La scacchiera immaginata: il Grande Gioco fra visioni imperialiste, narrazioni orientaliste e ambizioni personali

This paper aims to present the main themes analysed within this volume while introducing\r\nthe different studies and related approaches of the authors, connected to the\r\nso-called “Great Game”. Starting from the perspective of the British experience, this\r\nessay will frame the historical context of this geopolitical competition between imperial\r\npowers during the XIX century, whose origin preceded the “Great Game” itself,\r\nyet it will come back later with the so-called “arms race” that paved the way for the\r\noutbreak of the First World War.\r\nCentral Asia become the ground of the rivalries between the great powers of the\r\ntime, resembling a sort of “chessboard” on which the Russian, the French and the British\r\nempires moved through to impose their territorial domain, each of them with their\r\nown political priorities, narratives, and obsessions leading to strategic decisions.\r\nBeyond the description of the historical competition that occurred in the XIX century,\r\nthis essay aims to shed lights on the role of military commanders and British officials,\r\nas supposed “young pawns” who, on the contrary, often implemented their own\r\nstrategies according to their personal ambitions, widespread prejudices of locals, lack\r\nof territorial knowledge, as well as deep misconceptions of the competitors. Therefore,\r\nit is important to acutely underline the role of narratives in supporting military and diplomatic\r\nmissions. Much more than a “game”, the competition in Central Asia shown\r\nthe strength to consolidate respective zones of influence, but also how personal ambitions\r\nand self-perceptions of superiority has been used to justify political influence and\r\ndomain.