EQ1 - what are superpowers and how have they changed over time?
1.1 - geopolitical power stems from a range of human and physical characteristics of superpowers
1.1.1 - superpowers, emerging and regional powers can be defined using contrasting characteristics
what is a superpower?
- a superpower is a nation with a leading position in international politics
- it has the ability to use its dominant power and influence anywhere around the world
- emerging superpowers are nations with a significant influence that is growing
- eg China
- may not have dominance in all key areas of superpower status
- regional powers have strong influence within their region but are less powerful outside that region
- eg Nigeria
economic
- high GDP and high levels of trade, including influence over global trade
- home to many TNCs
- they can also use their money to invest in a strong military force and exploit natural resources
- they may also own the debt of other nations, thereby having power over them
military
- high expenditure, largest amount of hardware and personnel including nuclear weapons
- could command global military control
- unparalleled intelligence networks
- exporters of military tech
- a nation can use their military to threaten or invade other countries (hard power) or to achieve
geo-political goals (eg UN Peacekeeping Missions)
political and ideology
- the ability to influence other countries in a way which suits their desires or match their political systems
- ideology is closely linked with politics, as many states may force their ideology through policies
- permanent seat on UN Security Council, together with powerful allies
- many multilateral agreements
cultural
- projecting a nation’s cultural values on others can change the way other populations think and align
their ideology with the superpower’s culture
- culture is often spread via social media, films, music, food, art etc
- the westernisation of culture is an important aspect of power
access to natural resources
- physical resources like oil and gas, if a nation has the means to exploit them) can help a nation develop
their economy and therefore their economic power through trade
- multiple resources make a country less dependent on others (eg energy security)
- occupying a world location that enables it to command influence
- if these countries are dependent on the superpower for their natural resources then the superpower will
have power over them
, - eg, Russia providing gas to Europe
demographic
- significant percentage of global population
- attracts skilled migrants and other workers
- a large human workforce if utilised properly can help to develop a nation’s economy
- eg the emerging superpowers China and India both have large populations which are being
used in manufacturing to develop their economies
1.1.2 - mechanisms for maintaining power sit on a spectrum from hard to soft power
the power spectrum
hard power soft power
using military and direct political attracting national governments and individuals to their country
intervention to change or influence the through
behaviour of other countries - attractive culture and lifestyle
- military action - sought after political advice
- threat of trade restrictions - foreign policies that encourage migration
(embargos) - trade alliance
- use of economic sanctions to - foreign direct investment in business, infrastructure or
damage a nation’s economy facilities
- owning the debt of other
countries CS - UK’s soft power
1) history
CS - military power - Britain's history of high quality education, fair legal system
- the USA responded to the 2001 and reputation for financial trustworthiness
terrorist attack on the USA with a 2) culture
military invasion of afghanistan, - english is widely used a second language around the
against the Taliban who were world
supporters of the terrorists - BBC widely trusted as unbiased
- British TV exported to many countries
CS - economic power 3) diplomacy
- the use of economic sanctions by - the UK has one of the largest networks of embassies and
the USA against countries it high commissions
considers a threat to its interests, - UK objectives are often achieved through diplomatic
such as Iran influence
hard power was how countries gained dominance in the past, but it is increasingly difficult to achieve global
influence through hard power today, as it leads to a loss of global influence
criticising the policies of close allies such as Canada, the UK and Germany, may have weakened the soft
power influence that the USA has with these countries
the use of economic sanctions against Iran went against a soft power approach by the EU and other leading
nations
the use of trade wars to improve the USA’s trading position with countries such as China is closer to a hard
power than to a soft power approach
President Trump downgraded the USA’s use of soft power, arguing for American home interests firs
, 1.1.3 - the relative importance of these characteristics and mechanisms for maintaining power has
changed over time
mackinder’s heartland theory
- developed in 1904
- MacKinder argued that whoever controlled Europe and Asia would control the world
- this is because they would control the world’s biggest landmass
- MacKinder named a ‘heartland’ that stretched from Eastern Europe into Russia and he said that this
was the ‘pivot’ area
- he said that whoever ruled the most strategic part of Europe would control the heartland
- “who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the heartland commands the World’
- Maxkinder’s view was that other countries should work together to balance this Heartland power and
make sure it did not become too dominant
land masses
1) inner or marginal crescent
- this included the rest of Europe, India, South East Asia and much of China
2) outlying island
- this included England and Japan
3) secondary heartland
- this was represented by Sub-Saharan Africa connected to the main Heartland through a main bridge
(Saudi Arabia)
4) outer on insular crescent
- this was represented by the Americas and Australia
containment
- Mackinder’s theory influenced the policy of containment
- this was the idea that emerging powers, like Germany after WW1, should be ‘contained’ and not
allowed to expand
- containment became the USA’s strategy against the USSR
- the USSR gained superpower status after the second world war
- the USA feared that the USSR would expand its ideology and control through Europe and Asia
- the Truman Doctrine committed the USA to support those fighting communism around the world
- this policy led the USA and allies into military conflicts in Korea and Vietnam
geo-strategic location theory today
- the interconnectedness of all countries through globalisation has made geo-strategic policies less
important
- for example
- superpower countries may be more at 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 like the Middle East
1.2 - patterns of power change over time and can be unipolar, bipolar or multipolar
1.2.1 - the maintenance of power during the imperial era by direct colonial control
unipolar world → most of the world region's economic, social, cultural aspects are influenced by a single
state/country
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