TED video

How did the 3 'planes' of power he described in his talk apply to the world in the 19th century, and Britain in particular?
He talked about the power developed in the 19th century, to be precise, in Britain. The power was the industrial revolution, which upraised the strength of power and esp. economy of  great Britian and the U.S, creating a decline that degraded and weaken East Asia, or perhaps China.
  How about 'hard' and 'soft' power - what methods of soft power existed during the 19th century?
The soft power was the industrial revolution, when economy is  elevated by increase production of goods, and more related to economy and the arts, which satisfied many people and entrepreneurs to continue their progress or are eager to create an innovation for a purpose. 


 How did Britain's rise to power during the 1800s and the collapse of the Chinese and Ottoman Empires, for examples, compare to the shifts in power that are taking place today?
It is like China and the U.S. Currently, China is increasing the size of its population and are also gradually improving, reforming their society, economy and arts; while many people say the u.S will be behind of them in the future because of the lack of change and also their stagnant progress.