Strategic Depth

How to define Strategic depth- the space a combatant can exploit beyond its core territories or the internal distance within a state from the frontline to its centre of gravity or Heartland, its core population areas or important cities or industrial installations.

For Russia, Caspian Sea could be about strategic depth as its launched long-range Kalibr cruise missiles from the sea to targets in Syria (more than 1000 miles away).

After World war II, the Soviet Union created the strategic depth it needed to guard against a western invasion by occupying Poland and the Baltic states. Fast forward to 2017, Sweden and Finland are coming together to create their own strategic depth to counter Russia. The Swedish Air Force could allow Finland to use its bases in case Finland have to withdraw its forces in the face of an invasion by Russia. 

Iran and activities of its proxies is another case of cultivation of strategic depth. The Iranian regime sees Syria and Lebanon as its strategic depth. It is funding a plethora of paramilitary proxies, which have become the primary agents of regional instability in countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Take Pakistan for example, well-known for its strategic depth play. For Pakistan, Afghanistan represents strategic depth against its enemy number one India. Pakistan thinks it must ensure a friendly government on its western border in the event of a military clash against India to gain space for retreat and reorganization. 

But Afghanistan has no such notion, to Quote former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, "India provides emotional strategic depth to the Afghan people".

In Africa Sudan and Eritrea are cases of strategic depth for Egypt. In the words of Ahmoud Diaa, national security counsellor (Egypt), "Sudan is an important country for Egypt and represents an important strategic depth for Egypt, and we are one nation". Eritrea is important player for security of the Red Sea.

Arab countries, historically a guarantor of strategic depth for Palestinian rejectionist forces while lack of strategic depth is a dominant narrative in Israel. 

Mr Ahmet Davutoglu in his book, “Strategic Depth”, advocates a new policy of rebuilding ties round the former Ottoman empire.

So Geography, no less than History, is equally important for prospects of viable peace.