Association is a powerful tool. The word "hegemony" for many is associated with the concept of "working class". Those who have this happen live in the territory of the former USSR. Communist propaganda did an excellent job of explaining the leading role of the working class - the hegemon of a bright communist future. Here is an example of a persistent stereotype that needs to be de alt with. There were no hegemons in the history of mankind…
What is hegemony
The definition is connected with ancient history. The ancient Greeks and Romans had a slightly different word: “hegemon” or “hegemon”. So called the ancient leaders, military leaders, governors and even emperors. There is excellent confirmation of this. Remember, the notorious procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, was called hegemon.
Now it will be easier to figure out what hegemony is. In short, this is an advantage and an opportunity to influence oneperson, group of people or country on others.
Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte
A person can be a hegemon. The first publicly and widely declared hegemon was Alexander the Great. He stood at the head of the ancient Corinthian League, that is, he became its hegemon.
The second classic example of personal hegemony is Napoleon Bonaparte in relation to the French Consulate (a cardboard likeness of the government, in fact, Napoleon ruled there alone).
An interesting historical example is the complete domination, that is, the hegemony, of the Kingdom of Prussia over the rest of the German provinces.
But Genghis Khan with his effective army did not become hegemons. Why? More on that below.
Failure of the hegemony of the working class
What is hegemony in the USSR, everyone knew - from young to old. This is a most interesting example of social and historical distortion of reality for the sake of the victory of a strange German idea called "communism".
The workers were called the working class and appointed the main ones, that is, the hegemon, in the construction of communism - everything, as comrades Marx and Engels wrote. Representatives of the hegemonic class were accepted into the CPSU in batches, driven to speak in the stands, elected as deputies and sent to trade union sanatoriums for treatment. Nothing succeeded. Because hegemony is a subtle and definite concept, it is not to be trifled with.
The difference between hegemony and dictatorship
The fact is that in numerousdefinitions that chew on what hegemony is, its most important difference from any other form of dictate or domination is always present.
In hegemony, the persuasion of other people or countries occurs without the use of force or the threat of its use. The usefulness and expediency of subordination to the hegemon are proved in other ways. It can be the financial influence of a rich country on poor countries. The subordination of the weak to the strong is often covered up by ephemeral benefits for the weak. In fact, the hegemon always wins.
Now you understand about Genghis Khan? There was one brute force. Not a hegemon.
Hegemony in the modern world
If you ask today's student what hegemony is, most likely you will get a reference to the United States. This example of geopolitical dominance has also become a classic. The world hegemony of the United States has become almost the only example that is already turning into a stereotype (instead of the working class).
Meanwhile, the hegemonic countries were different: in the 17th century it was Holland, in the 19th century Great Britain began to rule and influence the world. Geopolitical hegemony is possible only with excellent indicators of the country's economic he alth, combined with an advanced scientific and technical base. We remember that hegemony is influence without the use of force. Anything: money, brains, oil, human resources… But not power. This is the main thing.
And don't forget about China. Some experts already recognize him as the world hegemon. This is due to different export growth rates and economicindicators. For most countries, the world leader of the global community is still the United States. But almost everyone assumes that China will take the position of world hegemon in the future. The whole question is the timing of this event.
Let's observe and analyze. Monitoring modern geopolitical processes is a fascinating thing, it is more entertaining than many TV shows.
