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91 Cards in this Set
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Why has China and India only ever been at war once? |
Despite not being aligned culturally or politically and sharing a large border, they have never been at war with each other (apart from once in 1962). This is because the Himalayas lie between them and large military convoys cannot pass through them. Both countries concentrate their foreign policy on other nations. |
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Why is Russia notoriously hard to invade and conquer? |
To the west is the Northern European Plain, which encompasses all of western and northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, northern Germany and nearly all of Poland. In the Polish section, a wedge exists, the thin part being only 300 miles apart. By the time the wedge gets to Russia it is over 2000 mile wide of flatland. This corridor may be hard to defend by Russia as it is so long, however Russia has not been conquered from this direction due to strained supply lines (such as Napoleon's attack in 1812 and Hitler's in 1941). It is also difficult to move an army from Asia up into Asian Russia due to snowy weather and the mountainous terrain of the Urals. This large piece of territory would also lead to strained supply lines and risk of counter-attack. |
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Why does Putin hate Mikhael Gorbachev? |
NATO was formed in 1949 in order to protect countries from Soviet aggression. In response, most of the Communist states of Europe – under Russian leadership – formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955, a treaty for military defence and mutual aid. It lasted until 1989. Putin blames Gorbachev for this and calls the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990's as ‘a major geopolitical disaster of the century’. By 2004, every single former Warsaw Pact state bar Russia was in NATO or the European Union. |
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How did Ivan the Terrible improve the natural defences of Russia? |
Early Russia was a loose confederation of Eastern Slavic tribes. They were constantly attacked and invaded by the Mongols throughout the 1200's. The tribes retreated to the Grand Principality of Muscovy (now Moscow). This was indefensible due to the surrounding terrain being entirely flat. Ivan the Terrible consolidated his power and expanded his borders to more defensible terrain in 1533. It extended to the Arctic Ocean in the north, past the Urals to the East and through to the Black Sea with the Caucasus Mountains as a barrier to protect against Persians, Mongols and the Ottoman Empire. |
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Why is Siberia so important to Russia? |
Despite the relatively low population, Siberia contains the majority of Russia's mineral wealth, oil, and gas. However, it is a harsh land that freezes for months at a time, has lots of forests, large swamps, and poor soil for farming . |
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What was the true reason behind the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979? |
While the claim was to bring Marxist-Leninism to the Afghan people, it was partially to consolidate land and control a port that had access to the Indian Ocean. Every port that Russia owned at the time froze in winter, thus disabling their trade routes. Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean freezes for four months at a time, and the rest of the time is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, heavily dominated by the Japanese. |
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How did the break-up of the Soviet Union affect the shape of countries on the map? |
When the Soviet Union broke apart it split into fifteen separate countries. Most countries' new borders were created by mountains, lakes, rivers, and seas. However, the "Stans" maintained their old borders, which were devised by Stalin to weaken each state by ensuring it had large minorities of people from other states. |
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Which three countries could spark a war if they joined NATO and why? |
Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. These countries all want to join NATO and the EU but are being held at bay due to their close proximity to Russia and have pro-Russian militia or Russian troops on their soil. |
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What was the pre-text for Russia annexing the Crimea? |
An anti-Russian government took control of Ukraine in 2014 and made comments about abolishing Russian as the official second language of the Ukraine. Putin made the case that the ethnic Russians inside Ukraine (60% of its population) were in danger and needed to be protected (there is a law in the Kremlin that compels the Russian government to do everything they can to protect ethnic Russians). |
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What was one of the true reasons for Russia invading Crimea? |
A pro-Russian Ukranian government could be relied on to guard the Northern European Plain and allow access to Sevastopol (a warm water port on the Black Sea). Even a neutral Ukraine could be acceptable due to their reliance on Russian energy. An anti-Russian Ukranian government that wanted to join NATO was absolutely unacceptable and this meant that Russia had to annex Crimea. |
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What happened to Russian naval strength after the annexation of Crimea? |
Having annexed Crimea, Russia is building up their Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol and constructing a new naval port at Novorossiysk to increase their capacity (eighty new ships and several submarines). |
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Why is it important for Romania to boost its fleet in the Black Sea? |
The increase in Russian naval strength in the Black Sea concerns NATO, so there is an urge for Romania to build their fleet as well while Turkey holds the Bosporus (the passage to the Mediterranean). |
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Why are European countries trying to find alternate means of meeting energy requirements? |
Russia provides better gas prices to countries that have a good relationship with them. Because Russia enforces this policy aggressively, and because over 25% of Europe's gas and oil comes from Russia, many countries are seeking alternative energy by building ports or turning to renewable energy. |
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How is America combating Russia's natural gas chokehold on European countries? |
America has increased its shake gas production, meaning it is more self-sufficient and able to sell its surplus to Europe. It converts the gas to LNG (liquified natural gas), ships it across the Atlantic, and then converts back to gas once in Europe. Europe is already building more LNG terminals and America is building more export facilities. This could lead to Russia losing its chokehold on Europe's energy. |
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What led to the rise of the Communist Party in China? |
Japan invaded China in 1932 and 1937. When Japan surrendered after WW2, they withdrew and the Soviet Union took control until 1946. Nationalist and communist forces fought for supremacy in 1949, with the Communists eventually winning under Chairman Mao. |
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Describe the defensive situation of China. |
To the north is Mongolia and the Gobi desert. An army approaching from this direction will be seen weeks in advance and would have to face an inhospitable terrain and long supply lines. To the East of Mongolia is the Russian border with mountainous terrain. Russia also relies too much on China (due to economic sanctions imposed by Europe) to be much of a threat. To the south, Vietnam shares a border and has caused conflict in the past, but is too small to challenge China and would need to ally with America to be a threat. The remaining countries to the south and west are separated by large mountain ranges. The weakest spot is the border with Kazakhstan (via the old Silk Road) but is not able to threaten China. |
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Why does China want control of Tibet? |
China wants to control Tibet in case India or one of its allies stakes a claim on it. This would give them command of the Tibetan Plateau and a base to push into China's heartland. It also gives control of the source of the Yellow, Yangtze, and Mekong rivers (which is why Tibet is known as 'China's Water Tower') |
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Why is the province of Xinjiang so important to China and why has it been a source of trouble? |
Xinjiang borders eight countries, acting as a defensive buffer to the heartland. It also contains oil and is home to China's nuclear testing sites. The native Muslim population (Uighurs), inspired by the 'Stans' and Tibet becoming independent states, have twice tried to declare themselves an independent state known as East Turkestan in the 1930's and 40's. Beijing has stamped this out by ruthlessly suppressing dissent, invested heavily in the region, and flooded it with Han workers. |
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Why is China so resistant to democracy and individual rights? |
If the population were given a free vote, the unity of the Han people might fracture or the rural and urban areas might rebel (as these areas are far worse off than coastal regions). This would weaken the buffer zones. Unity,economic progress, and the good of the collective are prioritised far more than democratic principles and the rights of an individual. |
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Why does China have a food crisis? |
It is hard for China to feed its population due to 40% of its arable land is either polluted or has a thinning topsoil. China must continue industrializing as it modernizes, but this process threatens food production. |
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Why does China want a bigger navy? |
China needs a navy in case it runs out of resources or they are blockaded. It would take 30 years for a Chinese navy to match the United States. |
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What is the 10 Dash Line and why does China want to control it? |
The 10 Dash Line a region of the South China Sea that contains a collection of over 200 islands (most recently including Taiwan) that China wants to mark as its territory. It must control these passageways or risk being blockaded and gain access to the important shipping lanes. |
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What are some of the major disagreements between China and Japan? |
1) An uninhabited island chain called Senkaku (or Diaoyu). China wants to expand its defences, Japan is worried it would be used as a staging ground for attack. 2) Gas deposits in the East China Sea. China has declared an Air Defence Identification Zone over most of the sea, meaning aircraft need to give notice before flying over it. America and Japan are trying to ignore this. |
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Why is Taiwan a source of conflict between America and China? |
The Americans are committed to defending Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. However, if Taiwan declares independence, this would be considered an act of war by China and the USA is not bound to help. Most countries recognise China's jurisdiction due to the Chinese market and what it offers. China wants to control Taiwan but cannot challenge it militarily, and so are resorting to trade and tourism. |
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Why would a Chinese fleet have difficulty invading another country? |
After exiting the South China Sea, they would not be able to go to the Indian or the Pacific Ocean as this waterway would need to be protected (as oil and gas are received via this shipping lane). To go west toward the energy producing countries of the Gulf, the fleet would have to pass Vietnam (a potential American ally) and the Phillipines (an actual American ally), then pass through the Strait of Malacca which is monitored by Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (all US allies, all very wary of Chinese dominance and have territorial disputes). The strait is a natural choke point where a fleet could be decimated. |
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What is China's main goal in securing its future? |
China wants to become a two-ocean power by having unrestricted access to the Indian and the Pacific (much like America controls the Pacific and the Atlantic). China is investing in deep-water ports in Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, increasing trade relations and possible naval bases. From Burma's western coastline, China has built natural gas and oil pipelines linking the Bay of Bengal to south-west China. This reduces the amount of gas passing through the Strait of Malacca (where 80% of its energy passes through). The Americans are trying to influence Burma but are unsuccessful so far. China is also scouring Africa for minerals and precious metals (railway lines in Angola, ports in Kenya, and a hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia). |
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What features of America drew more European settlers? |
When the Europeans first began to land and stay in the early seventeenth century, they quickly realised that the east coast of this ‘virgin’ territory was packed with natural harbours and fertile soil. Here was a place where they could live freely. Additionally, the Homestead Act of 1862 awarded 160 acres of federally owned land to anyone who farmed it for five years and paid a small fee. This option was better than being a serf in Latin America. |
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How did Thomas Jefferson double America land mass in a single stroke? |
The western bank of the Mississippi was controlled by the French all the way down to the city of New Orleans. This gave the French command of American trade heading out to the Old World from the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the vast territory to the west in what is now the American heartland. In 1803, the United States simply bought control of the entire Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. The land stretched from the Gulf of Mexico north-west up to the headwaters of the tributaries of the Mississippi River in the Rocky Mountains. With it came the Mississippi basin, the greatest inland water transport route in the world |
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How did the Mississippi contribute to America's increasing economic strength? |
The greater Mississippi basin has more miles of navigable river than the rest of the world put together. Nowhere else are there so many rivers whose source is not in high land, and whose waters run smoothly all the way to the ocean across vast distances. The rivers were the natural conduit for ever-increasing trade, leading to a great port and all using waterborne craft which was far cheaper than road travel. |
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How did America evict the Spanish from America? |
By 1814 the British had gone, and the French had given up on Louisiana. The Spanish were exhausted by the war in Europe against Napoleon; the Americans were pushing the Seminole Indian nation into Spanish Florida, and Madrid knew that waves of settlers would be following. In 1819 the Spanish ceded Florida to the USA and with it a massive amount of territory. The Transcontinental Treaty of 1819 meant that the Spanish accepted that the USA would have jurisdiction in the far west above the 42nd parallel (line of latitude), on what is now the border of California and Oregon, while Spain would control what lay below, west of the American territories. The USA had reached the Pacific. |
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How did America gain Texas as part of its territory? |
Quietly, Washington encouraged Americans and new arrivals to begin to settle on both sides of the US–Mexican border. Waves of immigrants came and spread west and south-west. There was little chance of them putting down roots in the region we now know as modern Mexico, thus assimilating, and boosting the population numbers there. By the mid-1830s there were enough white settlers in Texas to force the Mexican issue. The Mexican, Catholic, Spanish-speaking population numbered in the low thousands, but there were about 20,000 white Protestant settlers. The Texas Revolution of 1835–6 drove the Mexicans out, but it was a close-run thing. However, Texas became independent via American money, arms and ideas. The territory went on to join the Union in 1845 and together they fought the 1846–8 Mexican War, in which they crushed their southern neighbour, which was required to accept that Mexico ended on the southern bank of the Rio Grande. |
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When did America gain Alaska as a territory? |
The USA paid $7.2 million, or 2 cents an acre to Russia for control of Alaska in 1867. This was widely seen as a terrible move until the discovery of major gold deposits in 1896. Decades later huge reserves of oil were also found. |
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What happened in 1869 that drastically changed the course of America's economy? |
1869 brought the opening of the transcontinental railroad. Now the country could be traversed in a week, whereas it had previously taken several hazardous months. |
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What was the result of the war between America and Spain in 1898? |
The USA declared war on Spain, routed its military and gained control of Cuba, with Puerto Rica, Guam and the Philippines. They would all come in useful, but Guam in particular is a vital strategic asset and Cuba a strategic threat if controlled by a major power.
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Why did Japan attack USA in WW2 and what were the consequences? |
The USA was attacked by an increasingly militaristic Japan after Washington imposed economic sanctions on Tokyo which would have brought the country to its knees. This brought America into the war and into global politics. |
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Why did Britain hand over their naval bases to America? |
In the 1800's, the British had learnt they needed forward bases and coaling stations from which to project and protect their naval power. Now, with Britain in decline, the Americans wanted to take over them. In 1940, the British had desperately needed more warships. The Americans had fifty spare and so, with what was called the ‘Destroyers for Bases Agreement’, the British swapped their ability to be a global power for help in remaining in the war. Almost every British naval base in the Western Hemisphere was handed over. |
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Which organisation was formed in 1949 and why is America effectively in charge of it? |
In 1949, Washington led the formation of NATO and with it effectively assumed command of the Western world’s surviving military might. The civilian head of NATO may change, but the military commander is always an American, and by far the greatest firepower within NATO is American. No matter what the treaty says, NATO’s Supreme Commander ultimately answers to Washington. An example of America throwing their weight around under the guise of NATO direction is the Suez Crisis of 1956, where the UK and France were compelled by American pressure to cease their occupation of the canal zone, losing most of their influence in the Middle East. As a result, a NATO country does not hold a strategic naval policy without first asking the USA. |
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What are the three biggest challenges to American authority and why are they minimal threats? |
There are only three places that can challenge America: a united Europe, Russia and China. European countries have a very small defence budget and are reliant on the USA. The economic crash of 2008 has left the European powers reduced in capacity. The Russian threat to America effectively evaporated in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They lack the military capacity to reach the Atlantic. As for the Chinese, they are on their way to matching the Americans economically and that buys them a lot of influence and a place at the top table, but militarily and strategically they are decades behind. |
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What is the potential future of the alliance between Israel and America? |
The close relationship with Israel may cool, albeit slowly, as the demographics of the USA change. The children of the Hispanic and Asian immigrants now arriving in the United States will be more interested in Latin America and the Far East than in a tiny country on the edge of a region no longer vital to American interests. |
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Why does America have an invested interest in Asia? |
Many US government foreign policy strategists are persuaded that Asia and the Pacific will be vital in the future. Half of the world’s population lives there, and if India is included it is expected to account for half of global economic output by 2050.Hence we will see the USA increasingly investing time and money in East Asia to establish its presence and intentions in the region. For example, in Northern Australia the Americans have set up a base for the US Marine Corps. But in order to exert real influence, they may also have to invest in limited military action to reassure their allies that they will come to their rescue in the event of hostilities. |
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What will be the consequence of increased offshore drilling and underground fracking in America? |
America looks destined to become not just self-sufficient in energy, but a net exporter of energy in the near future. This will mean that its focus on ensuring a flow of oil and gas from the Gulf region will diminish. It will still have strategic interests there, but the focus will no longer be so intense. If American attention wanes, the Gulf nations will seek new alliances. One candidate will be Iran, another China, but that will only happen when the Chinese have built their Blue Water navy and, equally importantly, are prepared to deploy it. |
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Why is America's future so secure? |
America is the planet’s most successful country is about to become self-sufficient in energy, it remains the pre-eminent economic power and it spends more on research and development for its military than the overall military budget of all the other NATO countries combined. Its population is not ageing as in Europe and Japan, and a 2013 Gallup study showed that 25 per cent of all people hoping to emigrate put the USA as their first choice of destination. In the same year Shanghai University listed what its experts judged the top twenty universities of the world: seventeen were in the USA. |
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What factors allowed Western Europe to flourish? |
The climate, fed by the Gulf Stream, gave the region the right amount of rainfall to cultivate crops on a large scale, and the right type of soil for them to flourish in. This allowed for population growth in an area in which work was possible all year round, even in the heights of summer. Winter actually adds a bonus, with temperatures warm enough to work in but cold enough to kill off many of the germs which to this day plague huge parts of the rest of the world. Good harvests mean surplus food that can be traded; this in turn builds up trading centres which become towns. It also allows people to think of more than just growing food and turn their attention to ideas and technology.Added to this, earthquakes volcanoes and massive flooding are rare. The rivers are long, flat, navigable and made for trade. As they empty into a variety of seas and oceans they flow into coastlines which are, west, north and south, abundant in natural harbours. |
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Why is Western Europe made of dozens of smaller countries? |
Most of Europe’s major rivers do not meet. This partly explains why there are so many countries in what is a relatively small space. Because they do not connect, most of the rivers act, at some point, as boundaries, and each is a sphere of economic influence in its own right; this gave rise to at least one major urban development on the banks of each river, some of which in turn became capital cities. |
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Why was France such a powerful country? |
Of all the countries in the plain, France was best situated to take advantage of it. France is the only European country to be both a northern and southern power. It contains the largest expanse of fertile land in Western Europe, and many of its rivers connect with each other; one flows west all the way to the Atlantic (the Seine), another south to the Mediterranean (the Rhône). These factors, together with its relative flatness, lent themselves to unification of regions, and– especially from the time of Napoleon – centralisation of power. |
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Give examples of southern and western countries in Europe that are not as powerful as others. |
Northern Italy has heavy industry, tourism and financial centres and therefore a higher standard of living. They want to cut state subsidies to south. Spain has poor soil and trade is hampered by Pyrenees, meaning they have to trade with developing countries with limited income. In Greece, there is not enough land to become a major agricultural exporter. They also have a large defence budget they cannot afford to try and match Turkey. |
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Why is there tension between Germany and Greece after the financial crisis of 2008? |
The financial crisis meant that northern countries ended up paying the bill for southern countries. Germany demands more austerity from Greece, which they considered an attack on their sovereignty. Germans are also asking why their taxes go to Greece, when their retirement age is 65 but Greece's is 55. Greece also complains that the Euro does not benefit them as much as Germany. |
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Why did the financial crisis of '08 affect the EU so drastically? |
When countries join the EU, only certain levels of debt are allowed. However, countries like Greece made up their numbers. This was overlooked at the time in order to enforce the Euro. |
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Why does Germany want to protect the EU? |
Germany is the most populous and wealthy country and has the fourth biggest economy in the world. It does not want to see it's market fragment (as it's the third biggest exporter of goods). It was allowed to rearm after the Soviet threat . |
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Why is immigration important for the UK? |
Many population projections suggest that there will be a rapidly aging population with not enough young generations to pay taxes and help run the country. |
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Why is Africa so far behind the rest of the world? |
Africa has terrible natural harbours (meaning it is very isolated from the rest of the world), and has too many waterfalls in its rivers for trade. Because of its heat, crowded living conditions, and poor healthcare, it is the prime environment to develop diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. In addition to this, Africa has thousands of languages, making trade difficult. Europe was small enough to have a 'lingua franca' to communicate, meaning ideas spread from the East to the West, but not from the North to the South. |
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Why are African countries' borders mostly arbitrary? |
The borders of African countries were decided by European powers. They were mainly decided by looking at how far explorers/military forces/businessmen had advanced on the map and ignoring the local tribes and settlements. These borders are still mostly the same today. |
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Name an example of how artificial borders can have dire consequences. |
The Democratic Republic of Congo (the DRC). It consists of 75 million people consisting of more than 200 ethnic groups and is neither democratic nor a republic. It has large mineral wealth that makes it exploitable by other countries. Originally a Belgian colony, when they left in 1960 the civil wars began immediately. The two opposing sides were each funded by the Soviets and the USA during the cold war. When the two larger powers left, the fighting continued. There are now twenty factions involved in the fighting and is the most deadly conflict since WW2. It requires the largest UN peacekeeping force and is severely underreported. Estimate show that six million people have died during wars there since the late 1990's. The DRC is not developing and does not show any signs of doing so. |
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Why is Ethiopia at odds with Egypt? |
Egypt relies heavily on the Nile (97 million people live within 2 miles of the Nile). The White Nile in Egypt comes from the Blue Nile in Ethiopia Water conflict with Ethiopia (majority of the water source from the Nile is from the blue Nile in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is "Africa's water tower" due to high elevation and more than 20 dams. Ethiopia is building a hydroelectric dam with China on the Nile. The dam is complete but not yet full of water. This could potentially reduce the flow to Egypt. Egypt is predicted to have water shortages by 2025 and wants a lot of guarantees that the water flow will not be disrupted. |
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Why do many African countries like working with the Chinese? |
China doesn't care about human rights, doesn't recommend economic reform and doesn't care about a country stealing another country's wealth. China frequently backs Sudan in the UN and continues to back its President despite a warrant from the International Criminal Court. |
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What is Sykes-Picot? |
In 1916, the Ottoman Empire begqn to collapse after WW1. A British and a French diplomat (Sykes and Picot) divided the region the Empire controlled (the Middle-East) into two spheres of influence. The north came under the supervision of the French and the south came under British supervision. The term Sykes-Picot became a shorthand for decisions made by Europe which betrayed promises to local tribal leaders. Prior to this agreement, most countries like Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel or Palestine did not exist. |
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What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims? |
Sunni Muslims main belief is that after Mohammed's passing the successor should have been chosen through tribal tradition. Shia Muslims believe that the successor should have been Mohammed's son-in-law, Ali (who was assassinated). There are many subdivisions of each. 85% of Muslims are Sunni. |
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What was the al-Anfal campaign and what were the consequences? |
In 1988, Iraq (under the leadership of Saddam Hussein) led a campaign to reduce the Kurdish population. This resulted in 100000 Kurdish deaths. A safe zone for Kurds was declared and named Kurdistan. This was essentially a Kurdish state in all but name. US forces enforced their protection by not allowing Iraqi forces inside the safe zone. However, in 2017, Kirkuk (the 'capital' of Kurdistan) was retaken by Iraq. |
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How were the states of Saudi Arabia and Jordan formed? |
After WW2, Britain had promised the same land to two different tribes (the Saud and the Hashemites). The solution to this was to split the area in two. These became Saudi Arabia and Jordan. However, the Hashemites (who took over Jordan) are not locals to the area and are the minority in control. Jordan now contains many Palestinian, Iraqi, and Syrian refugees. |
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Why is there so much unrest in Lebanon? |
The area now known as Lebanon was under French control after WW1. They had allied with the Allied Christians in the area and eventually ceded control to them in 1920. However, the Muslim population quickly overtook the Christian population. With an influx of Muslim Palestinian refugees in 1958, this eventually led to a civil war between Muslims and Christians. Modern Lebanon is now made of many regions that are controlled by different factions. |
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Why is there so much conflict in Syria? |
Syria was another country that was initially under French control. When the French left they placed a minority group called the Alawites in charge of the government, police and the military. The Assad clan (the modern rulers are Alawite and took control in 1970. The nationwide uprising in 2011 came from a previous Sunni uprising being crushed in 1982. As of 2015, Syria has scattered IS and beaten many rebel groups. However, Kurdish forces have carved out a territory, which in turn has brought in a Turkish army to stop a Kurdish state emerging. Syria is backed by Iran and Russia. |
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Briefly describe the rise and fall of IS. |
IS is an offshoot of Al Qaeda which split during the Syrian Civil War. They have attracted foreign Muslims through romanticism and brutality. However, as of 2019 the caliphate established by IS no longer exists after their capital of Mosul was recaptured by the Iraqi army. |
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Why are drones still dependent on geography? |
A signal sent from a base in Nevada still needs to travel through an underwater cable to Germany, then sent to a satellite controlled by a third country that sells bandwidth to the Pentagon. This means that the US needs to keep good relations with whoever is housing the regions drone HQ. |
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Why will Sunni Islamist fighters never achieve their goal of the restablishment of a caliphate and dominance in the region? |
Only some sunni tribes support jihadists and do not want to regress to sixth century ideals. Plus, being non-Sunni is a death sentence, meaning they will not get much support from different factions. Because of this, there is not enough economic diversity. Added to this, oil is in the Shia and Kurdish areas and not the Sunni. The southern cities in Iraq are Shia, and the ports are too far away from the Sunni's control. The Shia Muslims are far more likely to advance if a split occurs, but there are so few Shia Muslims for this to be a problem. |
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Briefly describe the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. |
Jews had lived in the land for millenia, but we're dispersed after many hardships. After WWI this region was named Palestine under British mandate. The Palestinian inhabitants of this area were not pushing for it to become a state and we're happy enough to be a non-entity. After WW2, more Jews were arriving in Palestine. In 1948, the UN wanted to create two new states. The Jews said yes, but the Palestinians said no. This sparked a war which led to Palestinians fleeing to multiple different places and countries. Gaza and the West Bank are the two remaining Palestinian entities. Gaza is a crammed city state between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the sea. The West Bank still has Jewish settlers, and any non-Israeli army is not allowed to enter as Israel has no strategic depth, meaning Israel can be cut in half by an army and artillery could fire on 70% of its population. |
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What are the biggest threats to Israel? |
Egypt and Jordan are not threats as they have peace treaties with Israel and have a decent defensive buffer. Hezbollah operates out of Lebanon and has an arsenal of 150000 missiles. This has led to an impressive anti-missile system to counter this threat. Syria wants access to the coast, and has been removed from Lebanon. Therefore, if they needed access, they could cross the Golan Heights (which is Israeli owned). However, a massive onslaught would be required to break through. Iran and its potential future nuclear arms is the biggest threat. |
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Why is there a war in Yemen? |
Iran and Saudi Arabia hate each other (Iran is Shia and Saudi Arabia is Sunni). Both want to be the dominant power in the region. They fight each other via proxy - Saudi Arabia backs the Yemen government and Iran backs the rebels. |
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Why is Turkey not yet a part of the EU? |
Turkey has a poor record on human rights (specifically regarding its treatment of Kurds) and it's economy. Because of the disparity in living conditions between Europe and turkey, this could result in a mass influx of labor to other European countries. |
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What was the result of the India/Pakistan partition in 1947? |
The Muslim population fled from India to Pakistan. The Hindus and Sikhs fled in the other direction. Columns of people that were 30000 strong began moving in both directions, with no supervision from the previous British overlords. Riots broke out and close to a million deaths occurred. |
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How was Bangladesh formed? |
East and West Pakistan were non contiguous (meaning they were separated by 1000 miles with India between them). Their only connection was that they were both Muslim countries. They were not culturally linguistically or economically linked. East Pakistan rebelled in 1971 and, with India's help, seceded and became Bangladesh |
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Why is Pakistan so poor? |
After partition, most of the subcontinent's industry went to India. Pakistan inherited 17% of the financial reserves of the pre partition government. They had no money to spend on development, a volatile border with Afghanistan, and a divided state, with people more loyal to their regions than their country |
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Why is Baluchistan such an important region to Pakistan? |
Baluchistan makes up 45% of the country, holds natural gas and a lot of mineral wealth. There is potential that this land may be used as a land route to bring Iranian oil to China via Pakistan, allowing China to bypass the strait of Malacca. The China- Pakistan Economic Corridor was announced in 2015 as a superhighway. |
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Why do both Pakistan and India want Kashmir? |
Kashmir allows India access to Central Asia and diminishes Pakistan's usefulness to China. For Pakistan, it allows resources to go to China and helps their water security (Pakistan and India share water but this could grow more dire due to growing populations and climate change). |
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What is Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban? |
Both India and Pakistan want Afghanistan on their side to thwart the other. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1989, India backed Russia while Pakistan backed the guerilla Mujahideen rebels. These rebels eventually led to the creation of the Taliban, which took over the country when Russia retreated. Most of the Taliban are from the same region as the Pakistanis (some even believe the border that separated them to be a western invention). However, the Taliban had been hosting al Qaeda, who attacked America on 9/11. America forced Pakistan to turn on the Taliban or face the consequences. The Taliban retaliated by trying to assassinate the Pakistani president and led to numerous assaults on cities were conducted. Pakistan were trying to play a double game, knowing that when NATO troops left the Taliban would be back in charge (hence why Osama bin Laden was hiding in a town in Pakistan), meaning they would have good relations with Afghanistan once again. |
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How does North Korea survive despite its isolation? |
China supports North Korea partly out of fear of a refugee crisis that would occur if the country imploded. Nearly 85% of its exports are bought by China and it buys 85% of its imports from China |
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How was Korea divided into the North and South? |
Japan annexed Korea in 1910. After Japan was defeated in WW2, Korea was divided between the Soviets and the USA. Both sides wanted to establish control and diminish the other. The line of division was completely arbitrary and just so happened to be the same line decided after the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 and 1905. |
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What started the Korean War? |
North Korea (backed by China) wanted to annex South Korea, believing it to be of little importance to the US. The US felt that they needed to protect their allies to present a strong face to the world. |
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Why has Japan never been invaded? |
China is 590 miles away and Russia is 130 miles away. In Russia, the population is too sparse and the terrain is too unforgiving. The Mongols invaded in 1300 but were beaten back by fighting and by storms. Japan's natural defences is why the nuclear option was taken in WW2. |
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Why is North America so successful yet South America is still fairly poor? |
When settlers came to the USA, much of the land was sold privately to small, individual landowners, allowing them to prosper. In South America, there were large landowners and serfs, which led to inequality. Added to this, European settlers to South America stayed near the coasts. This means that most roads for trade linked coastal cities, leaving the interior underdeveloped. |
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Why are the two main languages in South America Portuguese and Spanish? |
The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 between Spanish and Portuguese was an agreement that any countries discovered between the two would be split evenly. This was the earliest example of Europeans drawing lines on maps that totally disregarded the native inhabitants. |
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Why is Bolivia a poor country? |
Bolivia and Chile had a war in 1879 called the War of the Pacific. Chile took over a large portion of Bolivia, meaning Bolivia became landlocked. Bolivia refuses to sell gas to Chile, insisting that they give back some of its coastline, which Chile refuses. |
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What is the significance of the Panama Canal? |
The Panama Canal was built in 1914. It is 50 miles long and links the Atlantic to the Pacific. This cuts the previous 8000 mile voyage drastically. This has led to massive economic growth in the region. |
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Why is Brazil so poor? |
Brazil's coastline is surrounded by the Grand Escarpment - large cliffs that makes sea trade difficult. there is also no access to the Rio De la Plata region, meaning most goods are transported on inadequate roads rather than via river. 1/4 of the country lives in poverty. |
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What is the South American version of the EU? |
UNASUR. It consists of twelve countries. Its HQ is in Ecuador but Brazil is its largest proponent. However, South American countries have different levels of economy, education, politics, currencies and labour laws, meaning it is nowhere near as cohesive as the EU. It does not have much of a presence presently. |
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Why are Britain and Argentina often at odds? |
Oil and gas deposits were found in the Falklands (off the coast of Argentina). However, it has been British owned since 1833. Since other Argentinian oil deposits require massive foreign investment to get to, Argentina has made advances toward the Falklands in the past. In 1982, the Argentinians took the Falklands back, only to be decimated by the British navy eight weeks later. It is an offence in Argentina to call the islands "the Falklands". |
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Which country has the largest presence in the Arctic? |
Russia has the biggest presence and the most well equipped force. Russia is focusing on building an Arctic Army (despite sanctions). Six new military bases are being constructed and several Cold War installations are being re-opened and renovated. A force of 6000 soldiers is being readied in the Murmansk region.This force is purely in relation to offshore fields in the Arctic. Putin has described these sites as 'Russia's strategic reserve for the 21st century'. |
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When was the first recorded expedition to the Arctic? |
The first recorded expedition was in 33BCE by Pytheas of Massilia, a Greek explorer. He referred to it as Thule and he described it as having a white landscape, frozen seas, and strange creatures such as great white bears. |
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What are some consequences of the Arctic shrinking? |
The shrinking of the Arctic resulted in villages along the Bering and Chukchi coasts relocating due to shifting hunting grounds and eroding coastlines. Wildlife is moving to completely new territories (Atlantic cod and mackerel can now be found in the Arctic Ocean) and are having to compete with one another. Countries like the Maldives, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands are also facing increased flooding. |
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What is the Albedo effect and its outcomes? |
The Albedo Effect is a landmass' ability to reflect sunlight. It is a positive feedback loop. As the ice melts and the tundra is exposed, the reflectivity is lost and the darker territory will absorb more heat. This causes more ice and snow to melt. Residue from industrial work can also lead to more snow melting. Aside from the negative effects of global warming (flood levels, erosion, impacts on wildlife, etc), a warming tundra could allow increased agriculture and plant growth. As more ice melts, the natural resources of the Arctic can also be uncovered (minerals and oil). A US Geological Survey estimates trillions of cubic feet in natural gas, billions of barrels of natural gas liquids, and billions of barrels of oil. |
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What will happen to the Northern Passage as it expands? |
The melting ice caps already allows cargo ships between Europe and China (which decreases the travel time by a week). Cargo ships no longer need to be escorted by an icebreaker. This new passage reduces time, allows ships to carry more, and decreases their greenhouse emissions. This increased trade could have knock-on effects to the Suez and Panama canals. |
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Why is the grab for territory in the Arctic different from other land grabs such as Africa and South America? |
There are rules that countries must abide by when it comes to the Arctic. Decisions must be made by the Arctic Council (composed of mature countries - most of them are democratic). There are also international laws regulating territory disputes, environmental pollution, sea laws, and treatment of minorities. While there are territory disputes, they have not been conquered by nation states at war with one another. |
