superpower

Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined means of economic, military, technological, political, and cultural strength as well as diplomatic and soft power influence. Traditionally, superpowers are preeminent among the great powers. While a great power state is capable of exerting its influence globally, superpowers are states so influential that no significant action can be taken by the global community without first consider

AI overview

A superpower is a country or union of countries that has so much economic, military, technological, and cultural strength that it can influence events and decisions around the world. Understanding superpowers matters because these nations shape global politics, security, and international relationships in ways that affect countries everywhere.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev at the first Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.jpg

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Hegemony

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~29 min read

Article

40 sections

Contents

Origin
During the Cold War
After the Cold War
Potential superpowers
1980s and 1990s
21st century
Superpower collapse
Soviet Union
British Empire
United States
Superpower disengagement
Proposed early superpowers
Archaic globalization (before 1500)
Bronze Age
Fertile Crescent in the Early Bronze Age
Fertile Crescent in the Middle Bronze Age
Fertile Crescent and Mediterranean Sea in the Late Bronze Age
Indian subcontinent
East Asia
Mesoamerica
Andes
Classical antiquity
Indian subcontinent
Known world by the ancient Greeks before the Hellenistic period
Known world by the ancient Romans in their republican era
Known world by the ancient Romans in their imperial era
East Asia
Mesoamerica
Andes
Post-Classical Age
Known world by Medieval Europeans and Middle Easterners
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mesoamerica
South America
Proto-globalization (1500–1800)
Modern globalization (1800–1945)
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

In 1944, during World War II, the term was first applied to the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the United States. During the Cold War, the British Empire dissolved, leaving the United States and the Soviet Union to dominate world affairs. At the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States became the world's sole superpower, a position sometimes referred to as that of a "hyperpower".