Historical Types of Economic Powers: Carthage – Venice – England

Abstract

The concept of a great power in the science of international relations originates
from a realistic paradigm based on the idea of power as a foundation
of international relations. The analysis based only on this paradigm seems
to narrow the real research space. A presentation of the issue of countries
being great powers in an economic context may be an interesting proposal in
the analysis of change processes and development tendencies in international
relations. As an interdisciplinary research instrument, it lets us treat economic
and political processes in an integral way. The article makes an attempt
to analyze the historical type of an economic great power. The empiric, valuable
research material was provided by the history of Carthage, Venice and
England. The research results can serve as an instrument to explain present
phenomena and mechanisms taking place in the international environment.