Hard power Flashcards
What is a superpower?
A country with the ability to protect it’s power and influence other countries using it’s economic, political, military and cultural strengths.
What is hard power?
Based on military intervention, coersive diplomacy and economic sanctions and relies on tangible power resources such as armed forces or economic means
What historical superpower used hard power?
The British Empire used hard power to conquer lands by force whilst using global navy to protect global supply routes
The unipolar world saw direct control of countries such as…
India
Why did the British military emigrate to run the Raj?
It was a symbol of imperial military power used to demonstrate Britain’s wealth
Was hard power sufficient for the British Empire to maintain it’s superpower status?
No, this is because of increasing demands for independence from colonised countries
What happened between 1919 and 1939?
Germany, USA and Japan began to mirror the hard power approach through increasing military spending
What did USA, Germany and Japan increasing their military spending result in?
It resulted in the emergence of a multi-polar world
Why is the US the only country that has been successful in increasing military spending?
It uses hard power along with soft power to spread the ‘American Dream’.
What early geo-strategic thinker argued The Heartlandstretching from Russia to China and the Himalayas to the Arctic was a geo-strategic location?
Harlford Mackinder
How did Harlford Mackinder influence the USA?
It influenced the USA containment policy of positioning military bases, as well as the expansion of NATO
When did the colonial era come to an end?
After WW2 in 1945
What happened as a result of the colonial era coming to an end?
The bipolar world emerged with the dominance of the USA and USSR.
What did the USA and USSR both lead with?
Hard power (nuclear weapons)
How is China using hard power?
Through it’s Blue Water Navy
What was the goal of the Blue Water Navy?
They attempted to overtake the USA as the number one superpower.
Did China’s Blue Water Navy succeed?
It has succeeded to some extent in using hard power to become a regional superpower but lacks the wider aspects to challenge the USA currently for superpower status
What events suggest hard power can be illegal and unnecessary?
-Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea
-2022 invasion of Ukraine
What has become more significant in maintaining superpower status?
Soft power as the USA continues to dominate through TNCs and media
