Modern Great Game Watch

Modern Great Game Map depicts key elements of the ongoing global geopolitical struggle.

Features of the map are explained below the map frame.

To go to the larger map view, click on the icon in the upper right corner of the map frame. To see the map menu, click on the icon in the upper left corner of the map frame.

The markers on the map are divided into several layers. You can make the map show or hide the markers of each layer, as convenient, in the map menu.

The key element on the map is Efforts – actions conducted by Geopolitical Players as part of their struggle with one another. The map includes Efforts starting from January 2022.

Efforts are divided into two map layers. One layer contains Efforts reported to be actively conducted during the current month and the previous 11 months. Another layer contains Efforts reported to be actively conducted in the period before that, starting from January 2022.

The title of each Efforts marker identifies Geopolitical Player(s) conducting the particular Efforts, and the entity(ies) they target, as well as the Means and Method of the Efforts. The text of each Efforts marker contains the Efforts’ short description, the dates or periods when the given Effort was reported to be actively conducted, and the Efforts’ Purpose, Character and Type.

The two Efforts layers also show Decisive Geopolitical Episodes in the respective periods. Markers of the Efforts that are parts of an Episode are connected to the Episode marker by lines.

Geopolitical Players have a separate layer. These are states and other organized entities in control of territory that are engaged in geopolitical struggle with other such entities. The map markers show only those Geopolitical Players that satisfy one of the three criteria: 1. They are Geostrategically Active Powers, which means they systematically try to exercise their power and influence beyond their own territory. 2. They are Geostrategically Inactive Powers, but currently are conducting independent Focal or Auxiliary Efforts beyond their own territory. 3. They are targeted on their own territory by an adversarial Geopolitical Player’s hostile Focal or Auxiliary Efforts.

Each Geopolitical Player has its own color for its map marker. Efforts by a given Geopolitical Player are shown in the same color. Different icons show five kinds of Geopolitical Players: Superpowers, Great Powers, Secondary Geostrategically Active Powers, and Geostrategically Inactive Powers of two kinds – middle powers and minor powers.

Another layer contains markers showing Geopolitical Facilitators and Geopolitical Grey Zones. Geopolitical Facilitators are states and other organized entities in control of territory that systematically help and facilitate Efforts of a Geopolitical Player or Players without doing the same for any of their adversary Geopolitical Players. Geopolitical Grey Zones are entities whose territory is systematically used by one or more Geopolitical Player(s) for their purposes irrespective of the will of the hosts entities’ authorities.

As indicated above, you can see explanations of the terms used here on The Watch Framework page.

A separate map layer contains the map Legend, with the meanings of all icons used on the map.