EQ1 Flashcards
(33 cards)
a superpower
a nation with the means to project its power and influence anywhere in the world, and to be a dominant global force
a hyperpower
an unchallenged superpower that is dominant in all aspects of power e.g. USA 1990-2010 and Britain 1850-1910 (due to the British Empire and colonies)
why is the USA seen as a superpower/ hyperpower?
- largest gold reserves
- GDP $18 trillion
- $204 billion spent here by tourists
- military power - over 13,000 aircrafts, number 1 in submarines and destroyers
characteristics needed for a country to be a superpower
- natural resources
- globalisation - involvement in flows
- economic stability
- military power
- cultural influence
- geographical location
- political influence
hard power
using military and economic influence (trade deals, sanctions) to force another country to act in a particular way.
soft power
more subtle persuasion of countries to act in particular ways, on the basis that the persuader is respected and appealing. Includes political persuasion (diplomacy) and cultural influence
sources of power
economic cultural political demographic natural resources military
economic
a large total GDP gives countries the wealth needed to be a global player
political
leading, rather than following, within global organisations such as the UN, IMF and WTO
military
nuclear weapons, a large navy and airforce are required to threaten or force a country’s will on others
cultural
having ideas, art, music, food and fashion that other people find appealing is a source of power
demographic
power requires people, to support large economy and the military
who makes up the security council
USA UK France China Russia
a uni-polar world
the world is dominated by the one superpower e.g the British Empire
a bi-polar world
a world in which 2 superpowers, with differing ideologies, compete for power e.g. the Cold War (USSR & USA)
a multi-polar world
more complex
a world with many superpowers and emerging powers
imperialism
a relationship of political, economic or cultural control between geographical areas
colonisation
the physical setting of people from a colonial power within their colony
the post colonial phase
after ww2 with Englands economy recovering and mounting pressure fr independence from colonised territories, British colonial rule throughout the world weakened
the British empire was transformed into the Commonwealth in which numerous states gained independence, but voluntarily associated with Great Britain
the imperial phase
some historians refer to 1815-1914 as Britains ‘imperial century’
during this period there was a unique expansion of formal empire: rather than securing authority and influence through cultural, commercial and diplomatic means, there was increasing resort to the direct rule of colonies
the mercantilist phase
the central economic policy for the empire before the shift to free trade in the 1840s
mercantilism is an economic theory practise, commonly used in Britain, France and the major European nations from the 16th to the 18th century that promoted governmental regulation of a nations economy for the purpose of expanding state power at the expense of rival national powers
it involves a national economic policy aimed at accumulating monetary reserves through a positive balance of trade, especially of finished goods
e.g. building overseas colonies
importance of navy and military
- protects trade routes
- the navy provides a link between the home country and overseas countries
- British empire was founded soon exploration and sea power
what was the extent of the British empire in the 1920s
they ruled over 20% of the worlds population and 25% of the worlds land area
communism
social objective is equality dictatorship/ one party state workers employed by the state businesses belong to the state government planned economy