Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS
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Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS Paper: Perspectives on International Relations and World History Lesson: Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS Lesson Developer: Ankit Tomar College: Miranda House, University of Delhi Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU& BRICS TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Defining Post-Cold War Era Major Developments in Post-Cold War Period American Hegemony and UniPolar World Emergence of Other Centres of Power: EU, BRICS and Japan Conclusion Glossary Essay Type Questions Multiple Choice Questions Suggested Readings Useful Web-Links Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS INTRODUCTION International politics is ever-changing, dynamic and comprehensive. It has never accepted any particular order as permanent and it has been proved with the dismantling of the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe (1991) and the end of Cold War which led to the massive changes in the international system. The end of Cold War gives a start of new phase in the history of international politics which is often referred as a ‘post-Cold War’ phase of world politics. In the post-Cold War era, the balance of power system and bipolar system that existed for a long period before the end of Cold War, was made away by the unipolar world order loaded with multi-polar characteristics, where more than one power may exercise its influence in world politics. Thus, it would not be unwise to describe the present international order as ‘unipolar with multi-polar tendencies’. Top Five Largest Economies in 2050 Source:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Top_five_largest _economies_in_2050.jpg/800px-Top_five_largest_economies_in_2050.jpg Accessed on January 11, 2016 at 3:37 PM In the post-Cold War context, a whole range of issue that were once viewed as of secondary importance, now have a serious implications and stronger central role in driving change in global politics. In the present scenario, some of the most important issues of concern in global politics include environmental concerns and climate change, nuclear proliferation, menace of global terrorism, rise of ethnic conflicts, globalization and threat to nation state, human rights and refugee issue and the like. Furthermore, in the post-Cold War era questions have been continuously raised by some scholars against the relevance of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) as the superpower rivalry gets over with the end of Cold War. Nevertheless, NAM countries, in the post-Cold War scenario, are continuing to use this forum to achieve a set of agendas which are relevant in the post-Cold War world. It includes, among others, independence in foreign Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS relations, sustainable development, protection of environment, international cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields, equity in trade relations, democratization of the United Nations and NAM’s long standing goals of international peace and security, disarmament and arms control, and protection of human rights. Non-Aligned Countries on World Map Source:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/Cold_war2.png Accessed on January 11, 2016 at 3:37 PM The international financial regimes such as the IMF, the World Bank and WTO, with their policies of structural adjustments, are also continued to dominate all over the developing and under-developed countries of Southern-hemisphere in the era of the post-Cold War. In the post-Cold War scenario, although security and defence issues remain important and military power, though not a salient feature of world politics but still it viewed as one potential among many sources of strength and influence and continues to be the most reliable technique for serving the interest of the big and powerful states. This became evident soon after the end of Cold War on the wake of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and action taken by the US led coalition power under the auspices of the UN. The war on Terror, being carried out by the US initially against Afghanistan and thereafter against Iraq, post9/11, show that the use of military power is still important and its use by the reigning superpower and its allies to the protection of their own interest is the rule of the day. Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS 9/11 Attack: An Incident of International Terrorism Source:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K3E3nPfXyh4/maxresdefault.jpg Accessed on January 11, 2016 at 3:40 PM The post-Cold War world also witnessing an increased regional integration and growth of regional arrangements such as the European Union, SAARC, BRICS, ASEAN, OPEC, NAFTA, APEC, OAS, AU and a host of others which can pose a threat to the US supremacy. Now, the prime purpose of this lesson is not to depict US as the only superpower in world politics rather it aims to show the major developments in the post- Cold war era and the emergence of other centres of power. DEFINING POST-COLD WAR ERA The term ‘Post- Cold War’ refers to a one of the significant phase in the history of international politics which not only depicts the end of the Cold War and a bloc politics that led to a serious rivalry between the two distinct ideological camps followed by the two superpowers (USA and USSR) and their respective allies but also marked a global power shift in the world politics. Today, in the post-Cold War era, the international politics is very different as it was immediately after the Second World War. The impact of globalization, terrorism or climate change on global politics was almost negligible before the end of Cold War. Moreover, the post-Cold War world order has thrown many Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS challenges to the researchers and practitioners of international politics: Is the post-Cold War international order a unipolar or a multi-polar one? Is globalization eroding the notion of state sovereignty? Is the world moving towards economic integration? Are EU, BRICS and Japan going to pose an effective challenge to the might of the United States? These and many other pertinent issues has acquire the centre place in the post-Cold War international politics and require proper analyses in order to understand the nature and scope of global politics in a broad and comprehensive way. Now, if one has look at the history of international politics after the disintegration of erstwhile Soviet Union in 1991, it shows that the international world order has no longer remains a bipolar world and become unipolar just after the end of Cold War. But the post-Cold War era is not only about the unipolarity in world order rather it has also witnesses the emergence of alternative centres of power in the 21st century. Emergence of Alternative Centres of Power Source:http://nghiencuuquocte.org/wp- content/uploads/2014/06/00_INTL_shutterstock_84881428_2030_Brilliant_659px.jpg Accessed on January 14, 2016 at 4:30 PM Besides all of this the main characteristic feature of the post- Cold War era is that many of the issues such as environmental degradation, international terrorism, human security, the rising rates of migration, poverty, ethno-cultural conflicts, etc. which were at the periphery of global agendas become the issues of global concern with a greater interest in the changing world scenario. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN POST-COLD WAR PERIOD The four and a half decade long Cold War (1945-1990) marked an important phase in the history of International Politics. This war was responsible for the bipolar nature of world politics in which the two superpowers behaved like separate and contradicted poles. But with the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cold war was ended and bipolarity in the world politics also ceased to exist. Thus, the former Soviet Union was no longer a challenge to the United State’s hegemonic leadership and the United States sits alone at the top of the international hierarchy soon after the end of Cold War which has transformed the global hierarchy. Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi Post-Cold War Developments and Emergence of Other Centres of Power: Japan, EU & BRICS USA USSR Source: Author Accessed on January 11, 2016 at 3:25 PM Other notable developments in world politics that took place after the end of Cold War were the unification of Germany, the creation of CIS, and the divisions of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Soon after the dismantling of Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was acknowledged as the successor of the former Soviet Union by the international community. It was given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, in place of the former Soviet Union. Apart from that the fifteen sovereign States of former Soviet Union also marked the beginning of a new era of cooperation and friendship. The countries in other parts of the world also start to adjust their roles in a new world order which is markedly different from that of the previous four and a half decades. After the end of Cold War, the new millennium has also witnessed a number of remarkable changes in the international system. Globalization, technological advancements, emergence of non-state actors along with nation-states, rise of international organizations, disarmament and arms control, international law and neo- liberal capitalist world order becomes one of the main characteristic features of the post- Cold War era.