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The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives

Zbigniew Brzeziński

3.93 · Rating details · 2,159 ratings · 146 reviews

In The Grand Chessboard, renowned geostrategist Zbigniew Brzezinski delivers a brutally honest and provocative vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to become the sole political arbiter in Eurasian lands and to prevent the emergence of any rival power threatening our material and diplomatic interests. ...more

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Kindle Edition, 256 pages

Published December 6th 2016 by Basic Books (first published October 9th 1997)

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Jul 21, 2009 Keith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Zbigniew Brzezinski is a technocrat on the same plain as a Henry Kissinger. He has been National Security Adviser, Started the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller and he was responsible for arming Afghanistan to fight the Russians which has fueled the extreme fundamentalism we are experiencing today. He was a mentor to Obama and has advised presidents on foreign policy for the last 30 years. He has direct contact with top politicians and the big money international bankers (Rockefeller Zbigniew Brzezinski is a technocrat on the same plain as a Henry Kissinger. He has been National Security Adviser, Started the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller and he was responsible for arming Afghanistan to fight the Russians which has fueled the extreme fundamentalism we are experiencing today. He was a mentor to Obama and has advised presidents on foreign policy for the last 30 years. He has direct contact with top politicians and the big money international bankers (Rockefeller etc.) To sum up, he is a man of influence. So when I picked up this book that he authored in 1997, I was certainly paying attention to what he had to say as I knew it was directly relevant to not only American politics, but to the world as a whole. The story of this book, as the title may very well give away, is support for American supremacy in establishing world governmental unions. By expanding on organizations such as the EU, NATO, NAFTA and so forth, he feels the world can be broken down into geopolitical unions mostly focused on the Eurasian Chessboard, consisting of the west, south, east and middle space (yes, he makes a map of this on pg 34). The most fascinating thing to me about this book was how well described and explained his theories and conclusions were. This is a very smart man with seemingly endless knowledge about foreign history, policy and affairs. He is very precise and straightforward about his views, which I must admit, make so much sense that if you are in support of the American, European and Pacific Unions (in which America leads the way, of course)and the end of democracy to strengthen economies, which in theory therefore increases the standard of living for the people, you will love this book. I, on the other hand, am not in support of breaking down borders and sacrificing nationality to a higher supragovernmental authority. Therefore, I found it to be rather disturbing that such a man of influence had so greatly thought out how we could accomplish just that. I find it fascinating, but not at all surprising, that he would view the world as a game of chess. And just like chess, every move is a set up for the next several moves to come in a far reaching strategy over time, like ten year increments, furthering the objective of checkmate. This book left me a rather depressed because I know his connections to people and organizations such as the CFR, that are pushing the same Global Governance Programs that have several members in the current administration now touting the same talk of "governments can no longer handle the problems of the world alone" that every politician from Hillary Clinton to Gordon Brown are spouting off as if we just now came to this conclusion. This book, The Grand Chessboard is over 10 years old and after reading it, the following quote especially, it occurred to me more than ever that world events don't come about by happenstance.

Favorite Quote: "It is also a fact that America is too democratic at home to be autocratic abroad. This limits the use of America's power, especially its capacity for military intimidation. Never before has a populist democracy attained international supremacy. But the pursuit of power is not a goal that commands popular passion, except in conditions of a sudden threat or challenge to the public's sense of domestic well-being. The economic self-denial (that is, defense spending) and the human sacrifice (casualties even among professional soldiers) required in the effort are uncongenial to democratic instinct. Democracy is inimical to imperial globalization."

(inimical means unfriendly/unfavorable)
...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Luís Garcia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

I rate 5 for must of his geostrategics analysis and predictions, although I completely disagree on some others. But is indeed interesting to read this book and think about his complicated and intricated explanations of how the main political "chess" players see each others.

I rate ZERO for his blind propaganda of what he calls "democratic world", or "pluralistic values", and the argument that US main goal is to spread it through out the world.

Brzezinski argues that in order to maintain global p ...more

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May 15, 2014 Natylie Baldwin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

“I once asked my colleague, (Zbigniew) Brzezinski, that if everyone was allied with us, who were we organized against? My question surprised him, because I think that Brzezinski remains caught up in Cold War strategy even after the demise of the Soviet Union. In Cold War thinking it was important to have the upper hand or else be at risk of being eliminated as a player. The importance of prevailing became all consuming, and this consuming drive survived the Soviet collapse. Prevailing over other ...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Julian Haigh rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Scholastic masturbation: his argument starts that America is the first 'truly' global power somehow discounting Britain in any geostrategic calculus. He talks about Poland so much that he even says South Korea is the 'Poland' of Asia. This gives an idea of how a few distant academics at the top make policy and develop a truly screwed worldview.

That said, it was an eye opener and I'm actually more likely to believe conspiracy theories now. ...more

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Jun 03, 2017 Ana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, geopolitics-security, borrowed, page-turner, history, me-likey-a-lot, economy, somehow-societal

Clear, concise, explanatory, written with a sure hand. I enjoyed every minute of it.

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Jul 20, 2008 Scott rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the most coherent, eloquently written overview of the geopolitical and socioeconomic state of the world. Written in 1997 by Zbigniew Brzezinski, an esteemed professor of international relations, former National Security Advisor, and co-founder of the Trilateral Commission.

Its general theme is that America is the first, and likely the last truly global power. America, he says, has a 20 to 30 year window of opportunity to assert control of the world stage, specifically through the strateg ...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Ryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Too often I'm presented with an analysis of foreign policy that depicts ideology or religion as a driving factor in global politics. Can we really maintain that the states are at war in the Middle East for the sake of its people, and the abstract ideal of "democracy"? That the vast power structure of the United States military apparatus, with its attendant logistics and support, representing a million and a half personnel should be brought to bear out of a selfless allegiance to ideology, at gre Too often I'm presented with an analysis of foreign policy that depicts ideology or religion as a driving factor in global politics. Can we really maintain that the states are at war in the Middle East for the sake of its people, and the abstract ideal of "democracy"? That the vast power structure of the United States military apparatus, with its attendant logistics and support, representing a million and a half personnel should be brought to bear out of a selfless allegiance to ideology, at great cost to its nation?

Even an analysis that focuses on the personality or acumen of particular world leaders is myopic, ignoring as it does the vast institutional machinery and history that underlie the ascension of any president or general. I suspect that the reality is closer to bare, calculated self-interest on the part of nation-states — a "Realpolitik" stance that develops over generations and is much larger than any one person or event.

Brzezinski was National Security Advisor in the Carter administration, and has remained in the close circle of Washington insiders ever since. I trust that his analysis, irrespective of its accuracy, reflects the attitudes and beliefs of the power structure that ultimately sets the goals of our foreign policy. Thus, his particular agenda did not get in the way of my learning about the considerations that shape the "grand chessboard" of global hegemony.

Regardless of the personality of our sitting president, these geopolitical truths do not change. Likewise, the imperatives necessitated by a strategy of global imperialism are not subject to the particular politics of the currently popular party. And indeed, a broad survey of American history shows a consistent adherence to a set of policies intended simply to entrench and widen our influence, regardless of the prevailing public sentiment or politics.

Although Brzezinski wrote this book in '97, it remains relevant for understanding our immediate history. His style is concise and dry, resembling a high-level summary. It's a good and quick read, and I think, fairly important. ...more

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May 12, 2014 Ivan Kapersky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

In chess, everything is strategy. The positioning of each piece in a certain space means and specific function as part of the mayor strategy and final goal. In The Grand Chessboard by Zbiniew Brezinski, introduces us to the complicated concepts of geopolitical and geostrategic. Every country requires an special and very complicated diplomatic relation regarding a military conflict, economical opportunity or situation, ethnic interactions etc. between countries. In the book the author explains th ...more

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Sep 18, 2014 Carolyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone who is interested in politics

Shelves: re-reading

Brzezinski, the evil genius, lays out clearly and unambiguously the plans by the American empire to achieve world domination by conquering the Eurasian land mass. Along with the Project for a New American Century, this is the most forthright declaration of the United States's drive to control the planet and eliminate any and all challengers, whether it be for resources or territory. If you want to understand what is behind all of the wars of the 20th and 21st centuries, read this book. Brzezinsk ...more

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May 21, 2017 James Murphy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Unbelievably, though published only 20 years ago, The Grand Chessboard seems dated. It predates 9/11 and Vladimir Putin's rise to leadership in Russia, and the years following those events have moved at warp speed and left some of Brzezinski's visions for the future undermined. The American primacy is at the core of his vision, as his title indicates, but he does write that our global hegemony is limited.

Of primary interest to me was his long section on our relations with China and Asia. They ar Unbelievably, though published only 20 years ago, The Grand Chessboard seems dated. It predates 9/11 and Vladimir Putin's rise to leadership in Russia, and the years following those events have moved at warp speed and left some of Brzezinski's visions for the future undermined. The American primacy is at the core of his vision, as his title indicates, but he does write that our global hegemony is limited.

Of primary interest to me was his long section on our relations with China and Asia. They are our principal challenge. How we balance our relations with adversary China and ally Japan will determine how well we can live as partners in a Pacific community. A conflict with China, if we allow ourselves to slip into one, will be disastrous for both countries, militarily and economically, but military involvement in other parts of the world would steepen America's decline. Brzezinski writes at length about the end of British primacy occurring during the time of the long European instability in the 20th century.

The Asian corner of Brzezinski's chessboard looked pretty much as I expected. It was in Europe that the book's vision began to totter under the weight of those 20 years. He advocated an expansion of NATO eastward to the borders of Russia. A realistic goal, he says, would be for the U. S. and Europe to encourage Russia's democratic and economic recovery so that it can safely relate to and be included in the larger Euro-Atlantic system. As I say, the book was published before Putin and his aggressive program to restore Russia to the ranks of great powers.

And it was written before 9/11, the American kneejerk response in Iraq, and the Arab Spring, and so before the political upheaval in the Middle East began to impact Europe. Brzezinski is one of those political scientists who believes the Eurasian landmass the most important real estate on the planet and, presumably, though I don't remember him saying so, the Indian Ocean the most strategic body of water. So I read with interest his treatment of the area he calls the Eurasian Balkans: Central Asia and parts of South Asia, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Generally the book has useful maps and here they're particularly helpful in illustrating this pivot point and some of the pressures existing in the region as Russia tries to exert influence southward and China courts Pakistan and Iran to outflank India. Written 4 years before our involvement in Afghanistan began, this strategic shuffle probably helps to explain our continued presence there. Recent events have made us think of North Africa and the Middle East as a tinderbox, but it may be that Central Asia burns just as brightly. I wasn't aware of these strategic concerns, so these were probably the books's most interesting pages for me.

It's unfortunate that events have outpaced Brzezinski's ideas. His general path outlined for America in Asia might still be applicable, but events in other regions of Eurasia don't match his vision. An Epilogue written in 2016 for this edition failed, in my opinion, to catch up. He's still an insightful and influential thinker on the subject. I'd be interested in his most recent insight. ...more

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Sep 06, 2015 Gary Knapton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Spellbinding stuff.

This WhiteHouse insider lays it all out.

World domination is like a big game of chess. Eurasia - from Lisbon across to Vladivostok is the game board. It's where the money, resources and people are. To rule the world you've got to rule this area. The problem for the US is that it isn't in the field of play. It's across the pond feeling left out.

So the plan was that you take two "gateway" islands on either side of Eurasia and work your way in. On the East it's Japan. To the west ...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Jim McGowan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Have diplomatic relations in the area otherwise let the people native to the area xxxxing run their own lands. Stick to your knitting America. Take care of your OWN people. Zbig - xxxx off. We have seen nearly 16 years of the greater Israel project and 16 idiotic years in Afghanistan. One thing is very clear we can NOT win there period. The British, the Russians, now the Americans can NEVER hold it. End this FAILED I M P E R I A L effort. Did this pieces of xxxt EVER ask the American people? No, ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Sarandis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Interested in Geopolitics? Start from this book. The world map is the chessboard. And we're all part of it. ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 Natasha Onoshko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

A classic book by Zbigniew Brzezinski about American geopolitical strategy towards the Eurasian continent – which he calls a ‘grand chessboard’. The book was written in 1997, however it feels like it was written yesterday as it gives answers to many questions about current events: from Brexit and the future of the EU to the foreign policy of Russia and China.

Of course, Brzezinski’s presupposition that America is a superior state and thus has to exercise a global hegemony across the globe is ques ...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Ahmed Gatnash rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

"How the United States both manipulates and accommodates the principal geostrategic players on the Eurasian chessboard and how it manages Eurasia's key geopolitical pivots will be critical to the longevity and stability of America's global primacy."

The most comprehensive geopolitical analysis I've read, it taught me a new way of thinking about international relations as well as strategy. The former National Security Advisor to President Carter charts the most likely directions of the foreign pol "How the United States both manipulates and accommodates the principal geostrategic players on the Eurasian chessboard and how it manages Eurasia's key geopolitical pivots will be critical to the longevity and stability of America's global primacy."

The most comprehensive geopolitical analysis I've read, it taught me a new way of thinking about international relations as well as strategy. The former National Security Advisor to President Carter charts the most likely directions of the foreign policies of Russia, Central Asia/Eastern Europe, China and Japan over the coming decades, as well as evaluating the probable consequences of each of the options they face. Everything is related back to the interests of America and the potential strategic threats it faces.

The ambition of Russia to exert control and re-consolidate it's empire in Eastern Europe and the competition between it, Turkey, and Iran on influencing the central Asian states; the fine balance between Japan's ambition for a larger global role and provocation of China's growing power; the dilemma China faces in needing America too much to be able to join forces with the other states who resent its power; and America, sitting on top of this intricate web of sometimes mutual interests and tweaking threads to play them against each other in an effort to maintain it's precarious position.

He offers suggestions regarding the widening of the EU and NATO to tie Russia more closely to Europe and consolidate democracy, as well as the independance of post-soviet states. He also talks about bringing Turkey into Europe to ensure it's compliance (although the worst-case scenario he identifies, rejection and increasing Islamic character, has come to pass). Interestingly, he also states that it is not in American's interest to perpetuate hostility with Iran - showing not only that they do not control all of the strands, but also that they are incredibly adaptable. Japan should remain under US protection in order to prevent a remilitarisation which would threated china, and should reconciliate with Korea, which China has no reason to wish to see independent at present. However, attempts to "contain" China should be avoided, as it's emergence is inevitable though overstated, he claims.

Whilst justifying the unique role America plays in maintaining the global order, and emphasising its unique responsibility given realities, but asserting that America will be not only the first but the last global superpower, working towards a future of more shared responsibilities and no single global power. The ambition for continued global hegemony over the next few decades is laid out completely unapologetically - the struggles for strategic control, involvement in affairs that by the author's own admission do not hold any interest for the US merely because the nudge of an insignificant pawn today can have reprecussions decades down the line, limiting options, cornering potential alternative powers, co-opting rivals and continuing American geopolitical primacy for at least another generation on the Grand Chessboard. ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Glenn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The late Zbigniew Brzezinski was one of the great thinkers about international relations of our time. Like Henry Kissinger, Professor Brzezinski was both an accomplished academic and writer, and a statesman. He served as National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter. I met Dr. Brzezinski when he visited Algiers, Algeria, in that capacity.

The reason I marked this book "amazing" is that it was written in 1997, although an epilogue was added in 2016, before 9/11, before the George W. Bush adm The late Zbigniew Brzezinski was one of the great thinkers about international relations of our time. Like Henry Kissinger, Professor Brzezinski was both an accomplished academic and writer, and a statesman. He served as National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter. I met Dr. Brzezinski when he visited Algiers, Algeria, in that capacity.

The reason I marked this book "amazing" is that it was written in 1997, although an epilogue was added in 2016, before 9/11, before the George W. Bush administration, before all the events which have supposedly made our international environment what it is today. And, yet, Dr. Brzezinski called the shots!

This is where broad, deep thinkers, with a real grasp to history, have the advantage over, say, newspaper columnists and talking heads. Brzezinski understands the world in geopolitical terms, and he sees the choices that are open to nations. Thus, he doesn't predict that Russia will become an adversary of the United States. He does predict that, if Russia does not give up its imperial ambitions, it will become an adversary of the United States. He predicts that Ukraine will become a critical arena in the contest between East and West. Before the expansion of NATO into the former Warsaw Pact countries, he predicts that such an expansion will cause serious contention with Russia, again, unless Russia gives up its imperial dreams.

Mr. Putin has not given up his dreams of empire, and, sure enough, he has seized Crimea, tried to dominate Ukraine, continued to assert Russia's dominant role in Central Asia, and tried to divide and weaken NATO.

The other big arena, Asia, is working itself out. Dr. Brzezinski concludes that the United States must develop a workable relationship with China, or it will find itself struggling to maintain its position in Asia through its off-shore and peninsular allies.

For good or ill, Zbigniew Brzezinski understood our geopolitical world, and understood the directions that were available to us.

This is an excellent book, well worth reading. ...more

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Jul 06, 2018 Wissam Raji rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

An eye-opener about the difference between geostrategy and geopolitics. The book discusses why American supremacy is likely to remain and how the US differentiates clearly between geostrategic countries and geopolitically important ones and how the approach with each is being implemented. A very interesting book that literally resembles a chess game when it comes to international relations. Highly recommended read.

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Jan 28, 2017 Meir Javedanfar rated it liked it · review of another edition

The Grand Chessboard is a good book to read for many reasons, chief among them if you want to know and compare what could have happened to US relations with Eurasia relations, especially US – Russia relations and US – China, and what actually happened. This is because the book was originally published in 1997. The Grand Chessboard also paints a good theoretical map of the direction which American Geostrategic policies should follow. It also contains some very useful and informative sections on h ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 W. Holmes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a unique book. Not only did Brzezinski serve as Natl Security Adviser, but was also indirectly involved in issues that led to the current geopolitical issues underlying the Crimean Crisis. He makes some interesting suggestions near the end that he actually pulled off via his son Ian Brzezinski who served as an Adviser to Ukraine during the Orange Revolution.

Currently Topical, and this guys yields a ton of Influence. Of his kids, one is a news anchor, one the ambassador to Sweden, and one ...more

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Feb 13, 2014 Sebastien St Vil rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you want to acquire knowledge about Eurasia, it is an imperative to read this masterpiece from Brzezinsky. He possesses a deep comprehension of Countries and meticulously presents to us the reason behind every geopolitical decision in a lucid and coherent form of writing. He also offers his own prognosis on critical decision that a country will undertake in the future which is interesting. Considering this book was written in 1994 and that we are currently in 2014, i'm stupefied by the accura ...more

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May 13, 2014 Dragana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Aside from me disliking American hegemony aspirations and this book abounds with them, being heavily discussed in this work of Brzezinski, it is a must read for anyone trying to understand behavior of regional and international powers.
Mr. Brzezinski wrote the book almost almost 20 years ago but his assumptions and words still echo through world politics.

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Sep 01, 2008 Iver rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: political, non-fiction

Brzenzinski is "criminal mastermind" is how a friend of mine put it when he recommended this book to me. I have to agree. He is a genius, but he is a little scary as well. (Not Dick Cheney scary, but scary nonetheless.) ...more

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Jun 11, 2011 sologdin rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: nuke-from-orbit-only-way-to-be-sure

one should appreciate the candor of texts like this, where the imperialist objectives are openly expressed.

made famous several years after its composition by the bush regime's seeming attempt to effect its basic recommendations. ...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Moe Shinola rated it liked it · review of another edition

Good book, but already one can see how the author's dream for Eurasia is coming apart. ...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Julie Lowe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A clear and unambiguus book to dipel the idea that the NWO is a conspiracy. Its not. The proof is in this book

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May 30, 2020 Nicolas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: geo-politics, para-comprar

The grand Chessboard is the compiling of the recommendations regarding geo-strategy that Zbigniew Brzezinksi had to give to the US statesmen and generally for the US government at the end of the 90s in order to maintain its geopolitical place in the world, stating Eurasia as the most important region for global primacy. Although many things have changed in the last 20 years regarding the positions and strategies of many states, the book feels still actual, with the author describing his differen The grand Chessboard is the compiling of the recommendations regarding geo-strategy that Zbigniew Brzezinksi had to give to the US statesmen and generally for the US government at the end of the 90s in order to maintain its geopolitical place in the world, stating Eurasia as the most important region for global primacy. Although many things have changed in the last 20 years regarding the positions and strategies of many states, the book feels still actual, with the author describing his different views on different regions/states in what he sees as the most important regions in terms of geopolitics for the United States; their relationship with his country and the strategies that the US government should follow along the geo-strategies that these states could pursue(and in his mind, will pursue.

The author begins the book with a historical review of the US, how it came about to gain global control and influence, and in the words of the author, the first, only and probably last "global superpower". According to Zbigniew the overall supremacy of the United States exist due to its dominion on 4 different fields: World's military, economical, technological and culturally; stating that no other state has ever come close to match US lead on each of these four perspectives. Nonetheless the author sees the Eurasian continent as the source of real power and anybody who controls it, as the leader of the world, since the United States is not an Eurasian power, he beliefs that any arising power could undermine US influence and control over world affairs, even stating this arise as an event that would destabilise the globe and prompt global anarchy.

He does not hide his profound belief that US should lead the world, although not as a solely power(as it was after the USSR collapse in the 90s), but with important allies in different regions, who could share the burden of security and decision making. Nonetheless his strategies are sometimes mixed between wanting to share power and at the same time maintaining US primacy.
In his words: .“To put in in terminology that hearkens back the moral brutal age of ancient empires, the three grand imperatives of imperial strategy are to prevent collusion and maintain security dependence among the vassals, to keep tributaries pliant and protected, and to keep the barbarians from coming together. “.., or better said, making every big new power a vassal or a tributaries, and maintain hostile potential powers at bay, as "barbarians".

The next chapters of the book are focused on recounting the state in which Europe, Russia, China and Japan founded themselves and how the US had to behave with them in order to protect US interest worldwide, with a special content on the role that China would have played (and had) in the future, stating the relations between the United States and China as one of the most important strategies to be undertaken by the US. Although falsely believing that China could not maintain its growth for many more years and positively expecting it to democratise.

This last views on China being read in 2020 are of important insight, as it is clear that the strategies of the US differed much from what he believed important in order to maintain global stability and we see the consequences of these in the present.

Zbigniew believed that in order to discourage others from posing a challenge(to the US) it was in the interest of the United States as the middle term goal to foster genuine partnerships, predominant among them those with a more united and politically defined Europe; with a regionally preeminent China, as well a post imperial Europe-oriented Russia and finally with a regionally stabilising India...This of course we know its being torn apart by the actual strategies that the United States had taken, alienating many of these potential allies into economical wars and into proxy wars.

For a book written more than 20 years ago, it is a very insightful and interesting read though US biased view of the world, that could be useful for anyone looking for contemporary geopolitical thinking and of some of the thinkers commenting on the role of the US after the fall of the USSR. It would have be interesting to see the author's views of US future geo-strategies after 9/11 and the global economical crisis of 2008 with a new edition of his book. ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Zhijing Jin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

1. This book is in the category of "how to do things" but not "why to do things". In terms of "how to", this book gives a strategically good way, but not the best way (through personal/cultural charisma). E.g., it captures how to make America win over other countries, but not how to make the America's style of doing things the belief / blueprint / moral role model for all other countries.

2. Core idea: Eurasia continent is this "chessboard" -> "Eurasia is also the location of most of the world's 1. This book is in the category of "how to do things" but not "why to do things". In terms of "how to", this book gives a strategically good way, but not the best way (through personal/cultural charisma). E.g., it captures how to make America win over other countries, but not how to make the America's style of doing things the belief / blueprint / moral role model for all other countries.

2. Core idea: Eurasia continent is this "chessboard" -> "Eurasia is also the location of most of the world's politically assertive and dynamic states. After the United States, the next six largest economies and the next six biggest spenders on military weaponry are located in Eurasia. All but one of the world's overt nuclear powers and all but one of the covert ones are located in Eurasia. The world's two most populous aspirants to regional hegemony and global influence are Eurasian. All of the potential political and/or economic challengers to American primacy are Eurasian. Cumulatively, Eurasia's power vastly overshadows America's."

3. Core idea:
- 5 big competitors are Russia, China, Germany, France, and India;
- 2 key point on the chess board (=allies of the US with strategic importance) are UK and Japan (which is more important right now because East Asia is not aggressive towards the US);
- 5 secondary key points are Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Korea, Turkey, and Iran.
*It is interesting that the author, who was a former National Security Advisor for the US, did not list Israel, which is a key point to cast US's power over middle east (which has a similar size as Western Europe) and the whole Africa.

4. Applications: From this analysis, we can see that the US is happiest when North Korea is developing but not yet developed nuclear power. Its benefit are as follows: (1) Japan and South Korea will be afraid and largely leaning towards the US, (2) South Korea will not be aggressive towards Japan because they were long-term enemies throughout the history, but will unite with Japan against their common rival, North Korea, and (3) America's current rival, China, has to feed its resources to support North Korea, but North Korea will not reward back (due to many many political and historical dilemma, hard to elaborate all). So all three benefits are good for the US.

But (!) as you can see from this example, the US can strategically make South Korea and Japan follow it, but not "from the bottom of their heart", which means that the US conquer by techniques, but not by *culture*.

E.g., Trump can force countries to do things, but he lacks charisma, -- more specifically, he lack foresights into what is the sustainable good-for-all world that all humans want to build, but he thinks from a merchant's way of maximizing short-term profits. This attitude cannot make other countries conquered by the culture of the US, but only temporarily conform due to their balance of profits.

5. Application of this book: Use it to understand international news, and also your own country's relationship with the US (=where is it on the chessboard of the US?)

6. Zbigniew Brzeziński is a role model for scholars who want to contribute to political decision-making. He is a professor, studying subjects key to policy-makers, and he, including his parents and offsprings, actively involve in politics. ...more

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Apr 07, 2018 Mustafa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, international-relations, american-foreign-policy

When most of America’s foreign policy establishment was stuck in what felt like a perpetual state of euphoria after the fall of the Soviet Union during the 1990s, Brzezinski was developing a framework for a future world order; he did not, unlike many, take America’s preeminence for granted nor assume it to be permanent for more than a generation or less. Given the book was written over 20 years ago, a lot of it reads like a prophecy, such as the conflict in Ukraine and the reassertion of Islamic ...more

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Aug 19, 2018 M. Ashraf rated it liked it · review of another edition

It was a very interesting analysis and now after 20 years of its publication few of the prediction came true others still in the air and most are not.

I did not agree with a lot of what he discussed and his view of this democratic world, but it was a good analysis after all, and living now in this new world, you have to be judgmental; because this type of thinking is what lead us to now!

...empires are inherently politically unstable because subordinate units almost always prefer greater

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Jun 26, 2018 Basilius rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reference

The ultimate objective of American policy should be benign and visionary: to shape a truly cooperative global community, in keeping with long-range trends and with the fundamental interests of humankind. But in the meantime, it is imperative that no Eurasian challenger emerges, capable of dominating Eurasia and thus also of challenging America.

For the past two years I’ve been studying politics in an effort to better orient the myriad of conversations around me. It seems everyone has strong opini The ultimate objective of American policy should be benign and visionary: to shape a truly cooperative global community, in keeping with long-range trends and with the fundamental interests of humankind. But in the meantime, it is imperative that no Eurasian challenger emerges, capable of dominating Eurasia and thus also of challenging America.

For the past two years I’ve been studying politics in an effort to better orient the myriad of conversations around me. It seems everyone has strong opinions regarding what a given country or politician should do, and aren’t fazed by the fact that many others disagree with their point of view. I wanted to know what experts thought of the issue—political science and international relations specifically—but I came upon the problem of politicians and policy makers differing with the academics. The typical reply is that academics deal with theory and abstractions, while politicians deal with putting things into practice, but I found the two were often reversed. Academics were usually realists, in the sense that they wrote how the world was, not how it should be, while politicians were often the idealists trying to impose their vision on things. A famous man of the latter stripe is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor and prolific foreign policy writer. He died last May, and in memory I read his most famous work: The Grand Chessboard.

Brzezinski sets out to write a geostrategy for the United States after the fall of the Soviet Union. Each part of that sentence is significant: ‘geo’ because the focus is on geopolitics, ‘strategy’ for the goals the US should be aiming for, and ‘after the fall of the USSR’ gives the context—the world is now a unipolar one. There have been titanic powers all throughout history, but for the first time (and hopefully the last, Brzezinski argues) there is a global superpower. What America should do with its newfound dominance is endlessly debated, but this book offers two directives: 1.) America should retain its privileged status, and 2.) America should use and subsume that status into global cooperative democratic intuitions. This includes economic treaties (NAFTA), security alliances (NATO), international arbiters (UN), international banks (IMF/World Bank), and communal problem solving (IPCC). The first aim allows the US to survive in a privileged state, while the second institutionalizes peace and prosperity through democratic norms. The former is obvious, but why the latter? The reasoning is twofold: America has neither the desire nor delusion that it will remain on top forever. By cementing world-wide systems that can mitigate the effects of classical power struggles which have plagued humanity for the past five thousand years, America may escape the troubles that will fall on it once it inevitably loses its enormous strength.

How these goals will be attained is through careful management of the “heartland” theory. This theory posits that the most powerful continent on Earth is Eurasia, and whoever controls it will be top dog. The country that controls the heartland of Eurasia (the USSR) is in the best condition to control the entire landmass, which it is America’s goal to combat. (The closest anyone’s gotten was the Soviet-Sino pact in the 50s.) Thus, America’s obsession during the Cold War was containment of the USSR on Eurasia; even after Russia’s fall from power this goal doesn’t change: the US must prevent any single power from dominating the landmass, usually through pitting regional powers against each other. The sinister implication of this is that America benefits from constant war, or at least strategic competition, in Eurasia, and must prevent any peaceful coalitions from forming that don’t do so under America’s blessing.

There is hypocrisy here that helps explain the US’s propensity towards senseless carnage while also genuinely fighting for peaceful prosperity. Because America benefits from both chaos and teamwork, but one of these is easier to pull off than the other, it will ruin a country just as easily as help it, while benefitting from the fallout regardless. This puts a huge incentive on others to either join or die. The only other alternative—flourishing in the face of America’s might—is extremely difficult to pull off. Of the two countries trying today, Russia and China, the former is paying a heavy price, while the latter is playing a careful game of sometimes-join-and-sometimes-not, with mixed results. There is, in other words, no easy alternative to the vision America has for the world, which is explicitly the act of an imperial bully determined to get its way.

But it begs the important question: should we defy America’s vision? Brzezinski didn’t think so, and I’m tempted to agree with him. America has shown itself to be the least evil empire in history, and the international rules-based order it’s pushing down everyone’s throat is not only better than any alternative, but has a genuine chance at success. The claim that America is only doing this to keep itself in a privileged position is true but trivial: every country seeks to gain and retain power. The difference is that the US is using part of its power to imbue strength in others. This should be recognized as an altruistic, idealistic, ethical, and worthwhile act, even as it’s in tandem with the realpolitik that the country still practices. In this way The Grand Chessboard provides a good explanation for the US's schizophrenia, while also making it seductive. As an American I obviously want my country to remain powerful, while simultaneously working to integrate others into a rules-based order. But this book also alerts me to the ways that my country benefits from spreading desolation, so I can better resist when it does. The problem is that, as an American, can I be trusted to view my country’s actions objectively? Especially in light of my endorsement of its global initiative? Probably not. But I don't particularly trust any alternative vision that Russia or China might posit, so for now I'll take when I can get. ...more

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About Zbigniew Brzeziński

Zbigniew Brzeziński

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Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski was a Polish-American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Known for his hawkish foreign policy at a time when the Democratic Party was increasingly dovish, he is a foreign policy realist and considered by some to be the Democrats' response to Republican rea ...more

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“Too rich to be relevant to the world's poor, [Europe] attracts immigration but cannot encourage imitation. Too passive regarding international security. Too self-satisfied, it acts as if its central political goal is to become the worlds most comfortable retirement home. Too set in its ways, it fears multicultural diversity” — 9 likes

“The ultimate objective of American policy should be benign and visionary: to shape a truly cooperative global community, in” — 1 likes

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