, and political economy students can discover a coherent narrative in this book about how states transformed industrial production, financial assets, transportation networks, and physical location into international power.

It is part of a twelve-volume series. It links the early modern age of oceanic expansion to the twentieth century of total conflict. It helps to grasp the historical setting of the development of the present geopolitical system.

This work is a valuable addition to collections in history, politics, and international affairs and is aimed at intellectually interested general readers, students, scholars, and particularly those seeking more profound insight into the roots of present global conflict.

 

 

Available for purchase from:

Directly from the Publisher: https://bookspace.com/gew/the-strategic-earth-volume-v-71y651