Abstract
<jats:p>The “geographical pivot of history”, a concept introduced by Sir Halford Mackinder, represents a central idea and the cornerstone of geopolitics as a scientific discipline. Mackinder argued that the key to global power lies in the control of the Eurasian landmass, which he termed the “World-Island,” thereby developing the theory of “geographical inertia”, defined as the dependence of a state’s spatial development on its geographical position and on the natural–historical tendencies of global development. The aim of this paper is to define and theoretically ground the concept of the Balkan Heartland, modeled after Mackinder’s theory of geographical inertia. The central hypothesis rests on the claim that the Balkan Heartland, central region of the Balkans, constitutes the pivotal and core area of the Balkan Peninsula—an attractor of all significant and decisive historical and geopolitical events in the region. Establishing a parallel between the geographical pivot of world history and the geographical pivot of the Balkans requires isolating three key pillars of Mackinder’s theory, which will serve as the foundation for formulating the concept of the Balkan Heartland. These three pillars are 1. Natural–physical characteristics; 2. Historical influence and migrations of Asian peoples; 3. The dualism of land and sea powers. This paper seeks to answer a single question: Can the Balkan Heartland be conceptualized as the pivotal zone whose strategic position has shaped the major historical and geopolitical turbulences of the region? Using the historical–geographical method, the paper applies the central postulates of Mackinder’s theory as a basis for developing a new theory of the “geographical pivot of the Balkans.”</jats:p>