superpowers

• Superpower


  A nation which has the ability to project its influence around the world
• Four pillars of Superpower status


  • Economic
  • Military
  • Political & Ideology
  • Cultural
• Resources


  Physical resources like oil and gas, and human resources like a large workforce
• The current global superpower is considered to be the USA, closely followed by the EU
• Hard power


  Using military and direct political intervention to change or influence the behaviour of other countries
• Soft power


  Attracting national governments and individuals to their country through attractive culture & lifestyle, sought-after political advice, foreign policies that encourage migration, trade alliances, and foreign direct investment
• Mackinder's Geo-Strategic Location Theory


  The Heartland, a region of Eurasia stretching from Russia to China, is a geo-strategic location because whoever controls it would control large amounts of physical and human resources

  
• Advances in technology and transportation have reduced the locational importance of the Heartland, allowing nations like the US to become global superpowers
• Wallerstein's World Systems Theory


  Identifies two different economic areas within the world - the core (economic powerhouses) and the periphery (providers of labour and materials)
• In the past, the relationship between the core and periphery was exploitative (colonialism), but in more recent times it centres around trade agreements which often benefit the core regions more
• Rostow's Modernisation Theory


  Countries pass through five stages as they grow economically and become developed: Traditional Society, Pre-conditions for Take Off, Take Off, Drive to Maturity, High Mass Consumption
• Rostow's model is based largely on American and European development and ignores the stages of growth other nations may go through
• Rostow's model only considers the advancement of development and does not describe a nation that is declining
• Rostow's model only considers a country in isolation from the world, where the development is the sole responsibility of the country itself
• Types of Polarity


  Unipolar world, Bi-polar world, Multi-polar world
• British Empire


  • Ruled a quarter of the world's land and a third of the world's population, based on hard power through invasion and colonisation
• Successes of Colonial Power

  • Railway lines built, English language spread, education improved
• Negative impacts of Colonial Power


  • Crops bought at low prices and sold at high prices, lack of own governments, discriminating policies
• Empires collapsed in the 20th century due to bankruptcy, focus on rebuilding home countries, and anti-colonial movements
• Neo-colonialism


  The continued dependence of former colonies on other countries after their independence, where more powerful developed countries exploit their relationship with less developed countries for their own benefit
• Frank's Dependency Model explains the cycle of neo-colonialism, where the neo-colony becomes dependent on the neo-colonial power controlling it
• During the colonial era, Empires exploited their colonies for a variety of commodities: sugar, cotton, tea
• The development of Lancashire was based from the cheap import of cotton from plantations in America; cotton would be manufactured in large mills, through a largely mechanised process (faster rate of production and cheaper to run) so Lancashire companies made large profits
• Mozambique has given fishing rights to China, in return for infrastructure (hospitals, airports, roads). China actually has 1 million of its people living in Africa and has invested over $40 billion into African nations
• Local fishermen are now out-competed, losing their source of income and instead having to work for Chinese fishing boats for less money
• The IMF and World Bank have both been accused of being 'neo-colonial'. They provide loans to developing nations, but with high rates of repayment and conditions if the developing nation is unable to repay. Therefore, developing nations become 'trapped' in a cycle of debt and have to open their economies to private companies (governments lose assets and income, making them even less likely to repay their debts)
• Cold War


  A time of geopolitical tension between the USA and USSR from 1945 to 1990
• USA


  • Democratic society based on a capitalist economy
• USSR


  • Under communist rule and had a centrally-owned economy
• Features of Capitalism


  • Private ownership of property and businesses
  • Wages are based on supply & demand and level of skills
  • People have a right to make a profit and keep it
  • Ability to buy and sell goods in a free market with little restriction
• Features of Communism/Centrally-Owned Economy


  • Government owns land and businesses
  • Wages are determined by government
  • Profits are taken by government and invested into services
  • Supply of goods controlled by the government
• Countries with Capitalism


  • USA, UK, France, Japan
• Countries with Communism/Centrally-Owned Economy


  • USSR, China, Cuba
• The USSR installed communist governments in Eastern Europe (e.g. in Poland and Hungary). These countries were of strategic importance to the USSR as they provided a 'shield' in case the West attacked Russia
• The border between Eastern and Western Europe became known as The Iron Curtain and was heavily defended by opposing parties
• The countries supporting the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact (a military agreement of alliance)
• The USA created NATO, which its allies joined to cooperate military powers
• After 1945, the USA provided billions of dollars' worth of aid to many European nations to rebuild after the wars
• The USA also invested significant amount into Japan, Singapore and The Philippines in order to protect these countries from being influenced by communism
• The Space Race became a competition of knowledge and economic capacity between the USA and USSR. Despite the fact that the USSR sent the first man (Yuri Gagarin) and first satellite (Sputnik) into space, many believe that the USA won after sending Apollo 11 to the moon