One of the hallmarks of contemporary great power status is permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council.

A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Great powers characteristically possess economic, military, diplomatic, and cultural strength, which may cause other, smaller nations to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions of their own. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Soft power is a term used in International relations theory to describe the ability of a Political body such as a State, to indirectly influence the behavior

The term "great power" was first used to represent the most important powers in Europe during the post-Napoleonic era. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Since then, power has been shifted numerous times, most dramatically during the First and Second World Wars. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations While some nations are widely considered to be great powers, there is no definitive list, leading to a continuing debate.

History

Different sets of great, or significant, powers have existed throughout history; however, the term "Great power" has only been used in scholarly or diplomatic discourse since the post–Napoleonic War Congress of Vienna in 1815. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich ^[1] The Congress established the Concert of Europe as an attempt to preserve peace after the years of Napoleonic Wars. The Concert of Europe also known as the " Congress System " was the result of a custom following the era of Napoleon and the French Revolution adopted by The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions

Lord Castlereagh, the British Foreign Secretary, first used the term in its diplomatic context, in a letter sent on February 13, 1814. Robert Stewart 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC (18 June 1769 in Dublin &ndash 12 August 1822 at Loring Hall, Kent The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the United Kingdom Government heading the He stated that:

It affords me great satisfaction to acquaint you that there is every prospect of the Congress terminating with a general accord and Guarantee between the Great powers of Europe, with a determination to support the arrangement agreed upon, and to turn the general influence and if necessary the general arms against the Power that shall first attempt to disturb the Continental peace. ^[2]

The Congress of Vienna consisted of five main powers: the United Kingdom, Habsburg Austria, Prussia, France, and Russia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Other powers, such as Spain, Portugal, and Sweden were consulted on certain specific issues, but they were not full participants. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Hanover, Bavaria, and Württemberg were also consulted on issues relating to Germany. Hanover (i ( haˈnoːfɐ on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony ( Niedersachsen Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Württemberg, formerly known as Wirtemberg, is an area and a former state in Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. These five primary participants constituted the original Great powers as we know the term today. ^[3]

The Congress of Vienna by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, 1819. Jean-Baptiste Isabey ( April 11, 1767 - April 18, 1855) French painter, was born at Nancy.

Over time, the relative power of these five nations fluctuated, which by the dawn of the 20th century had served to create an entirely different balance of power. Some, such as the UK and Prussia (as part of the newly-formed German state), experienced continued economic growth and political power. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification ^[4] Others, such as Russia and Austria-Hungary, slowly ossified. ^[5][6] At the same time, other states were emerging and expanding in power, largely through the process of industrialization. is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one The foremost of these emerging powers were Japan after the Meiji Restoration and the United States after the Civil War, both of which had been minor powers at best in 1815. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state By the dawn of the 20th century the balance of world power had changed substantially since the Congress of Vienna. The Eight-Nation Alliance (the five Congress powers plus Italy, Japan, and the United States), formed in 1900 represented the Great powers at the beginning of 20th century. The Eight-Nation Alliance ( was an alliance of 8 nations ( Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Shifts of international power have most notably occurred through major conflicts. ^[7] The conclusion of World War I and the resulting treaties of Versailles, St-Germain, and Trianon witnessed the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan and the United States as the chief arbiters of the new world order. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the new The Treaty of Trianon is the peace treaty concluded at the end of World War I by the Allies of World War I, on one side and Hungary, seen as a successor ^[8] The end of World War II saw the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union emerge as the primary victors. The importance of China and France was acknowledged by their inclusion, along with the other three, in the group of countries allotted permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.

Since the end of the World Wars, the term "Great power" has been joined by a number of other power classifications. Foremost among these is the concept of the superpower, used to describe those nations with overwhelming power and influence in the rest of the world. A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale This term Middle power has emerged for those nations which exercise a degree of global influence, but are insufficient to be decisive on international affairs. Middle power is a term used in the field of International relations to describe States that are not Superpowers or Great powers but still have Regional powers are those whose influence is confined to their region. In International relations, a regional power is a State that has power within a geographic Region. Major power and global power have emerged as synonyms of "Great power". Since the end of the Second World War there has been no unanimous agreement among authorities as to the current status of the Great Powers, with Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Japan sometimes being called Middle powers ^[9]. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Middle power is a term used in the field of International relations to describe States that are not Superpowers or Great powers but still have But a vast majority agree that one to all are still great powers, even if they cannot agree on which ones. ^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Characteristics

There are no set and defined characteristics of a Great power. Largely the question has been treated as 'an empirical one, and common sense can answer it'. ^[16] This approach does have the obvious disadvantage of subjectivity. As a result, there have been attempts to derive some common criteria and to treat these as essential elements of Great power status.

Early writings on the subject tended to judge nations by the realist criterion, as succinctly expressed by the historian AJP Taylor: "The test of a Great power is the test of strength for war". Realism, also known as political realism, in the context of International relations, encompasses a variety of theories and approaches all of which share a belief Alan John Percival Taylor ( March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English Historian of the 20th century ^[17] Later writers have expanded this test, attempting to define power in terms of overall military, economic, and political capacity. ^[18] Kenneth Waltz the founder of Neo-realism uses a set of five criteria to determine Great power: population and territory; resource endowment; economic capability; political stability and competence; and military strength. Kenneth Neal Waltz (born 1924 is a member of the faculty at Columbia University and one of the most prominent scholars of International relations (IR alive today ^[19] These expanded criteria can be divided into three heads: power capabilities, spatial aspects, and status. ^[20]

Power dimension

Leopold Von Ranke was one of the first to attempt to scientifically document the Great powers

As noted above, for many, power capabilities were the sole criterion. Leopold von Ranke ( December 21, 1795 – May 23, 1886) was a German Historian of the 19th century and frequently considered However, even under the more expansive tests power retains a vital place.

This aspect has received mixed treatment, with some confusion as to the degree of power required. Writers have approached the concept of Great power with differing conceptualizations of the world situation, from multi-polarity to overwhelming hegemony. Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social In his essay 'French Diplomacy in the Postwar Period', the French historian Jean-Baptiste Duroselle spoke to the multi-polarity conceptualization. He wrote:

'A Great power is one which is capable of preserving its own independence against any other single power. ' ^[21]

This differed from earlier writers, notably from Leopold von Ranke, who clearly had a different idea of the world situation. Leopold von Ranke ( December 21, 1795 – May 23, 1886) was a German Historian of the 19th century and frequently considered In his essay 'The Great Powers', written in 1833, he wrote:

'If one could establish as a definition of a Great power that it must be able to maintain itself against all others, even when they are united, then Frederick has raised Prussia to that position. ' ^[22]

These positions have been the subject of criticism. ^[23] For Duroselle's definition to result in more than one Great power, major world powers must be equal in power—each able to resist one another. This fails to take into account the general state of international relations in which amongst Great powers there are nations which are stronger than others.

Spatial dimension

All nations have a geographic scope of interests, actions, or projected power. This is a crucial factor in distinguishing a Great power from a regional power; by definition the scope of a regional power is restricted to its region. It has been suggested that a Great power should be possessed of actual influence throughout the scope of the prevailing international system.

Great power may be defined as a political force exerting an effect co-extensive with the widest range of the society in which it operates. The Great powers of 1914 were 'world-powers' because Western society had recently become 'world-wide'. - Arnold J Toynbee^[24]

Other suggestions have been made that a Great power should have the capacity to engage in extra-regional affairs and that a Great power ought to be possessed of extra-regional interests, two propositions which are often closely connected. ^[25]

Status dimension

Formal or informal acknowledgment of a nation's status as a Great power.

The status of Great power is sometimes confused with the condition of being powerful, The office, as it is known, did in fact evolve from the role played by the great military states in earlier periods . . . But the Great power system institutionalizes the position of the powerful state in a web of rights and obligations. - George Modelski^[26]

This approach restricts analysis to the post-Congress of Vienna epoch; it being there that Great powers were first formally recognized. George Modelski is Professor of Political Science Emeritus in the University of Washington. ^[3] In the absence of such a formal act of recognition it has been suggested that Great power status can arise by implication, by judging the nature of a state's relations with other Great powers. ^[27]

A further option is to examine a state's willingness to act as a Great power. ^[28] As a nation will seldom declare that it is acting as such, this usually entails a retrospective examination of state conduct. As a result this is of limited use in establishing the nature of contemporary powers, at least not without the exercise of subjective observation.

Another important criteria throughout history is that great powers have enough influence to be included in discussions of political and diplomatic questions of the day, and to have influence on the final outcome and resolution. Historically, when major political questions were addressed, several great powers met to discuss them. Before the era of groups like the United Nations, participants of such meetings were not officially named, but were decided based on their great power status. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security These were conferences which settled important questions based on major historical events. This might mean deciding the political resolution of various geographical and nationalist claims following a major conflict, or other contexts. There are several historical conferences and treaties which display this pattern, such as the Congress of Vienna, the Congress of Berlin, the discussions of the Treaty of Versailles which redrew the map of Europe, the Treaty of Westphalia, and so on. The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich See also Berlin Conference (1884-85 re Africa and Berlin Conference of 1954 (Cold War The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The term Peace of Westphalia refers to the two peace treaties of Osnabrück and Münster, signed on May 15 and October 24 of

Status

The present day governments thought of as great powers, emerging powers and the potential great powers.

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     Current great power. ^{(China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States)}      Emerging great power. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^(India)      Economic power only. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^{(Germany and Japan)}      Potential great power. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^(Brazil)

In the past, the term great power was mostly restricted to powers within Europe (see history above). |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Ever since the term was first academically used in 1815, numerous powers have rotated between the status of Great power, middle power and superpower. Middle power is a term used in the field of International relations to describe States that are not Superpowers or Great powers but still have A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale These are listed below. Major power shifts occurred in the aftermath of the First and Second World Wars. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Austria-Hungary, the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire all collapsed after the first world war; after the second, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the only two superpowers. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

After the second world war, the European powers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany managed to rebuild their economies, and China had built up to Great power status during the post-war period, with large growths in economic and military power. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Germany is considered by experts to be an economic power. ^[29][30], and by chancellor Angela Merkel^[31], former president Johannes Rau^[32] and leading media of the country^[33] as a middle power in Europe. (ˈaŋɡela doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛɐ̯kəl (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany) is the Chancellor of Germany. Johannes Rau ( January 16, 1931 &ndash January 27, 2006) was a German Politician of the SPD. Middle power is a term used in the field of International relations to describe States that are not Superpowers or Great powers but still have In addition, in Asia, Japan is considered by many to be a great power, and by experts as an economic power like Germany. After the dissolution of the USSR, the newly formed Russian Federation emerged on the level of a Great power, leaving the United States as the sole superpower. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Great powers

Although the powers listed below are sometimes referred to by authorities as great powers, there is no unanimous agreement among authorities.

•  China^{[34][13][14][11]}
•  France^[10][11]
•  United Kingdom^[10][11][35]
•  Russia^[13][14][11] (also referred to as a superpower^{[36][37][38][39][40][41]}
•  United States^[10][11] (also referred to as a superpower)

Emerging great powers

•  India^{[42][43][44][11][45]}

Possible future great powers

Academics predict the possible rise of Brazil as a future great power. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld ^[11]

•  Brazil^{[46][47][48][49][50][11]}

Economic powers

Considered economic powers only. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

•  Germany^[11]
•  Japan^[13][15][11]

See also

• Potential great powers
• The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

References

Further reading

• The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John J. Mearsheimer
• Theory of International Politics by Kenneth N Waltz
• World Politics: Trend and Transformation by Eugene R. John J Mearsheimer (born December 1947 is an American professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Witkopf
• The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy
• France and the Nazi Threat: The Collapse of French Diplomacy 1932-1939 by Jean-Baptiste Duroselle, Introduction by Anthony Adamthwaite (Enigma Books, ISBN 1-929631-15-4)