Superpowers Leson 4: Changing Paternes of Polarity Flashcards
What is a unipolar world?
A world dominated by one superpower
What is the best example of a unipolar world?
British Empire
What % of the world’s population and landmass was held by the British Empire in 1920?
20% of the world’s empire
25% of the world’s landmass
How large was Britain’s navy in 1914?
2x the size of the next largest (Germany)
What were the 2 phases of the British Empire?
Mercantile phase
Imperial phase
When and what was the ‘Mercantile Phase’?
1600-1850
-Small colonies conquered on coastal fringes and islands e.g. New England, Jamaica, India and Ghana etc
When and what was the ‘Imperial Phase’ ?
1850-1945
-Coastal colonies extend inland
-Culture introduced into colonies
-Government institutions, technology, settlers and complex trade introduced and developed
-Known as acculturation
What is a bipolar world?
A world dominated by two superpowers
What is the best example of a bipolar world?
Cold war period between 1945-1990 dominated by the USA and USSR
What led to a bipolar world?
-Most powers lost all colonies by 1970. Majority by 1945.
-Down to post-war bankruptcy, with focus moving to post-war reconstruction
-Anti-colonial movements saw demands for independence
Why did a Cold War emerge between the USA and USSR?
Give examples of where conflict was seen?
The USA became a global superpower and aimed to contain the USSR and communism
Seen in Korea, Vietnam and Cuban Missile Crisis - no direct conflict between the two nations
What is s multipolar world?
A world dominated by multiple superpowers
What is the best example of a multipolar world?
The world today dominated by multiple superpowers including the USA, BRICS and G20
How much did the US economy grow by between 1992-99?
4%
How many jobs were added to the American workforce per year in the 1990s?
1.7 million
How much did unemployment drop by bewteen 1992 and 1999 in the US?
From 8% in 1992 to 4% in 1999
How much did income grow by in the US between 1990-99?
10%
By how much did stocks increase in the US in the 90s? How much did Dow Jones increase by alone?
Stocks quadrupled
Dow Jones increased 309%
How much could you buy a townhouse for in Brooklyn in the 90s?
> $500 000
How many Starbucks outlets were there from the start to the end of the 90s?
From 100 to 2000
When was the Korean War?
1950-53
When did the Space Race start?
4th October 1957 - Sputnik 1 joins International Space Station
When was the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks?
November 1969
When was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
17th April 1961
When was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
October 1962
When did the Soviets invade Afghanistan?
December 1979
What was the issue with a bipolar world?
2 superpowers vying for power
Increased geopolitical risk as countries start to side with one of the global powers
How many Chinese are living in Africa?
1 million
What % of Chinese imports were mineral products from Africa in 2010?
80%
How much worth of technology and intellectual property rights are stolen every year by China?
$300 billion
How many Muslims did China lock up in concentration camps for re-education?
1 million
What package, worth how much did G20 countries agree on>
‘Green stimulus package’
Worth $1.1 trillion
BRICS are the only what, outside of the OECD countries?
$1 trillion economies
What is the issue with the BRICS?
Cultural differences means a lack of common understanding, which limits the sharing of experinces
Define neo-colonialism?
The use of investment, trade, and culture to influence independent countires instead of direct governance (soft power tactics)
