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1、www.12y.org 留学生活网 专业留学作业写作机构留学作业写作-Is the UK a Global Military Power? The answer to the question Is the UK a global military power? depends on the theoretical lens through which one analyses the UKs military power. The theoretical perspective affects the definition of military power that is used and
2、 therefore the answer to the question. At the beginning of this essay I will discuss a prominent school of thought within International Relations, Realism. I will argue that examining the UKs military power through this theoretical approach provides the conclusion that the UK is not a global militar
3、y power. This is because realism considers power as a zero-sum game based on material capabilities. The UKs material capabilities are weaker when compared to that of other states and therefore if power is zero-sum the UK loses power as other states gain it. I will then argue that the UK is in fact a
4、 global military power when factors other than material capabilities are analysed. Factors such as the UKs membership of security institutions, the implications of these memberships and the UK militarys global reach and influence. I will use Hedley Bulls defining characteristics of a global power to
5、 examine the UKs military strength. This requires an English School approach, which I believe to be more appropriate than the Realist approach as it takes into consideration the role of the military in a changing global environment e.g. The importance of international institutions, the role of human
6、itarian intervention and emerging security challenges that require British military influence abroad.Defining what a global military power is fundamental to answering this question. The literature often conflates military power with the status of a global power more generally. For example, military
7、capability and thus power, is a countrys ability to defend itself against threats, both foreign and domestic, as well as pursuing interests despite competing interests from other actors (Tellis, 2000). Military power is considered in this instance as the product of national power, hence the status o
8、f global power being synonymous with military power. This can make it difficult to distinctly define if a state is a global military power therefore it is simpler to measure military power rather than to define it. As previously mentioned measuring military power depends on the theoretical approach
9、taken. This is why I will be using two different notions of military power. I will begin by discussing the realist approach. Mearsheimer, in his book The tragedy of great power politics, states that global powers have offensive military capabilities and that military power is measured in relation to
10、 the weaponry a state possesses (Mearsheimer, 2001). Immediately, the material military power a state possesses is an indicator of its status as a global military power. Therefore, I will use the assertion by Mearsheimer that a states effective power is ultimately a function of its military forces a
11、nd how they compare with the military forces of rival states (Mearsheimer, 2001, 55) as the key indicator of military power from a realist perspective. The international relations scholar Kenneth Waltz also asserts that a great power is one which holds material superiority over others, reasserting t
12、hat material military capabilities are an important indicator of power status (Morris, 2011).The Global Fire Power website provides a power index whereby countries are given a score as a result of their; air, sea and land forces, strength of infrastructure, resilience of economy and defensible terri
13、tory. This rating provides an indicator of where the UK ranks in terms of its potential to wage a prolonged campaign against another state (G, 2017). Much of this score is based upon numerical data relating to physical capabilities such as total aircraft strength, total naval assets, army personnel
14、as well defence spending and natural resources (petroleum). The UK ranks 6 in the world on this index below France, China, Russia, India and the United States (G, 2017). Maintaining a realist perspective indicates that the UK is not a global military power in comparison to the five states which supe
15、rsede its power. This is because power that is acquired relatively is more significant than absolute gain (Waltz, 1959). In other words, analysing the UKs military power in relation to other states is more indicative of its global position than if it were to be analysed in isolation to other states,
16、 according to realist theory. This is the assertion that power is a zero-sum game, which means as one actor gains power other actors immediately lose power. Therefore, as other states rank above the UK using this power index the UK is immediately rendered weaker than the states above it (Powell, 1991).Significantly, the power index does not include the UKs nuclear capabilities which are part of its military
