Superpowers Facts And Figures Flashcards
How much did the USA spend on its military in 2023?
$820 billion
What country has the strongest economic pillar?
The USA— highest GDP at 18.5 trillion USD
Why does Russia have such a strong natural resource pillar?
It has 25% of the worlds naturally occurring gas and oil
Why does Russia have such a strong natural resource pillar?
It has 25% of the worlds naturally occurring gas and oil
What made the British empire have such strong resource and demographic pillars?
Possessed 24% of the worlds land and 20% of its population
What is a modern day example of the use of hard power?
The Russia- Ukraine war
How has the heartland theory influenced history?
Major role in WW2 as hitler believes in heartland theory
Cold War (1945-1991) USSR tried to grow empire through imperialism (possessed the heartland), USA tried to limit spread of communism by placing military around heartland
What and why was the jewel of the British empire?
The British raj was known as the jewel as it possessed such rich resources
British navy- worlds largest at the time allowed resource extraction by transport
Why were the Belgians known as brutal colonists?
King leopold famously ordered slaves hands cut off if they didn’t meet quotas
What we’re the wind of change?
Era of empires ending post WW2 due to high costs of maintenance, led to new independence in previously colonised African nations, this was called the winds of change
Why couldn’t the USA and USSR go to war directly?
They were both members of the UNSC so there was not allowed to be any direct conflict between the two
What is a proxy war with an example?
A war that is instigated by major powers but they do not get involved with the conflict against each other
E.G. Vietnam war
What was NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Military alliance between N. America + w. Europe for mutual defence support
What was the Warsaw pact?
Defence treaty between the USSR and e. Europe for military support
What has China been accused of in Africa since 2000?
Neo-colonial actions as it challenges the hegemony of the USA and former colonial powers in the region
When was the USA a hyper power in a unipolar world?
1990 (collapse of USSR) - 2010
Why was the USA termed the “world police”? What was the disadvantage of this
Took part in numerous global conflicts at the same time in order to promote conflict resolution and peace
It was very expensive and administratively difficult
What is an example of a bipolar world and why is it considered high risk?
Cold War
Potential for large scale conflict over global powers due to differing ideologies
When was the world multi- polar and why did this lead to the rise of Nazi germany?
Between WW1 and WW2 Germany Japan USA and UK all jostled for power
Created power vacuum — allowed nazi rise, no nation prepared to stop them
What are the BRICS nations?
Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
Why is the USA becoming less dominant?
Reliant on oil— finite resource —- therefore rely on foreign imports from Middle East
Lowering their independence and hegemony
Why is China becoming less dominant on USA based TNCs?
Transitioning to post industrial economy — more patents given (legal rights to products)
What threat to the Brett on woods institutes have BRICS nations created?
The new development bank
Non western centric bank with no SAPs attached to loans
How is India growing in its political might?
Attempting to gain a permanent seat of the UNSC
What are the orders of Rostows modernisation theory?
Traditional society, Pre-conditions for take off, Take off(Industrial revolution in UK), Drive to maturity, High mass consumption
What are the preconditions for take off in rostows modernisation theory?
Export of raw materials for income
Development of key infrastructure
Technology available -e.g. phones
Education leading to social mobility
Banking+ finance systems for trade
Governance + legal systems to protect investors
Why does Brazil have a strong natural resource pillar?
Possesses 60% of the Amazon rainforest
Why does Mexico have a strong natural resource pillar?
4th largest producer of oil in western hemisphere
Why does India have strong access to technology?
India is a global leader in IT tech
How does China meet the education precondition?
China has a 99% literacy rate
Why does the world systems theory include a classification for semi periphery nations?
BRICS nations are exploited by core nations but also exploit periphery nations
