 According to him, at that moment there were three states that were superpowers, namely the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.The British Empire was the most extensive empire in world history and considered the foremost great power, holding sway over 25% of the world's population and controlling about 25% of the Earth's total land area, while the United States and the Soviet Union grew in power before and during World War II.The UK would face serious political, financial and colonial issues after World War II that left it unable to match Soviet or American power.