Superpowers Flashcards
what is a superpower?
a nation or a group of nations with a leading position in international politics
what are regional powers?
countries that have strong influence within their region but are less powerful elsewhere eg nigeria
what are the 6 superpower characteristics?
what is hard power?
military power - US invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11
economic power - use of economic sanctions by the US of countries it considers a threat
what forms of soft power does britain have?
History - Britain’s history of high quality education, fair legal system and reputation for financial trustworthiness
Culture – English is widely used as a second language around the world and the BBC is widely trusted as unbiased news source.
Diplomacy – the UK has one of the largest networks of high commissions. UK objectives are often achieved through diplomatic influence.
what is Mackinders heartland theory?
- Halford Mackinder geostrategic location theory is an example of an old-fashioned idea about what makes countries globally powerful
– Mackinder saw the centre of the Eurasian landmass as a key Geo-strategic location: if one nation control this heartland it would become globally dominant as one thing it would control 50% of the world resources
– Mackinders view with the other countries should work together to balance this heartland power to make sure it did not become too dominant
what is containment?
this was the idea that emerging powers such as Germany after the First World War should be contained – not allowed to expand. Containment also became the USA strategy against the USSR. The USSR gained superpower status after the Second World War. The USA fear that the USSR would expand its communist ideology and control through Europe and Asia.
what is the impact of Heartland (geo-strategic location) theory today
The interconnected nurse of all countries through globalisation has made geostrategic policies less important.
For example:
– superpower countries may be more threat from cyber warfare than from invasion by other nations.
– some TNCs have become more powerful than most nations through their control of global trade
– superpowers may get involved with proxy conflicts, supporting opposite sides of conflicts in world regions such as the Middle East
what is unipolar power?
when there is a single superpower
when and who was a unipolar power?
The British Empire is an example of unipolar power. As British control began to crumble after the First World War, the world became more multipolar, with several competing global powers.
how was the british empire controlled?
– At its height it extended over about a quarter of the world land area and a fifth of the population.
– in the 19th century it was the worlds leading trading country and the worlds first industrialised country meaning it became very very wealthy.
– Britain invested in its navy until it was the most powerful in the world. Maintaining British power was important in keeping countries under British control.
– British colonies often starters trading port in foreign countries. British forces took direct control over the countries and ran them to protect the trade and make Britain richer.
– British control involved soft power as well as hard power. For example, there were jobs for colonised people in the British administration of their countries. The British industry sports such as cricket to many colonies, and help tournaments like the Empire games. British missionaries converted people to Christianity, and especially to the church of England.
when did the british empire end?
it became impossible for the British continue having direct rule over other countries because of four key reasons:
– running an empire was very expensive and after the first world War Britain could no longer afford it.
– after the First World War the right of any country to control another country came under sustained attack. Independence movement in Ireland and India were eventually successful
– global trade change: new industrial power such as Germany in the USA created new markets and more competition. Training with African colonies and India were no longer the route to economic superpower.
– military technology changed. By the end of the 1940s, British Naval power was no longer capable of defending British colonies all over the world from the new superpowers of the USSR or from nuclear weapons.
what are some mechanisms of indirect control?
political: when a superpower influences how another countries govern through ideology
Economic: when a superpower uses its economic powered to influence how another country acts
Military: a superpower can influence another country by stationing its troops in the country, by selling weapons that only use part and ammunition stole by the superpower and by military alliances
Cultural: the USA’s radio free Europe transmitted western news and information into Eastern Europe and the USSR during the Cold War
what is neo colonialism?
colonialism used direct control backed by military force. British colonies were tied into trading relationships with Britain that made Britain richer at their expense.
New colonialism does not have actual empires and colonies: instead the richest capitalist countries use their control of aid to keep developing countries in debt to them and their control of trade to restrict developing countries to deliver cheap raw materials
why are multi polar systems more risky then uni or bi polar systems?
– Unipolar or bipolar power create a relatively stable geopolitical status, as one country has more power than all the rest or two countries are locked into a stalemate.
– multipolar power create instability when emerging powers compete with each other
what are the strengths and weakness of the BRICS?
what are the strengths and weaknesses of the BRICS countries?
Modernisation theory: rostows model
Dependency theory
