Political Sociology: Origins of Modern International Order PDF

Political sociology The origins of the modern international order  Introduction The historical roots of the international world order A brief outline of global politics since the emergence of the Westphalian inter-state order The end of the “long 19th century” and its...

Political sociology The origins of the modern international order  Introduction The historical roots of the international world order A brief outline of global politics since the emergence of the Westphalian inter-state order The end of the “long 19th century” and its implications The emergence of nationalism Current issues in IR/global politics  First “global” world order The beginnings of the first international world order can be traced to around the end of the 15th century, gained momentum in the 17th – 18th centuries This order was visibly Eurocentric  “the Age of Discovery”, colonial conquest, racism “The Rise of the West”  First “global” world order “The idea of a sort of “global” world order (on a limited scale) emerged in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War (1630 – 1648) Principles of sovereignty and non-intervention The idea of international society of states based on shared rules of conduct and values (international law) Hugo Grotius The law of war and peace (1625)  The origins of the modern state Imperialism Industrialization, capitalism and commerce New ideas  Imperialism The rise of colonial powers + extraction of resources + slave labor The narrative of “discovery” and “no man’s land” Racism, with attempts at “scientific justification”  Industrial revolution A radical shift from agriculture to industry that occurred in western Europe from around 1760 to around 1840s and beyond. New inventions  steam engine + multi-spindle spinning frame Boom in the textile/cloth production industry  factory system Wholesale transformation of society and economy from agricultural production/preordained social structure to economy based on machine and factory production  The second industrial revolution “Second” Industrial Revolution – from mid-19th century; the global human web thickens  railways + the invention of the telegraph New energy sources  oil industry + electricity Global trade rises by 10% per annum (Baylis et al. 2017)  New ideas  “Democratic” principles  classical liberalism, individual freedom (John Locke and Adam Smith)  right to civil disobedience/pursuit of happiness  right to self- determination!  Enlightenment and rationality (The Age of Reason)  Science and laws of nature more important than tradition and religion, the notion of the world as rational, with rational actors  Political revolutions The American Revolution “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of Independence, Jul 4th 1776  Political revolutions The French Revolution of 1789 - 99 Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen Sovereignty vested in the people (ie in the nation) of France  popular sovereignty The notion of the subject transformed into the citizen  Consequences A consequence of this was that empires were seen as denying the right of nations to become proper sovereign states The rise of nationalism/self-determination of nations After the defeat of Napoleon, the idea of “great powers” was made manifest in the “Concert of Europe”  Europe in 1815 Source: reddit.com, accessed Jan 15th, 2024  Recall Recall the following: Self-determination Liberty/the right to resist political, economic and social oppression (by empires) National revolutions against the empire across Europe  Basic principles of nationalism The world is naturally divided into nations and each nation has its own unique “character” expressed in its culture Each nation has the right to control its political and social future and destiny Each national culture should be protected and allowed to flourish without interference or aggression from “outsiders” -- which needs its own “political roof” (ie the state) (Smith 2010)  Basic principles of nationalism As discussed earlier this week, the ideas of the French revolution made any social order predicated on birthright or divine right untenable The role of national elites as “discoverers” of national culture and drivers of national (anti-imperialist) movements The folk culture as a “reservoir” of national traits/character (Miroslav Hroch 1985)  Springtime of Nations A series of revolutionary upheavals in Europe from early 1848 to late 1849; Alliance of the “middle classes”, students and workers Revolutions, liberal and democratic in nature, were soon suppressed BUT Awakened national identities  Springtime of Nations Typically said to have started in 1848, however, it was preceded, for example, by political upheaval in 1830s, first in France and Belgium, and subsequently in Russian- controlled Poland It was made possible both by the deep socio-economic transformations associated with rapid urbanization that we discussed earlier this week, and facilitated by the liberal ideals of the French Revolution: popular sovereignty and self determination, as well as ideas of Romantic nationalism.  Springtime of Nations Demands for universal suffrage, economic rights for workers, freedom of the press, cultural and linguistic autonomy, and representation and voice in political matters Revolts and rioting in all major European capitals: Paris, Berlin and Vienna Revolutions broke out in France, Italy (Sicily, Sardinia and Rome), Hungary, Prussia (Germany) and the Netherlands (among others)  Springtime of Nations. Short-term consequences The mapping of the Springtime of Nations Europe ablaze: the 1848 Revolutions  Springtime of Nations. Short-term consequences In general, the 1848 revolutions were unsuccessful as they were eventually suppressed (often ruthlessly, as in Hungary); in Prussia (Germany), King Frederick-William IV reneged on his promises The establishment of the Second Republic and universal male suffrage in France The unification of Italy (1861-62); The establishment (in 1867) of Austria-Hungary with the Hungarians on an equal footing with the Austrians, with their autonomy and constitution recognized by the Habsburg court in Vienna  The end of the old world order 1914 - 1918 Break up of old Austro-Hungarian and German empires, last Habsburg emperor, Charles, exiled to Madera; German emperor leaves for the Netherlands and the Weimer Republic is established in 1919 Russian empire soon to be overthrown by Bolsheviks (Communists) (1917); The last “great empire” – Ottoman Turkey – fell in 1922 and was replaced by a secular republic New independent states appear on the map of Europe  Europe in the aftermath of the Great War Reflecting on the need to secure long-lasting peace and to prevent another great war  emergence of academic International Relations (IR) 1919 – League of Nations created with the purpose of preventing conflict and promoting international peace  Europe in the aftermath of the Great War  The League, however, was weak and inefficient  It failed to prevent expansionist and aggressive ideologies, such as Fascism, Nazism, and Communism (Bolshevism)  Ultimately, it failed to prevent another World War  UN as the successor of the League After WW2, the US decided to participate in the League replacement: the United Nations Cold War rivalries prevented the UN from operating effectively A bipolar world order NATO v the Soviet bloc) established  Decolonisation De-colonisation led to a broader adoption of “Westphalian- derived” ideas of sovereignty Indigenous elites defeated the West with its own weapon – nationalism; the proliferation of the “Westphalian nation- state” across the globe The collapse of the Soviet Union also meant the collapse of a strong competing conception of international society Current issues on the international stage Globalization itself is eroding traditional identities The post-cold war order has produced several collapsed, failing or fragmenting states Today the United States military power overwhelmingly dominates, creating a “unipolar moment” in history. (Baylis et al, 2017) Current issues on the international stage Resurgence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Oct 2023 Continuing war in Ukraine following Russian invasion in February 2022 Economic crises instability of economies, market crises, public debt Resurgence of radical nationalism and populism in established democracies Current issues on the international stage The US hegemony is being challenged by strong contenders such as Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC countries), and Turkey (also South Africa  BRICS) Sovereignty-based world order is also challenged by global issues requiring international cooperation  poverty, environmental degradation, international organized crime and terrorism (Baylis et al, 2017)  A few notes on the midterm A brief study guide will be posted to Canvas The test will consist of MC only The scope of the midterm – everything up to and including next week (week of January 27th)