# What country do you think dominated each century since the 1400s and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343 "2017-09-26T12:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arrogantly\_Ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Arrogantly\_Ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogantly_Ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/1 "2017-09-26T12:03:13Z")
I thought it would be fun to pair a country with a century you believe that nation was the premier power at the time. I know this will be subjective and people will have different ideas over why whatever country is picked for whatever century, but I thought it would be interesting. Note: saying one country is the dominant country of the time. 15th century: Republic of Florence. Reasons: place as the birth of the Renaissance and death of the Dark Ages, its status as an economic powerhouse, and the general advancements in finance that occurred. 16th century: Spain. Reasons: This one’s easy: Spain was the first to the New World and the area with the most readily available gold and the Hapsburg hegemony made their Empire so huge that Charles V decided to break it up. 17th century: Netherlands (Dutch). Reasons: They were the leading naval power during most of the period and the huge economic hold they had on sea trade. 18th century: France. Reasons: France winning the War of the Spanish Succession kind of embodies everything about this century. Yes, the century ended in the disintegration of the former government, but France was dominant throughout the century (funding and providing men for the Jacobite uprisings and American Revolution). The birthplace of the Enlightenment. Evidence of their dominance lies in the writings of later generations. As Tolstoy showed in War and Peace; even during the Napoleonic Wars, Russian aristocrats spoke French. 19th century: Britain. Reasons: They overtook the Netherlands in being the predominant naval power; they strengthened their grip on their territories in Africa and South Asia, while also adding to them. The long-term benefits of the first Industrial Revolution came to fruition. 20th century: United States of America. Reasons: The Treaty of Versailles and the First World War decimated Europe and a relatively unscathed United States took up the slack. This position was cemented by the end of World War II. \*\*Centuries and a country’s dominance doesn’t have to be exact. This is just a rough approximation. Hope that was obvious, but wanted to make it clear. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/2 "2017-09-26T13:06:25Z")
I’d argue for the Venetian Republic in the 15th C. over Florence. But that’s ignoring the Ottomans and the Chinese, amongst others. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/3 "2017-09-26T13:20:56Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I’d argue for the Venetian Republic in the 15th C. over Florence. But that’s ignoring the Ottomans and the Chinese, amongst others. Agreed that it should the the Ottomans. The Chinese were never outward looking. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/4 "2017-09-26T13:26:41Z")
Economic and military dominance are one thing, but what about intellectual influence/dominance? Germany, for instance, can make claims on some impressive scientific and technological advances in the 19th and 20th centuries ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/5 "2017-09-26T13:29:29Z")
And, no one country dominated the 20th century. The US wasn’t dominate until 1945. I would flip the script and nominate some sort of Internationalism. Pre 1918 balance of power politics 1918-1939 isolationism and failed diplomacy 1939-1945 pragmatic opportunism…Rippentrop/Molotov; Axis and Allies. 1945-1989 bipolar stalemate between the West and Communism 1989-2000 USA ---
**Author:** ![Arrogantly\_Ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Arrogantly\_Ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogantly_Ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/6 "2017-09-26T14:07:22Z")
Yeah, I was trying to use broad strokes. Venice vs. Florence: I think an excellent argument could be made for that. I originally put Italy but decided that didn’t reflect 15th-century notions. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the Ottomans, during this time. I know Mehmed conquered Byzantine in 1453, which obviously speaks to their growing prowess. And then, of course, there’s Suleiman the Magnificent (I believe) in the 1500s. Does anyone know a good book about the history of the Ottoman Empire? > [@](#): > > Economic and military dominance are one thing, but what about intellectual influence/dominance? Germany, for instance, can make claims on some impressive scientific and technological advances in the 19th and 20th centuries Well, I definitely think the technological developments shouldn’t be ignored, but I don’t think they are sufficient by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/7 "2017-09-27T00:50:59Z")
You’d have to consider China as a candidate for Top Nation in the fifteenth century - a huge country, with huge cities, and a vast trading and exploration network, and much more outward-looking that it was later to become. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/8 "2017-09-27T02:40:37Z")
I don’t see any mention of the 21st century. No predictions? China? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/9 "2017-09-27T03:14:10Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I don’t see any mention of the 21st century. No predictions? China? China is surrounded by enemies and faces massive internal issues. Were they governed like Taiwan…yeah. If they can get Korea reunited and economically viable…really good chance. Or the 21st century can turn out like the 5th century. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/10 "2017-09-27T05:45:11Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > The Chinese were never outward looking. Treasure fleets? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/11 "2017-09-27T07:28:24Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Treasure fleets? 15th century Ming China was no match for the ever expanding Ottomans. Sure, they had their treasure fleets and tributaries, but they were riddled by eunuch corruption and dynastic instability. China has always been a woulda/shoulda empire. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/12 "2017-09-27T07:59:07Z")
The Ming got to East Africa\*. From China, not just down the coast, like the Muslims. That’s not “woulda/shoulda”. Yes, they _then_ became insular, but for that _one_ century, it would [not even wrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_even_wrong) to say “the Chinese were never outward looking”. They certainly had a tremendous _regional_ influence in the 15th C \*And also, [America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Menzies#1421:_The_Year_China_Discovered_the_World) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/13 "2017-09-27T08:37:39Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > China is surrounded by enemies and faces massive internal issues. Were they governed like Taiwan…yeah. If they can get Korea reunited and economically viable…really good chance. > > Or the 21st century can turn out like the 5th century. Just about every country surrounding China has a symbiotic relationship, economically and culturally, with China, which over the past half century has done nothing at all inimical toward its neighbors. Generally, the nations of Asia look to China as a stabilizer of the region, which they are doing without the strong-arm Monroe Doctrine threats the USA used in this hemisphere. China may prove to be less potent in the future, but not for the reason you have offered. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/14 "2017-09-27T10:13:14Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Just about every country surrounding China has a symbiotic relationship, economically and culturally, with China, which over the past half century has done nothing at all inimical toward its neighbors. Generally, the nations of Asia look to China as a stabilizer of the region, which they are doing without the strong-arm Monroe Doctrine threats the USA used in this hemisphere. > > China may prove to be less potent in the future, but not for the reason you have offered. Unless you mean be in a shooting war with her. Vietnam. Tibet. India. USSR. China is a regional bully. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/15 "2017-09-27T10:17:38Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > The Ming got to East Africa\*. From China, not just down the coast, like the Muslims. That’s not “woulda/shoulda”. Yes, they _then_ became insular, but for that _one_ century, it would [not even wrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_even_wrong) to say “the Chinese were never outward looking”. They certainly had a tremendous _regional_ influence in the 15th C > > \*And also, [America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Menzies#1421:_The_Year_China_Discovered_the_World) 😉 I agree but unlike the Euros who were exploring and beginning to settle the world, the Chinese never tried. They did invade what is today Vietnam but were driven out 25 years later. China certainly had the potential to be the great power but her internal issues hamstrung her. Ironically, the Ming were sandwiched between two foreign dynasties who had conquered her. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/16 "2017-09-27T11:21:34Z")
I’ll put in a vote for the Inca empire in the fifteenth century. We lack the breadth of historical resources on South American civilisations that we have for Europe, but they were the largest civilisation in South America - which is a big place - and they were definitely expansionist, so while they didn’t control quite the territory that China did, they must have been highly influential beyond their borders. At their peak they controlled large parts of modern day Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia plus some of Argentina and Colombia, and would probably have kept going if Pizarro and smallpox hadn’t happened to them. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/17 "2017-09-27T12:32:05Z")
The idea of a “country” is relatively modern. The further back you go, the less useful it could be for identifying influence. Sent from my LG-H990 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/18 "2017-09-27T13:14:30Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Unless you mean be in a shooting war with her. Vietnam. Tibet. India. USSR. China is a regional bully. China has better relations with those countries the USA has with Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico. Not to mention the western hemisphere nations with which the USA has been in a shooting war, none of whom has ever fired a shot at the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/19 "2017-09-27T16:39:30Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > China has better relations with those countries the USA has with Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico. Not to mention the western hemisphere nations with which the USA has been in a shooting war, none of whom has ever fired a shot at the USA. " Those countries" referencedwere: Tibet - no longer a country and occupied by China. Vietnam - actual one month-long shooting war in 1979 India- actual one month- long shooting war in 1962, shooting war in 1967, and currently a whole lot closer to a shooting war than the US is with either Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico USSR - no longer extant, but let’s consider the USSR/Russia continuum: shooting in 1969, dispute not entirely resolved until 2003. As opposed to the Bay of pigs ( while bad, not actually 2 nation states going to war), embargo, sanctions, and a wall that may or may not ever be built. Because of this I must disagree with your assertion. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343/20 "2017-09-27T17:20:57Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Economic and military dominance are one thing, but what about intellectual influence/dominance? Germany, for instance, can make claims on some impressive scientific and technological advances in the 19th and 20th centuries Not only that, but the Protestant Reformation was the single most formative political event in the period between 1500-1789. 1400-1499: “Italy” (y’all debate about which province) 1500-1599: Spain 1600-1699: France 1700-1799: Britain 1800-1899: Britain 1900-1999: US [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-country-do-you-think-dominated-each-century-since-the-1400s-and-why/797343.md?page=2)