Natural Resources and National Security

The contribution of a nation's natural wealth to its security. Natural resources can influence security in a variety of ways. A nation that is rich in natural [Page 512]resources such as oil or minerals is more able to afford a strong military to defend its borders than a resource-poor nation. In addition, a nation possessing a rich variety of natural resources is likely to enjoy greater economic security because it is not dependent upon foreign sources of vital commodities. On the other hand, poor government in a wealthy country can cause significant instability as competing interests struggle for control of the nation's wealth. Many resource-rich African nations have been plagued by unrest and civil war caused by weak or corrupt central governments.

World War II provides an excellent example of a direct relationship between natural resources and the security of a nation. The Axis Powers, Germany and Japan, being neither as large nor as rich in natural resources as the United States, had to conquer and subdue vast overseas empires to fuel and supply their respective militaries. The United States, on the other hand, was able to shift its own massive domestic industrial base quickly from consumer to wartime production. U.S. factories easily out-produced those of Germany and Japan combined, becoming the driving engine of the final Allied victory.

The reality of U.S. industrial superiority was recognized by its foes. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, is alleged to have remarked that the attack had awakened a “sleeping giant.” A German soldier captured by the Americans in Europe recalled feeling that his country was foolish to declare war on a nation that could fill the horizon with tanks and planes. In this case, both Germany and Japan were defeated in a prolonged conventional war with a resource-rich nation dubbed by its own leader an “arsenal of democracy.”

The post–World War II world, by contrast, offers several examples of resource-poor nations increasing national security by achieving economic success. After its defeat in World War II, Japan was occupied and rebuilt by U.S. forces under a program called centrally planned capitalism. Under this plan, the Japanese government promoted and protected industries that imported raw materials to create goods for export. The result was a boom in the Japanese export trade, which brought in large sums of money that fueled Japan's economy. Between 1945 and 2000, Japan went from a broke and war-devastated country to the world's second largest economy. Besides enriching the country, Japan's economic might made it a valuable asset to the United States and other capitalist nations. Because the United States forbade the Japanese from maintaining large armed forces after the war, U.S. forces have provided security guarantees to Japan since 1945.

In a similar manner, resource-poor South Korea was devastated by the Korean War (1950–1953) and faced a hostile North Korea across the 38th parallel. South Korea developed close ties between government and industry to create industrial conglomerates known as chaebols. Like Japan, this government-business partnership led to export success; by 2000, South Korea was the 12th-largest economy in the world. The Korean success also had a complex relation with the U.S. military protection of South Korea. Following the Korean War, the reasons for U.S. security guarantees to South Korea were mainly ideological—South Korea was a symbol of western refusal to accept the forcible expansion of communism. After the South Korean economy blossomed, however, defending the country's large capitalist economy became an added reason for U.S. protection.

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