Pax Britanica to Pax Americana
Before diving into the subject of Pax Americana, it is useful to familiarize with its roots. 1989 marked a new beginning for the whole world: the fall of the Berlin wall. Rubble was not the only thing falling down, so was Pax Britanica. Up until 1945, Britain has played the role of the Hegemon where balance of power was the main aim. How did it become a hegemon? By becoming the central power in Europe. It executed its peaceful policies by maintaining superiority at sea. In 1905, the British navy was superior to any navy combined in the world. It provided services such as suppression of piracy and slavery. Britain also went beyond the seas and developed and funded a universal mail system. It advanced in nursing with the discovery of penicillin, and made the drug available all over the world. Among many other things, Britain also took use of the passport (previously only used to go to uncivilized locations) to over-law and threaten ‘barbaric’ places. Nonetheless, Britain’s powerful influence followed the same faith of the Roman Empire. Pax Britanica drew to an end and a new period was born, an American peace.
During British hegemony, America developed close ties with Britain. The many commonalities shared with the two nations (such as language, or history) drew them together as allies. It was only natural for the growing American empire to take over when Britain was falling apart internationally. Pax Americana generated a new era for humanity. The transition to Pax Americana was smooth, because America was an English-speaking nation. Britain and the US had an intertwined history especially regarding the navy. Throughout the years, both nations came to aid North American, Middle Eastern, and Asian powers. In fact, American policy is rooted in British naval history. So, it is natural to say that the American government followed an Anglo-Saxon notion for global domination for peace. The country followed in the footsteps of the British for “the United States [similarly to Britain] has balanced the continental powers of Russia and China and policed the oceans of the world.” (Reynolds, 547). However, America is a police that distinguishes between a superpower and an economically dominant state.
Even though the official end for Pax Britannica was during Germany’s unification, there are reasons to believe the United States exerted a growing presence in Europe since 1945. The American army was an impressive sign of power on the European continent. Many American troops witnessed the euphoria radiating out of German citizens when the wall dividing the country crumbled down. And today, there are still around 50, 000 troops located in twelve different European states.
When America entered the international scene full throttle with the emergence of Pax Americana, it shaped the world in more ways than one. Even though history still has to unfold to reveal the complete definition of this new era, it is still possible to distinguish certain characteristic of this age. Fast-growing developments such as aerospace, commercial television, satellite, maritime, and industrial technologies have seriously helped advance civilization (Reynolds, 545). Pax Americana has completely revolutionized the whole planet for it awakened the “common human purpose to minimize if not eradicate the traditional dilemmas caused by political and economic divisiveness (Reynolds, 545). America wants peace on earth through the proliferation of democracy and the spread of American values. Reference: Reynolds, Clark G. “Pax Americana” from Command of the Sea: The History and Strategy of Marine Empires, (Robert Hale & Company).
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