Great Powers and the Balance of Power

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. The United States as Global Power. The United States emerged as sole superpower after the Cold War, building its strategy and alliances around that position.
2. China's Rise and Strategic Competition. China's economic transformation since 1978 has been accompanied by a more assertive foreign and security policy under Xi Jinping.
3. Russia's Post-Soviet Trajectory and the War in Ukraine. Since 2000, Russia under Vladimir Putin has pursued a foreign policy asserting influence over the former Soviet space, culminating in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
4. Europe's Geopolitical Position. The European Union, Germany, France, and post-Brexit Britain each navigate distinct, sometimes competing, approaches to European security and global influence.
5. India, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific Balance. India's strategic autonomy, Japan's evolving security posture, and South Korea's balancing act all shape the contested Indo-Pacific order.
6. Middle Powers and Competing Blocs. Turkey, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and blocs such as the G7 and BRICS illustrate the growing influence of middle powers in a possibly more multipolar order.
7. Nuclear, Cyber, and Space Competition. Nuclear arsenals, contested non-proliferation cases, cyber operations, and space capabilities have become intertwined domains of great-power rivalry.
8. Economic and Technological Statecraft. Sanctions, semiconductor export controls, artificial intelligence, and climate cooperation have become central instruments and arenas of great-power competition.