Post; Why the word "Superpower" exists?

godofthunder9010 · October 3rd, 2004

Awhile back, I looked up the word Superpower --
"A powerful and influential nation, especially a nuclear power that dominates its allies or client states in an international power bloc." was the definition from one dictionary.

"a state powerful enough to influence events throughout the world" was the definition from another.

I've never really like the term Superpower because it seems to effectively claim that a nation like the United States today (or the USSR in the Cold War era) is somehow unprecedented throughout history. Minus the obvious "nuclear" qualifier, what nations in the history of the world could have been referred to as Superpowers according to those definitions? Three I thought of: Spain, Great Britain and France all used to have the level of influence worldwide that would qualify them.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

October 3rd, 2004
godofthunder9010 Tribunus Laticlavius Gear	Post; Why the word "Superpower" exists? Awhile back, I looked up the word Superpower -- "A powerful and influential nation, especially a nuclear power that dominates its allies or client states in an international power bloc." was the definition from one dictionary. "a state powerful enough to influence events throughout the world" was the definition from another. I've never really like the term Superpower because it seems to effectively claim that a nation like the United States today (or the USSR in the Cold War era) is somehow unprecedented throughout history. Minus the obvious "nuclear" qualifier, what nations in the history of the world could have been referred to as Superpowers according to those definitions? Three I thought of: Spain, Great Britain and France all used to have the level of influence worldwide that would qualify them. What are everyone's thoughts on this? __________________ "It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it." - General Robert E. Lee Warning, critical pebkac error in the iD10t!! pebkac\wtflolurpwnzd\snafuroflmao.exe called iD10t, iD10t failed to respond!! System in danger!! "It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. I am NOT a big man." -Chevy Chase