The "Great Game" was a term that came to stand for the great power struggle for "mastery" in Central Asia during the 19th century, mainly between the British and Russian Empires. The term has also been applied to grand strategy and global geopolitics more broadly, in scenarios as wide-ranging as the ancient Mediterranean and the modern Cold War. More recently we see the term used to describe the U.S. "pivot" to Asia and the rise of the Quadrilateral Group in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as to characterize the thinking behind China's "One Belt One Road" policy. This seminar will examine the history of the Great Game in the 19th century, its wider geopolitical incarnations, and its percolations into literature, academics, and film. |