This is the High North

The High North has become a stage for geostrategic conflicts, not least because of climate change. This new volume from the "Guide to History" series addresses the strategic and security-policy questions arising from the international struggle for the region around the North Pole – free download link at the end of the story!

The new publication "Guide to History: The High North" was created in cooperation with the Bundeswehr's Center for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSBw) and the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW) in Kiel. It gathers contributions from experts in various academic disciplines who write about the history and societies of the region, while also analyzing the current lines of conflict. Carlo Masala from the University of the Bundeswehr Munich summarizes the contributions. The volume is equipped with numerous images, maps, graphics, and a comprehensive appendix.

Greenland as the 51st Federal State?

US President Donald Trump first expressed his desire to buy Greenland and make it part of the United States in 2019. During his second term, there was even talk of a possible violent acquisition and of Greenland as the 51st US state. Trump justified this with the geostrategic importance of the world's largest island for the security of his country. After consultations at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, the situation now seems more relaxed. The "Greenland crisis" has brought the importance of the High North to the forefront of current politics.

Avenue for Geostrategic Confrontations

Due to climate change, the region around the North Pole has become a scene of geostrategic confrontations between Russia, the USA, and China: An ice-free Northeast Passage and vast new raw material deposits promise numerous opportunities for influence and power gain. But the Arctic coastal states and the European Union also have a strong interest in the region. What are the effects of this struggle for the High North? Will NATO break apart over the Greenland issue? Will Russia assert its dominance in the High North militarily? Is China a coastal state, as it claims? Answers to these questions are provided in the new "Guide to History: The High North." Initially, a look back at history will be taken. This will be followed by contributions on climate change, natural resources, geostrategic challenges, the interests of great powers and coastal states, and last but not least, the concrete impacts on NATO and the Bundeswehr.

Editors

• Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Helmut R. Hammerich, Scientific Employee at the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr, Potsdam
• Captain at Sea (retired) Jörg-Dietrich Nackmayr, Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters, Kiel
• Scientific Senior Councilor Dr. Martin Rink, Scientific Employee at the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr, Potsdam

• Captain at Sea Eike Wetters, Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters, Kiel

For more information about the book and a free download of the publication, visit the ZMSBw website.