The Letchworth Settlement:  User Groups

What is a Great Power? What is it that makes countries, some more than once in their histories, very strong regionally, and in recent centuries, globally? We will examine 12 countries from Ancient Rome to modern China, and analyse the combination of reasons they became great – natural and human resources, culture and government, and so on.
We will then consider the decline of great powers. What are the prime reasons for their decline and fall? How do countries once powerful but now in decline, react to this? Are there global challenges that have emerged in the last century that weaken even the strongest great powers? Historians have long been fascinated by this subject. It should produce lively discussion.
As usual an outline of the subject matter for each week will be available for each member of the group. This is a stand-alone course but it will provide an excellent introduction and background to the Spring term course on “China: World Super Power?”