The Grand Chessboard

Brzezinski, 1997

The last decade of the twentieth century has witnessed a tectonic shift in world affairs. For the first time ever, a non-Eurasian power has emerged not only as the key arbiter of Eurasian power relations but also as the world's paramount power.

Eurasia, however, retains its geopolitical importance. Not only is its western periphery—Europe—still the location of much of the world's political and economic power, but its eastern region— Asia—has lately become a vital center of economic growth and rising political influence. Hence, the issue of how a globally engaged America copes with the complex Eurasian power relationships— and particularly whether it prevents the emergence of a dominant and antagonistic Eurasian power—remains central to America's capacity to exercise global primacy...

American foreign policy.. must employ its influence in Eurasia in a manner that creates a stable continental equilibrium, with the United States as the political arbiter...

Eurasia is thus the chessboard on which the struggle for global primacy continues to be played.. It is noteworthy that as recently as 1940 two aspirants to global power, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, agreed explicitly (in the secret negotiations of November of that year) that America should be excluded from Eurasia... Each shared the assumption that Eurasia is the center of the world and that he who controls Eurasia controls the world.