Idea of National Power

Hans Morgenthau

• “A psychological relation between those who exercise it and those over whom it is  

exercised. It gives the former control over certain actions of the latter, through the  

influence that the former exerts over the latter’s mind.”  

Georg Shwarzenberger  

• “The power is the capacity to impose one’s will on other by reliance on effective  

sanctions in the case of noncompliance.” Here, he adds the idea of punishment in  

case of noncompliance.  

A.F.K. Organski  

• “the ability to influence the behaviour of other in accordance with one’s own end.”  

Charles says power is “The ability to make a man to do what one wants and not to do what one does not do. 

 Ebenstein

• “more than the sum total of population, raw-material  

and quantitative factors. It includes its civil devotion,  

the flexibility of its institutions, its technical know-

how, its national character or quantitative elements  

that determine the total strength of a nation.Elements of National Power

01. Geography

• Geography is the most stable, tangible, permanent and natural  

element amongst the determinants of national power.

• Size, Location, Climate, Topography, Boundaries.

02. Natural Resources

• Self-sufficiency in natural resources helps in the development of a  

country.

• Self-sufficiency in resources allows a nation to develop agriculture  

including self-sufficiency in food, develop industrial establishments,Population

• A country which is inhabited by lazy, illiterate, incompetent, unemployed  

and unskilled human resources hinders development.  

• Strong, healthy, disciplined, employed, literate and skilled population  

facilitates development of the country and its national power.

04. Economic Development

• The level of economic development also determines the national power. It  

is a means of building military power and welfare and prosperity of people.

05. Industrial Capacity

• Technology and industrialization help in the development of industrial  

capacity. A country with well-built industrial capacity would have the  

potential to become a superpower.  

• United States of America, Britain, Germany, China, France, Japan Technology

• A well developed technological know-how enables human welfare and progress.

07. Military Preparedness

• It is an important factor in the success of foreign policy and in promotion of  

national interest.

08. Ideology

• Ideology is an intangible element of national power. It can be a source of  

friendship or enmity between nations.  

• Hitler’s Nazism in Germany and Mussolini’s Fascism in Italy weakened their  

national power and earned criticism across the world.

09. Leadership

• A strong and willed leader directs the utilization of natural resources, human