Power vacuum

"Power struggle" redirects here. For other uses, seePower struggle (disambiguation).

Inpolitical scienceandpolitical history,the termpower vacuum,also known as apower void,is an analogy between a physicalvacuumto thepoliticalcondition "when someone in a place of power, has lost control of something and no one has replaced them."The situation can occur when agovernmenthas no identifiable centralpowerorauthority.The physical analogy suggests that in a power vacuum, other forces will tend to "rush in" to fill the vacuum as soon as it is created, perhaps in the form of an armedmilitiaorinsurgents,militarycoup,warlordordictator.The term is also often used inorganized crimewhen acrime familybecomes vulnerable to competition.

Hereditary or statutoryorder of successionor effectivesuccession planningare orderly ways to resolve questions of succession to positions of power. When such methods are unavailable, such as in faileddictatorshipsorcivil wars,a power vacuum arises, which prompts apower struggleentailingpoliticalcompetition,violence,or (usually) both. A power vacuum can also occur after aconstitutional crisisin which large portions of the government resign or are removed, creating unclear succession.

Historical examples

Historic examples include the aftermath of theassassination of Julius Caesar,theTime of Troublesin theTsardom of Russia,the defeat of France in theFranco-Prussian War,theMexican Revolutionafter thePorfiriato,theRussian Civil Warin theaftermath of World War I,and the decrease in power of Great Britain and France in the Middle East after theSuez Crisis.

China

Chinais the first country still existing to have been united, and has had repeated power vacuums throughout its history. China was first unified under emperorQin Shi Huangin 221 BCE, ushering in more than two millennia in which China was governed by one or more imperial dynasties. From the start, China has experienced power vacuums after dynasties have been toppled, usually resulting in civil wars between different factions vying to form the next dynasty or political regime. These have included but are not limited to theWarring States period(475-221 BC),Three Kingdoms(220-280 AD), theManchu conquest of China(1618-1683 AD), and theChinese Civil War(1927-1949 AD).

During the course of theMing treasure voyages(1405–1433), the ChineseMing empirewas the dominant political and military force within the Indian Ocean.However, in 1433, the Chinese government withdrew theirtreasure fleetand thus left a large void within the Indian Ocean.

Contemporary examples

In 2003, when theUnited Statesleda coalitionto oustSaddam Husseinin theIraq War,the absence of an all-out Iraqi opposition force at war with government forces meant that once theBa'ath Partywas removed, no local figures were on hand to immediately assume the now vacant administerial posts. For this reason,Paul Bremerwas appointed by the United States government as the interim head of state to oversee the transition.

In other western-led interventions such as inKosovo(1999) andLibya(2011) where the initial claim of justification in each case was a humanitarian matter, there had been active opposition fighting on the ground to oust the relevant governments (in the case of Kosovo, this meant removal of state forces from the desired territory rather than ousting the government itself). Subsequently, successor entities were immediately effective in Libya and Kosovo.

Power vacuums often occur infailed statessometimes referred to asFragile stateswhere the state has lost the power to prevent its citizens from forming states within states, such as in post-communistMoldova'sTransnistria.The ongoingwar in Sudanis an example of a power vacuum in the aftermath of theSudanese revolution.

See also

• Anarchy
• Failed state
• Interregnum
• State collapse
• Provisional government