Uneven Ground: How Geography Shapes the Fate of Nations
Geography is Destiny: Britain and the World, 10,000 Years of History
By Guo Yemin
When I saw the title of “Geography is Destiny: Britain and the World, 10,000 Years of History” written by Stanford University professor Ian Morris, it is easy to think of his compatriot Halford Mackinder’s classic work “The Geographical Pivot of History”, but unlike Mackinder who cast his vision on the Eurasian continent and asserted that “the vast area that cannot be reached by ships, but in ancient times, was allowed to be roamed by horse-riding herdsmen, and today is about to be covered with railways, is it not a hub area of world politics?” Morris’s discussion in the book focuses on the long history of the British Isles from prehistoric times to modern times. From this point of view, “Geography is Destiny” is actually a bit like Winston Churchill’s “A Brief History of the English-speaking Countries”, similar to a general history of Britain.
When talking about the United Kingdom, people probably think of the long-standing common name, “the British Isles”, which refers to England, Scotland and Ireland. Of course, from a geographical point of view, this statement is not accurate, after all, England and Scotland (and Wales) are all on the island of Great Britain. More importantly, as the author points out in the book, “the differences between islands are particularly important” in the British Isles. The southeast of the island of Great Britain is fertile lowlands, the north and west are barren highlands, and the island of Ireland is a basin. “Geography is unfair: under the same conditions, the population living in the barren land in the north and west of the island of Great Britain and the heavy and moist soil in Ireland is always smaller and poorer than the people living on the fertile soil in the southeast of the island of Great Britain.”
In fact, Morris’s core argument in the book is that geography and the natural environment largely determine a country’s destiny. He begins from the moment Britain was geographically separated from the European continent and details a series of invasions – early humans, Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, etc. – that have shaped modern Britons. In his view, to understand Britain’s current situation, especially the causes and consequences of the 2016 Brexit referendum, people must delve into the distant past.
This kind of “geographical view of history” is not the first in the book “Geography is Destiny”. In the past century, Halifax Mackinder said, “When we consider the rapid review of this broad historical trend, it is obvious that there is a continuity of some geographical relationship.” More recently, Morris himself believed in “Why the West Rules-For Now” (the simplified Chinese version is called “How Long Will the West Dominate”) published in 2010 that the physical geographical environment, rather than culture, religion, politics, genetics or great men, is the fundamental reason for the establishment of global domination by the modern West. Of course, Morris did not simply think that geography is the only determining factor. He also admitted that other factors such as technology, economy, politics and culture also played an important role in the historical process. However, he emphasized that geographical conditions provide the basic framework for these factors.
On the other hand, unlike Churchill’s A Brief History of the English-speaking Countries, which takes the deeds of emperors and generals as the main line of the narrative, Geography is Destiny devotes a lot of space to the daily life of the British in various historical periods. Readers can therefore find that the improvement of living standards is not linear. After the Black Death in the 14th century, as labor became scarce, the poor British who survived the disaster were fortunate to “enjoy a century of extensive prosperity.” From the dietary conditions of Norfolk farmers in 1256 and 1424 cited in the book, before the Black Death, the workers mainly lived on barley bread, cheese and butter, but after the plague, they mainly ate meat and drank malt beer, and bread was reduced to a secondary position of occasional consumption.
Morris’s treatment of the relationship between Britain and the European continent in Geography is ingenious. The book is divided into three chapters, and their names are the three maps: Hereford Map, Mackinder Map and Wealth Map. Among them, Hereford Map shows the pattern of the Middle Ages and before. The British Isles, which are isolated overseas, are located in the lower left corner of the map, showing that Britain is following closely behind the European continent in terms of politics, economy and culture, and is “a poor cousin of Europe”. Mackinder Map is an equidistant azimuthal projection, a product of modern science, but its projection center is chosen in Britain. This undoubtedly shows that modern Britain has stood out in the competition among the great powers and has become the superior position of the “Empire on which the Sun Never Sets” after the Industrial Revolution.
after 10,000 years of changes, what changes have taken place in the relationship between Britain and Europe? On the one hand, with the development of modern transportation, it is easy to cross the English Channel (you can take the Eurostar train through the undersea tunnel), which seems to make the current situation “return” to the Hereford Map to some extent, that is, the English Channel is no longer an obstacle, “Now, more than one-eighth of the residents are born abroad, which is probably the highest level in 15 centuries.” In other words, contemporary Britain has ushered in a large-scale immigration again – just as it has happened many times in history.
Key Takeaways
- Geography and the natural environment largely determine a country’s destiny.
- The British Isles have a complex history of invasions and migrations that have shaped modern Britons.
- The relationship between Britain and the European continent has changed over time, with Britain moving from a “poor cousin” to a superior position and back again.
- Modern transportation has made it easier to cross the English Channel, leading to increased immigration and a more diverse population.
Conclusion
“Geography is Destiny” is a thought-provoking book that explores the complex history of the British Isles and the relationship between Britain and the European continent. Morris’s argument that geography and the natural environment largely determine a country’s destiny is compelling, and his use of maps and historical examples to illustrate this point is effective. While the book may oversimplify the complex historical process, it provides a valuable perspective on the role of geography in shaping the course of human events.