﻿Today, the United States is the largest superpower in the world. But has that always
been the case? The answer to that question is a resounding “no”. In fact, up until the Second
World War, the United States had no interest in becoming a major power. If that is true,
how did America become a superpower? And why did it happen after World War 2?
We hear the word, “superpower” all of the time but what does that really mean? You
would be surprised to learn that there is no real definition of what makes a country
a superpower – at least one that everyone can agree upon. Also, there are no specific numbers
a country needs to achieve to be considered a superpower be it the size of the army, the
country’s GDP, or the number of allies it has. So, if there is no definition of “superpower” or
specific numbers that a country needs to achieve, then how do you know if you are a superpower?
It mostly comes down to what other countries think. If they believe you are
a superpower then you probably are a superpower. But that is not enough to define “superpower”. We
must look deeper into what makes a superpower. Perhaps there are certain traits that all
superpowers share? In fact, there are. 1. Military Might: Superpowers need to have
a large and powerful military. They must be able to project force almost everywhere in
the world. On the ground, in the air, and at sea. Their weapons are technologically
superior to other countries and almost always have military bases spread across the globe.
2. Economic Strength: A superpower must have a strong economy. This can be best measured through
its Gross Domestic Product. What is GDP? It’s a way to measure the total value of all goods and
services produced within a country. A high GDP typically indicates a strong economy. There are
other factors as well. A moderate inflation rate. Low unemployment. An extensive infrastructure.
A reasonable amount of foreign debt. 3. International Influence: A superpower
can convince other countries to support its interests, policies, and actions. Often this takes
the form of countries sharing mutual interests and building strong alliances. In extreme situations,
a superpower has the willingness to impose economic sanctions and sometimes
will threaten military action to get its way. Although these three factors – military might,
a strong economy, and being able to influence other countries are the hallmarks of a superpower,
there are other factors as well. Superpowers are politically stable. It doesn’t
matter if they are democratic or authoritarian – just that the government is stable. Superpowers
tend to have large populations and plentiful resources. They possess advanced technology,
and their people have a strong sense of nationalism. They have a unified culture
and there is little or no sectionalism. So now we know the traits of a superpower,
let’s look at some of the countries that may have been considered superpowers in the modern era.
Britain may have been considered a superpower at one time. At the dawn of the 20th Century,
Britain possessed almost all of the traits of a superpower. It had a large military and the
most powerful navy in the world. And with that navy, it could project power almost everywhere.
It had a vast network of colonies – so vast that it was once said that the sun never set on the
British empire. It was highly influential in world affairs and had a strong economy
based on manufacturing and trade. Although Britain itself did not possess vast resources,
it was able to rely on its colonies to produce everything it needed. Its internal population was
not particularly large, but when combined with its colonies, it had a significant population as well.
It had all the earmarks of a superpower. But what about the United States? What’s
the background story here? The answer may surprise you.
Throughout most of its history, the United States was considered a minor – relatively
insignificant country. It was far from Europe, had a very small army, and had little interest in
becoming a major power. Aside from the Western Hemisphere, the United States largely ignored
the rest of the world. That began to change in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War.
Almost everyone expected Spain would win – and win easily. After all,
its military was much larger. Yet the Americans swiftly defeated the Spanish at sea and on land.
Not only did the United States soundly defeat a major European power – it had done so in a mere
six weeks. What was even more impressive was that the United States had been able to capture
Spanish territory far from its shores. By the end of the war, America controlled
several territories in the Caribbean. It had also wrestled control of the Philippines Islands far
from America’s shores. With the Philippines, America now had a foothold in Asia – a base
from which it could trade throughout the region. It also annexed the Hawaiian Islands,
allowing it to control part of the Central Pacific Ocean. To everyone’s surprise, the United States
had built a small empire for itself. Europe began to realize that the United
States had the potential to become a world power. Its vast resources and manufacturing capabilities
had long been known. But in its war with Spain, the United States had shown an unexpected military
capability. Not only could it raise an army very quickly – from less than 30,000 soldiers to
220,000 in a matter of months – it could fight far beyond its territorial waters. It was the perfect
opportunity for the United States to establish itself as a rising power. Yet, within a few years,
the United States lost interest in the rest of the world and retreated into isolationism. It slashed
the size of its military and refused to involve itself in European politics. It remained that way
until 1917 when it entered the First World War. Much like the Spanish-American war, the United
States entered the First World War with a small military. In fact, the army was
smaller than thirteen of the states that were already active in the war. It had a standing
army of less than 130,000 soldiers in 1917. A year later, it had 4 million men under arms,
half of them serving in Europe. And again, the United States showed that it could project
force far from home. At its peak, some 10,000 American soldiers arrived in France each day.
For a time, however, it appeared that America wanted to become a part of a wider world. It even
proposed the creation of an international body to resolve disputes through dialog, diplomacy,
and mediation. It was the first institution of its kind in the modern era. Instead of returning to
isolation, the United States sought to bring the nations of the world together – and participate in
the global community beyond trade and military actions. It was called the League of Nations.
More than 40 nations signed on to the League of Nations immediately. These included major
powers such as the United Kingdom and France. Lesser powers such as Japan,
and the newly formed Soviet Union were also founding members. They were joined by many
other countries around the world including Brazil, China, South Africa, and others. At its peak, the
League of Nations had more than 60 members with representatives from every region of the world.
Yet, the country that proposed the idea of a League of Nations – the United States – did
not join. There was simply not enough political support to become a member of the international
community. American politicians sought to retreat from world affairs and return to
a policy of isolationism. And so they did. When the Second World War broke out in 1939,
the United States sought to avoid becoming a direct participant in the conflict. It was
willing to go to great lengths to ensure that the allies were provided with weapons and resources,
but nothing more. That changed on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a massive surprise
attack on America’s largest military base in the Pacific. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Japan had been a country on the rise for several decades and had great ambitions to
become a powerful nation that wielded great power and influence. Japan believed that the
time had come to drive Western influence out of East Asia and liberate its Asian brothers from
European and American exploitation. And once liberated, it was Japan’s responsibility to
protect them. It sounded like a noble cause, but it sought to free Asia through exploitation. They
understood that to build an empire, Japan needed to build a strong economy and a powerful military,
but lacked the natural resources needed to expel the West. It believed that the only
way that it could achieve its goals was to seize those resources by force. It soon found itself
at odds with the United States which objected to Japanese expansionism. Japan was not overly
concerned with the United States. It saw the United States as a weak enemy whose people
lacked the political will to fight a war. It believed that a single strike on the American
navy would end the war with a single blow. Not everyone agreed that the United States was
a weak country or that its people would avoid a war at all costs. One of Japan’s greatest
military leaders, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto knew the potential of the United States. He had spent
a considerable amount of time in America. He understood the vastness of America’s resources,
its industrial capabilities, and a strong sense of determination among its people. Yamamoto saw
the United States as a “sleeping giant” that once awakened, would prove to be a dangerous
enemy. And he was right. The United States did not back down after the destruction of its fleet
at Pearl Harbor. Japan had woken the giant. And that spelled doom for Japan and its German ally.
The United States had long been an industrial powerhouse. Although many American factories
closed during the Great Depression, they were quickly reopened and retooled to produce war
materials. New factories were built increasing the amount of goods the United States could
produce. With its vast natural resources, the United States had the necessary materials to
supply its factories. It mobilized its population – which had grown to 150 million people – to work
in its factories and serve in the military. In 1941 the U.S. military had 1.4 million men
under arms. By 1945, the size of the American military had grown to 12 million. The army
itself had increased from 1.4 million soldiers to well over 8 million in just four years. It also
developed a secret weapon, one that would change the course of world history – the atomic bomb.
Yes, the sleeping giant was fully awake and would never sleep again.
The United States emerged from the Second World War as the most powerful nation in the world,
a title that it still holds today. As a result of the Second World War, the United States went from
being a B-List actor on the world stage to the biggest superstar ever known. How exactly did
this happen and why was the Second World War the catalyst for superstardom? Let’s explore.
The war had devastated Europe. Hardly a major city survived unscathed. Cities such as London and
Berlin were barely left standing as a result of almost continuous bombing raids. During the war,
the German bombers destroyed an estimated 70,000 buildings in London. Another 1.7
million buildings were damaged. In Berlin, an estimated 80 percent of the city center
was destroyed between Allied bombing and the Soviet Union’s assault and eventual capture of
the city. Dresden saw 90 percent of its city center destroyed in a single night. But that
was not the worst. The German city of Jülich was completely leveled – 100 percent of its
buildings were destroyed between bombing raids and fighting for control of the city during the war.
Japan too faced widespread devastation. For much of the war, the Japanese home islands were safely
out of reach of American bombers. That changed in June 1944, when the United States introduced the
B-29 Superfortress, a new bomber that could reach Japan from great distances. The United
States repeatedly attacked Japanese cities with firebombs – setting whole cities afire. On the
night of March 9th, 1945, the United States sent hundreds of bombers to attack the Japanese capital
of Tokyo with incendiary bombs. Approximately 270,000 buildings – 25 percent of the city – were
destroyed in this single attack. The fires killed an estimated 100,000 Japanese with another million
left homeless. The war ended when the United States attacked the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki with a new secret weapon – the atomic bomb. The attack on Hiroshima either damaged
or destroyed nearly 70 percent of the city’s infrastructure. In Nagasaki, nearly 40 percent of
the buildings were destroyed or damaged. When the war finally ended, the United
States found that it was stronger than it was when it entered the war. And there are
reasons for that. America was protected by thousands of miles of ocean on each side,
and simply could not be attacked in any meaningful way. Its cities, factories, and infrastructure
remained untouched. Not only that, but America’s industrial production doubled during the war.
Its GDP grew by $47 billion dollars and the unemployment rate dropped to 1.2 percent. America
still emerged from the war as a wealthy country with tremendous industrial capabilities. It was
also more technically advanced than any other country and had the strongest military in the
world. It was the only country to possess the most devastating weapon known to mankind – the
atomic bomb. By the end of the Second World War, the United States had all of the hallmarks of a
superpower except for one. A willingness to participate in global affairs. In the past,
American politicians had no interest – no ambitions – to become a leading nation. It
had shown this mentality after the First World War when it chose to turn its back on the League
of Nations and withdrew from European affairs. But this time would be different. The United
States would embrace the rest of the world. It did so in many different ways. The United
States committed itself to rebuilding Europe – specifically Western Europe. Through the
Marshall Plan, the United States provided Western Europe with significant financial support and
made available the necessary materials for countries to rebuild their cities,
infrastructure, and manufacturing capabilities. It also helped rebuild Japan and created new
political institutions that favored the United States. It later began to provide foreign aid
to other countries around the world to curry favor among less developed countries. The United
States also helped to establish and actively participate in new international institutions
such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank – all of whom
were headquarters in the United States. It filled political and economic voids in many parts of the
world created as a result of the demise of the British, French, and Japanese empires. It formed
military alliances such as NATO and positioned itself to become the protector of the Free World.
The United States was not the only country that became a superpower
from the ashes of the Second World War – it was joined by the Soviet Union which would
eventually become America’s biggest enemy. The Soviet Union had suffered greatly during
the Second World War – especially in the early years of the conflict – but gained strength as
the war progressed. By 1945, it was determined to control all of the territory it had captured
from Germany. It had twice been devastated by Germany – and was forced to exit the First
World War before the conflict ended. After the Second World War, Russia was
determined to create a buffer zone between itself and potential future adversaries. The
countries of Eastern Europe would serve as that buffer zone. To ensure their loyalty,
the Soviets installed communist puppet states. Europe became divided into two camps – countries
that favored the United States and countries that favored the Soviet Union. This ultimately led to
a Cold War in which most of the world would become polarized between the two countries.
This changed in the early 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed. The reborn Russian Federation
was still a superpower, but much weaker than it had been. It soon regained its strength and
Russia began to challenge the United States as a new Cold War started to emerge. Russia
proved to be a paper tiger, however. When it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the global
community believed the conflict would last only a few weeks. Nobody ever expected Ukraine to fight
back in any meaningful war. But it did. After Ukraine beat back the initial Russian
advance, the Western powers began to slowly arm Ukraine with modern weaponry. Western arms
changed the tide of the war. Russian equipment proved to be significantly inferior to American,
British, and French weaponry and today the Russian army is on the defensive. Russia’s
status as a superpower has been questioned as a result of its failure on the battlefield and
the fact that world opinion has turned against it. Russia has very little influence in world affairs,
and its economy is in tattered. It no longer meets the key qualifications of a superpower.
If Russia is no longer a superpower, could the United States eventually
lose its superpower status too? It’s possible, but not anytime soon.
America still possesses all of the traits of a superpower, but some areas are starting to weaken.
The United States has amassed a staggering amount of debt in recent decades, and it faces a serious
trade deficit that increases every year. Just last year alone, the trade deficit increased by more
than 10% and there are no signs that the situation will improve in the next few years. Political
divisions are widening, and the ability to compromise is becoming much more difficult. Even
election results have been called into question. But not all is lost. America remains the most
powerful nation in the world. It has a modern and powerful military that is second to none.
Its economy remains the largest in the world. And there is no evidence that
its influence on world affairs is in decline. Problems can be fixed, and the United States
will remain a superpower for the foreseeable future. But will it be the only superpower?
China may be on the verge of becoming a superpower. It possesses many of the qualities
of a superpower. It has the second-largest economy in the world. It has the largest army
in the world and is rapidly modernizing its military. China has the third-largest nuclear
stockpile and is actively expanding its arsenal. China has a strong and unified government and
its influence outside of Asia is growing. It has the largest population in the world
and possesses advanced technology. Yet China is facing some headwinds in its attempt to become
a superpower. Its economy may not be as strong as it appears and its navy still needs to build more
ships that can operate far from its shores. Yes, China has the potential to become a superpower
but that might not be as soon as people think. What do you think? Will China become a superpower?
Can it challenge the United States on the world stage? Let us know what you
think in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more military content and analysis.