Transformations of the form of power in international relations

The concept of power in international relations embodies one of the main determinants for understanding the behavior of states, and it is considered a pivotal basis for knowing the extent of the capabilities of states and their ability to be influential in international politics, especially the determinant of military power. The states that are able to influence international politics are the ones that have the largest size of equipped armies. With the latest weapons and very advanced military equipment, it can intervene to protect its internal and external interests, with the help of its strong army capable of winning battles in the field, and this is what gives it an advantage over its opponents, or its enormous military power helps it protect its security and maintain its survival, which prevents it from being attacked or attacked. Disrupting its external interests. However, the concept of military power is no longer sufficient to determine whether countries are strong or not, because the development of international relations has produced other determinants and new types of power, and is no longer limited only to the military side, by virtue of the emergence of powerful countries globally but they do not possess the elements of military power or prominence. Countries are strong militarily but weak economically, and this means that there are other factors to define strength, perhaps the most prominent of which is economic strength, the size of internal or productive wealth, the strategic geographical location, the number of population, geographical area, cultural values, the nature of political leadership, and other determinants that are used to classify countries into strong/ Weak, rich/poor, great/small, great/not great. In this research, we attempt to explain the transformation in the form of power in international relations by presenting the forms of power and the extent of development occurring in the concept of hard power, soft power, smart power, and virtual power.