Scribd
Upload
96 views4 pages

Unit 4: Phases in The International Relations

The document outlines the key phases in the evolution of international relations, including the Medieval European System, the Treaty of Westphalia, and the Concert System. The Medieval European System was characterized by religious, political and ideological wars until the 15th century when the Italian City-States system developed with secular rulers. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 emphasized state sovereignty and helped establish principles of international law and diplomacy. The Concert System starting in 1815 involved European summit meetings to discuss matters of common interest following the Napoleonic Wars.

Uploaded by

Aed Sarumpaet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
96 views4 pages

Unit 4: Phases in The International Relations

The document outlines the key phases in the evolution of international relations, including the Medieval European System, the Treaty of Westphalia, and the Concert System. The Medieval European System was characterized by religious, political and ideological wars until the 15th century when the Italian City-States system developed with secular rulers. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 emphasized state sovereignty and helped establish principles of international law and diplomacy. The Concert System starting in 1815 involved European summit meetings to discuss matters of common interest following the Napoleonic Wars.

Uploaded by

Aed Sarumpaet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Unit 4: Phases in the International Relations

CONTENTS
1.0. Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.1 Main Body
3.2 The Medieval European System
3.3 The Treaty of Westphalia
3.4 The Concert System
4.0. Conclusion
5.0. Summary
6.0. Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs)
7.0. References/Further Readings.

1.0. INTRODUCTION
It is important to mention that man evolved from the state of nature which was
characteristically primitive and according to the European Philosopher (Thomas
Hobbes), life then was “brutish, short, and nasty”. The rule then was basically the
survival of the fittest because might instead of reason was the in-thing. Shortly after
the primitive society, came the Medieval European System, which manifested at the
collapse of the Holy Roman Empire.

2.1. OBJECTIVES
At the successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
 trace the historical events that took place before state system
 describe the phases in the evolution of international relations
 explain the terminologies that emerged from the Treaty of Westphalia

3.1 MAIN CONTENT

3.2 The Medieval European System


The medieval European System was characterised by series of internecine ethnic,
religious, political and ideological wars. The medieval period was also referred to as
the Dark Ages and Europe nearly returned to the imperial womb. In other words, the
Roman notion that spiritual and secular (political) power are the same was nearly
revived, but for the spread of Islam.

Feudalism consequently began to be dominant and the manner of loyalty and political
obligation began to change; same as the manner of religious obligations. This change
of loyalties resulted into a transfer of allegiance from religions to secular authorities
and from local to national authorities of governments.

By the 15th century, the Italian City-States system had developed under clearly secular
rulers. Politics to them was not based on religion, but on reasons of the state. Savagery
that characterized religious wars had reduced, but was not totally eradicated.
‘Necessary war’ (i.e., interest of the state) replaced ‘Just wars’. (i.e., wars for religious
justification). Dogmatism was eradicated and the leaders of the Italian City States
unashamedly gave room to compromise.

Italian City States established permanent diplomatic missions (i.e., embassies), career
diplomats and complete privileges and immunities that go with it. When diplomacy
failed, in their relationship with others, the Italian rulers resorted to the whole arsenal
of threat, bribe, subversion, assassination, and war ultimately. These wars would not
even be fought between individual citizens but between mercenaries that are paid. The
wars were not prominently fought to destroy the opponent (so as not to stimulate
unfavorable reactions or coalition) but to strike a desirable balance in order to cause
stability in the system. In view of this, some scholars have argued that the Italian state
system is the bridge between the Medieval and the Modern International System and
state system.
3.3 The Treaty of Westphalia
The Treaty of Westphalia which ended the thirty-year war, that engulfed Europe, also
gave impetus to contemporary international system. Infact, as we have argued earlier
in this module, that modernity (or at least the modern international system) started in
1648 when the treaty was signed. Though the Westphalia Treaty was not a panacea or
did not result into end of wars in Europe, it however gave credence to the following:

(i) Sovereign Statehood- it signaled the decline of supremacy of the papacy


and emphasized the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of
other states.

(ii) International Law- it signaled the decline of observance of the medieval


rules on state conduct and promoted international law which sovereign
rulers consented to.

(iii) Diplomacy- it brought about the idea of establishing permanent diplomatic


missions as well as rules of diplomacy, such as acknowledgement of
diplomatic immunities, extra-territoriality of embassies (which means
working in them means working in an international space which is
immuned from the laws of the host state) etc.

(iv) Balance of Power- it also influenced the idea of ensuring relative equality
in political, economic and military power of states at the international level.
Again, by the 15th century European influence had started in North America
and transplanted European culture and system of government. The
European leaders only saw the areas of America that were colonized as
mere sources of revenue. However, by the mid-1770s the British-Americans
began to question their subservience to Britain, which resulted in the
American War of independence in 1776.

3.4 The Concert System


Another development to modernity in international system is the Concert System. This
was an epoch-making event in European periodic summit or conference system meant
to discuss or settle matters bordering on common interest. The concert system started
in 1815 when the Napoleonic wars nearly rented the whole of Europe.

Besides the foregoing, is the peace conference, which was convened after the First
World War, i.e., The Versailles Treaty. It also encouraged the notion of self
determination in the modern international system. The League of Nations that was
instituted shortly after World War 1 could not contain the outbreak of the Second
World War. This led to the establishment of the United Nations Organisation (UNO)
in 1945. Although, the UN has been handicapped on several international issues, it has
been able to weather the storm of and heat generated by the Cold War super-power
politics:
 contain or prevent a global holocaust in spite of the menacing ownership
 and contestation between and among the nuclear powers
 handle the issue of decolonization as well as seemingly intractable wars in
different parts of the globe
 meet the yearnings and aspirations of the new states that proliferated shortly
after its establishment (even if it has not met these aspirations adequately)
 grapple with the challenges of the globalization of the international system
and its consequences as they unfold.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXCERCISE
What are the differences, if any, between the European Medieval System and the
Concert System.

4.0. CONCLUSION
The crisis of our time is not a temporary one. It is possible that we are living in one
of the great transition periods of human history. The real international crisis of our
time, says E. H. Carr, “is the final and irrevocable breakdown of the conditions
which made the nineteenth-century order possible.” It is not only that “foundations
are shaking”, as one writer describes the “world revolution” of our time, but also that
new political forms and relationships are emerging.

International systems today have become truly international, and are characterised by
a high degree of interaction and interdependence. Clearly the international system is
changing in innumerable ways. Old actors are playing new and often reduced roles,
and new actors, of uncertain quality and prospects are appearing constantly. We may
be witnessing not only major changes within the system, but a systematic change that
in time may produce a new pattern of international relations altogether.

5.0. SUMMARY
In this unit, our attention has been focused on the phases in the evolution of the
contemporary international system. These phases included the medieval European
system, the Treaty of Westphalia and the Concert system. Much of international
relations since World War II has centered around the search for a new international
system to replace the order that was shattered in two world wars and to work out new
patterns of relationships in a world dominated by super-powers and divided between
haves and have-not nations, and altered beyond recognition by the emergence of
many new states and by the technological changes consequent upon the nuclear and
space age.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy