PTO101_Theme2.pdf

THEME 2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PTO 101 2024 DR. SONJA THERON 1 How did the state become the most important actor on the international stage? Why is sovereignty such a strongly guarded norm? THEME 2 PTO 101 2 THEME 2...

THEME 2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PTO 101 2024 DR. SONJA THERON 1 How did the state become the most important actor on the international stage? Why is sovereignty such a strongly guarded norm? THEME 2 PTO 101 2 THEME 2 PTO 101 How does power shift in the international system, and what are the consequences? 3 THEME 2 PTO 101 Why were international organisations and international law formed, and how do they change? THE WESTERN- CENTRISM PROBLEM DISTORTED VIEW OF IGNORANCE OF INTERNATIONAL NON-WESTERN SYSTEM INFLUENCE RACISM IN IR THEME 2 PTO 101 1 How did the state become the most important actor on the international stage? Why is sovereignty such a strongly guarded norm? THEME 2 PTO 101 TWELFTH TO SIXTEENTH CENTURIES International system centred around Asia and Indian Ocean Multiple political systems Trade, diplomacy, war Norms and rules THEME 2 PTO 101  1453 MEDIEVAL EUROPE Feudal system Localised communities and political entities Unclear borders and political units Supra-state authority in the church and Holy Roman Empire Violence and war THEME 2 PTO 101  1453 TREATY OF WESTPHALIA AND NAPOLEONIC WARS Agreement on sovereignty: state as highest authority Birth of European state Clearer borders Nationalism and large-scale wars Birth of European nation-state Human rights narratives emerging THEME 2 PTO 101 EUROPEAN COLONIALISM AND INDUSTRIALISATION TRANS-ATLANTIC TRIANGLE OPIUM WARS SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA THEME 2 PTO 101 EARLY 20TH CENTURY Mass societies Social movements WWI and WWII THEME 2 PTO 101 MID 20TH CENTURY Formation of UN Decolonisation Cold War THEME 2 PTO 101 LATE 20TH CENTURY AND 21ST CENTURY End of Cold War 9/11 Rise of China Covid THEME 2 PTO 101 1 How did the state become the most important actor on the international stage? Why is sovereignty such a strongly guarded norm? THEME 2 PTO 101 2 THEME 2 PTO 101 How does power shift in the international system, and what are the consequences? INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: POWER BIPOLAR UNIPOLAR MULTIPOLAR Two ‘great powers’ One ‘great power’ as Multiple ‘poles’ of who balance the the centre of power, generating international system, economic, political, complex relationships. and have their own social international spheres of in luence. relations. THEME 3 PTO 101 WEEK 3 f WHAT IS A SUPERPOWER? THREE CRITERIA GLOBAL REACH Implies power that is greater than a traditional great power SUPERPOWER PREDOMINANCE SUPERIOR MILITARY THEME 1 PTO 101 TWELFTH TO SIXTEENTH CENTURIES THEME 2 PTO 101 MID 20TH CENTURY THEME 2 PTO 101 LATE 20TH CENTURY THEME 2 PTO 101 LATE 20TH CENTURY THEME 2 PTO 101 2 THEME 2 PTO 101 How does power shift in the international system, and what are the consequences? 3 THEME 2 PTO 101 Why were international organisations and international law formed, and how do they change? EVOLUTION OF THE NATION-STATE AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS PRE- WESTPHALIA NAPOLEONIC STATE & WESTPHALIA WARS INTERNATIONAL ORG’S Asia: Large centralised polities Europe: End of Europe: Birth of the with degree of sovereignty religious authority nation-state Africa: Centralised and over states. Advent decentralised polities of sovereignty in Europe: Decentralised feudal Europe. system, with religious authority above state THEME 2 PTO 101  EVOLUTION OF THE NATION-STATE AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLONIALISM POST-WORLD DECOLONISATION ORGANISATIONS WARS GROW STATE & INTERNATIONAL Europe: European Global: League of Europe: End of Regional organisations ORG’S empires Nations, United European empire formed, and grow Africa, Americas, Nations, Bretton Africa, Americas, Middle East, Asia: Woods Middle East, Asia: IO’s broaden and Colonies Decolonisation and deepen role sovereign states based on imperial Absolute sovereignty borders questioned THEME 2 PTO 101 EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROCESSES OF TRADE, WAR AND DIPLOMACY PRE-1500S POST- WORLD WARS POST-WORLD WESTPHALIA WARS INTERNATIONAL PROCESSES Asia, Middle-East, Asia: Economic Global: Destructive, Global: Decreased Africa: Extensive decline large scale wars inter-state war, trade and economic Europe: Diplomatic globalisation, contact, imperial wars, tradition; nationalism increased multilateral diplomacy and war; economic cooperation, reduced Europe: Limited expansion and inter-state war engagement with industrialisation global economy, wars through imperialism between small political units THEME 2 PTO 101 EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RULES, NORMS AND LAWS WESTERN POST-WORLD POST-COLD WAR PRE-1500S WESTPHALIA REVOLUTIONS & WARS COLONIALISM RULES Asia, Middle-East, Europe: Advent of Europe: Growth of Global: Self- Global: R2P, Africa: Economic sovereignty, respect self-determination determination sovereignty as rules of exchange, for diplomatic norms norm in Europe only norms, human responsibility, money systems, rights norms, UN ICC degrees of Charter sovereignty, religious tolerance/rights Europe: Limited rules and norms, parochial THEME 2 PTO 101 3 THEME 2 PTO 101 Why were international organisations and international law formed, and how do they change? NEXT… STATE, INDIVIDUAL AND THEME 3 FOREIGN POLICY THEME 2 PTO 101