by The nations in global power have stayed the same throughout history, but the contributing factors to a nation’s power have not. During the major global wars of the 20th century, oftentimes scientific and technological advancements played a huge role in who was in power. Recently, China and the United States are regarded as the two main powers of the world, due in part to the economy of both countries.
Before the Revolutionary War, the major countries in power were in Europe and Asia. One of the main indicators of their power was the territory they claimed. Colonization was an initiative for all countries looking to expand their power. Unclaimed land was full of mystery and the opportunity for natural resources like gold. The countries that were successful during this time period had great navies and commanders. Places like Spain and Portugal colonized areas in Africa, and were looking to take over areas in the West Indies when they discovered the new world.
The power then shifted to militaries, as war over things like religion were spread across the globe. This led to countries with huge military power being regarded as global powers. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, battles and wars were fought face-to-face, with most countries having relatively the same equipment. This led to battles being won by the bigger army. Oftentimes the outcome of a war was predetermined, as the country with more men to deploy won most of the battles. This led to more countries waging war and looking to conquer because they could roll through the country without much of a rebuttal. This shifted towards the 20th century with the first world war.
The first world war was the beginning of where war was dictated by the technological strength of the countries. Technology like machine guns and gas grenades began to make warfare increasingly brutal, and countries were rushing to make technology to win them the war. This led to the world war having the most casualties of its time, but it all so led to all parties involved taking significant losses. By the time the second world war came around, technology had become so advanced that the days where the number of troops won out were long in the past.
In WWII, military advancements completely took off. In specific, aviation took major leaps forward, and the war was even more costly than the first world war. In addition to more deadly weapons for the battlefield, the United States was in the process of creating a weapon of mass destruction far more powerful than any innovation in weaponry or aviation. Nuclear weapons were created by the United States, and after a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, the United States unleashed two nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These catastrophic events shaped the course of warfare from then on. Nuclear physicists became prized possessions, and the threat of global destruction from nuclear weapons loomed. During the Cold War era, the Soviets and Americans were involved in a stalemate because of the capabilities of nuclear bombs.
The factors which influence global power have changed throughout every era of history. The 20th century showed the importance of scientific and technological advancements, as the great wars were dictated by technology like machine guns or scientific advancements like nuclear weapons.