- European powers dominated control over the world's resources.
- Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Italy divided the world into spheres of influence that included political and economic control over vast territories in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
- These countries used their military and economic might to maintain their empires, often leading to conflict and tension between them.
After World War II
- The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two superpowers, dominating global politics, military power, and economic influence.
- The Cold War, the intense rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and their alliances, shaped the global order.
- Decolonization, the process of dismantling European empires, created a new geopolitical landscape with many new independent nations.
Comparison
- Both periods were characterized by a concentration of power in a small number of countries that sought to exert control over the world's resources, markets, and spheres of influence.
- After World War II, the global balance of power shifted dramatically due to the emergence of the U.S. and the Soviet Union as the primary powers, replacing the fragmented European powers.
- The Cold War added an ideological dimension to the competition for global dominance, while decolonization introduced a new era of self-determination and independence for many nations.