Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Since the beginning of the modern World System the zealous endeavors of a state to become a hegemon and impose its order on the rest of the world was contended by a number of other states who combined their power to out-balance the hegemon. The contest of hegemony remained incomplete without the re-alignment of a new core. Latin America, since its incorporation in the world system; though a passive participant was central to the power play and shift in hegemony. In te initial quarter of the nineteenth century it re-aligned from Spain/Portugal to three rival contenders i.e. Great Britain, Holland, and France, who adjoined in a short-term alliance to contest Spanish hegemony. These active participants with the help of liberal narrative activated independence movements in Latin America. During the period, the United States acclaimed Latin America in the famous Monroe doctrine (1823) “America for the Americans and Europe for the Europeans. Latin American remained a game between European powers and US for influence and informal imperialism during Nineteenth century. The European powers and USA ruled Latin America through their proxies and contested with each other for economic and political lebensraum. The power in Americas was finally secured by US in first decade of 20th century, prior to assuming an interventionist role in European (1919) and world affairs (1945).” The paper will provide a historical narration of history of alignment and re-alignment of Latin America and its role in the contest of hegemony between USA and Great Britain.