How do superpowers fight each other?

By Abdul Naser Noorzad, Security and Geopolitics Researcher, specially for Sangar

The main point in posing this question goes back to the nature of the international system and the great powers’ view of the concept of power, the most important philosophy of war, and the struggle between them. For example, to change the nature of the international system, the distribution of power or transform it into an order that preserves the status quo or causes a change in its nature, the great powers or superpowers always seek to achieve their goal in various ways. At the same time, the concept of international security is raised, which is a significant part of the key issues in the conflict and competition of great powers, which is resolved in a normative manner.

Usually, to prevent the violation of international security, the superpowers resort to achieving geopolitical, vital, and security-related goals by creating norms within which they can gain benefits reasonably and justifiably. For example, risking vital interests, creating strategic depth, and forming proxy groups are popular strategies in today's competitive world. Meanwhile, it should be said that superpowers often do not engage in direct contact with each other and usually use different and varied methods to achieve victory and create a security deterrent against their rivals. For example, proxy wars such as during the Cold War; soft power such as cultural influence, diplomacy and economic tools to shape the attitudes and behavior of other countries; economic sanctions such as imposing financial and trade sanctions on competitor countries in order to pressure governments to change their policies; cyber warfare including cyber attacks on sensitive infrastructure such as banking systems, power grids or even information warfare and creating chaos in cyberspace; arms race and military action which includes the construction and development of advanced weapons including missiles and nuclear weapons, hypersonic and advanced defense systems as a means of deterrence and establishing military superiority; control over resources and world trade, such as attempts to gain access to important natural resources (such as oil, gas, and rare minerals) and key trade routes (such as straits and waterways); diplomacy and strategic alliances, such as the formation of coalitions and international organizations such as NATO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or the BRICS group; information warfare, which involves the spread of disinformation, political propaganda, and the creation of discord in the enemy's society, are among the traditional strategies of battle between superpowers.

Proxy wars, applying the logic of strategy, and attracting reliable partners in the form of military and political alliances are well-known ways of revealing the main features of the struggle between superpowers.

During the Cold War, the US and the USSR created satellites for a safe environment for the influence of liberal and communist ideas, and by sending money, weapons, and military and political advisers to strengthen their political, military, and economic positions, they effectively divided the world into two parts - West and East. During the Vietnam War, in which the United States was a party to the conflict, the Soviet Union provided significant financial and logistical support to the North Vietnamese communists, known as the Viet Cong. Similarly, during the Korean War, North Korea enjoyed the support of China and the Soviet Union, while the Western bloc supported South Korea. During the several years of Soviet presence in Afghanistan, the Afghan mujahideen fighting against the Red Army enjoyed the military support of the United States, the West, the Arabs, and China. The other side, the communist government, enjoyed the support of Moscow. Later, during the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, Iran, China, and Russia helped the Taliban force the U.S. out of Afghanistan. At the same time, the democratic system in Afghanistan was under the direct financial, political, and military support of Washington.

The war between superpowers is a heterogeneous form. Proxy groups can be discussed in the context of the doctrine of deep strategy. Iran is creating such groups in the Middle East and has itself become a factor in the formation of the Asian axis led by China and Russia. These forces, under the direct command of Iran and in close cooperation with Russia and China, have created a deterrent wall against the securitization measures taken by the United States and the West. After the events in the Middle East in 2024, the fall of Syria, the US efforts to maintain its presence in Iraq and support Taiwan, Iran and China's support for Russia in the Ukrainian war, as well as the efforts of these two countries to be present in Africa and South America - these are known and individual actions in the war between today's superpowers such as China, Russia, and the United States have become commonplace.

As a result, the superpowers use the above tools and mechanisms to achieve their goals. Great powers usually choose weak countries in political crisis to compete with their opponents. This choice is made by these powers based on the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.

Meanwhile, the level of vulnerability, the provision of necessary supplies in this competition, and geographical proximity or connection with allies near the desired region are other factors that are taken into account by these powers. The main victims and raw materials of this war are the people of this country and its underground resources. At a higher level, the great powers have many vital interests that are not negotiable and can only be discussed in the sphere of benefit distribution.

Therefore, this level of benefit is assessed through diplomacy and major agreements between these powers. In this context, there is no need for conflicts and confrontations, since the level of threats should be such that it does not lead to the involvement of all the superpowers on a global scale, depriving them of the ability to control other regions of strategic importance. However, the selection of geographical areas of strategic importance, suitable areas for recruitment to enhance the arms and drug trade, as well as to create instability and insecurity to generate income and secure economic and political benefits, is carried out by agreement between these powers.


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