This essay assess' how and to what extent mechanisms of power have changed over time. From the British Empire to the UN issuing sanctions on Iran, this essay outlines the shift from hard power to soft power the geopolitical reasons as to why.
Assess the extent to which mechanisms of power have changed over time (12)
The shift in mechanisms of power can be observed to run parallel to the evolution of the
superpowers overtime, with some noticeable anomalies. However, it is important to also
notice that as there is an overall correlation of softer power increasing with the evolution of
the superpowers’ mechanisms of power that there has always been soft power utilised from
the very start. The mechanisms of power can be illustrated by a spectrum of actions: from
hard to soft. Hard power can be defined by force for one to get their own way and normally
encompasses military force and is more extreme. In the neutral/middle of the spectrum we
have economic power which can also be categorised as ‘smart power’ as it is a mixture of
both hard and soft power and normally encompasses economic aid and trade agreements.
Lastly, we have soft power which can be defined as the power of persuasion and normally
encompasses culture, political values and foreign policies-soft power shouldn’t be
undermined as its effectiveness has increased its popularity over time.
The process of change in mechanisms of power can partly be illustrated by the evolution of
the British Empire. In the mercantile phase of the building of the British Empire it is
noticeable that many mechanisms (but not all) were of hard power. Britain colonised many
islands and coastal fringes. It had forts and a navy that protected trade in raw materials and
slaves. The British Empire’s Royal Navy was a mechanism of hard power as it dominated the
world’s oceans and protected colonies from being invaded. However, arguably the success
of the British Empire in the 19th century can be underpinned to its development of ‘smart
power’ in the transition into its imperial phase. Softer power can be observed in the imperial
phase through the colonisation of India. The process of acculturation was undertaken as
British traditions like cricket and afternoon tea were introduced. Furthermore, economic
mechanisms of power grew as India was modernised through the constructions of 60,00km
in railways that enabled the transport of goods to ports to export, however this railway also
allowed for the hard power of troops to put down the rebellion and therefore control the
Indian population. Complex trade developed through exportation of UK manufactured
goods to new colonial markets (early stages of capitalism). By the 1920’s the British Empire
ruled over 20% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s landmass. Therefore, the
majority of the British Empire’s mechanism of power was hard power however it is
undeniable that it used some softer power especially in the transition into the imperial
phase.
The process of change in mechanisms of power can be further illustrated in the post-
colonial era. Emerging powers were threatening the traditional geopolitical spheres of
influence of established superpowers like the British Empire. The colonial era came to an
end relatively quickly after WW2 due to a plethora of factors: post-war bankruptcy meant
there was no capital to invest in defending colonies and the reconstruction in home
countries was the priority. Colonies were unable to continue mechanisms of hard power as
they didn’t have the capital available as hard power demands expense and war often
doesn’t go to plan and can fail. Furthermore, there were historical developments in
mechanisms of power that would ultimately challenge the British Empire. The Rapid
American Industrialisation had different mechanisms of power, it’s transcontinental rail links
and exploitation of huge coal and metal reserves gave the US an economic power base and
allowed it to overtake the UK economically. Superpowers were observing the value of
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