ABSTRACT
In Bismarckian Europe the presence of a great power could be readily determined. It was a state that was able to decide on its own whether or not it would engage in warfare. The remaining nations were subordinated to the will or whim of the great states of Europe. The determination of great-power status has not advanced much beyond Treitschke's cynicism. The relevant historical legacy of China, India, and most recently, Japan, is that they were once triumphant states or empires with a continental reach. This is as critical to their emergence as great powers as any "Asian-ness" that might exist. The material base of Japan is quite different from that of China and India but may also qualify it for great power candidacy. Unless one is a firm believer in classical geopolitics, there is nothing inherently distinctive or strategic about the location of China, Japan, and India.
