International Relations Notes What is international relations Relations among world governments this is the old and narrow definition mostly political definition limited to states definition Today social relations and economic ones are studied as well along with other actors besides states although states are still the main actors Other Actors International Actors Transnational Actors a IGO Intergovernmental Organizations EU UN NATO a NGO non governmental organizations WWF b MNC multinational corporation Mcdonald s Subway Apple c Transnational Networks Al Qaeda ISIS Substate actors include governors people that hold power or whatever in a substate province of a state Origins of International Relations Two groups of people living in an environment with no overarching authority to regulate authority Relations are followed by a hierarchy of gov t like back in the day village chiefs would do the disputing in representing their tribe Originally anarchy due to lack of structure to govern relations no government to control relations caused anarchy Power governs the relationships Thucydides was an ancient Greek and father of realism Power has and will define relations between states Nation States Nation Equivalent to a people emotional attachment common values and culture Common territory is NOT required State A political Institution a legal abstraction made of Territory Government law institutions administrative institutions Citizens Sovereignty The great motivator nation coupled with the great organizer states Most conflict today comes from nations VS states internal rather than states vs states think about like chechnya VS russia and shit like that fam Sovereignty Two dimensions of sovereignty Absolute power over subjects and territory Absolute right to be free from interference by others Government has a monopoly over the legitimate use of force aka an impenetrable hard shell Origins of Sovereignty The 30 years war 1618 1648 caused by protestant splitting from catholicism Protestants challenged catholic claims Religion gave one ruler the right to interfere in other s actions Peace of Westphalia in 1648 ended the 30 year war Brought sovereign states into being recognized exclusive rights of the ruler over his or her domestic realm 1816 23 Recognized Sovereign states 1900 46 Recognized Sovereign states 1945 64 Recognized Sovereign states 1986 161 Recognized Sovereign states today 193 Recognized Sovereign states World Regions East vs West key division during the cold war West US Japan Western Europe East Soviet Union Eastern European allies of ussr China kinda sorta Democratic VS Totalitarian Capitalist vs Centrally planned North vs South key division today North US Japan Western Europe Australia South Latin America Asia Africa rich vs poor developed vs developing Three competing Worldviews Realism Dominant world view Liberalism Marxism radical revolutionary A worldview is a lens in which to interpret the world each view can encompass theories but the views themselves are not theories Realism States are the only real actors in International Relations Key value is maintaining stability Looks for a balance of power through several approaches Real Politik The enemy of my enemy is my friend Building more power Ensuring peace by preparing for war Relative gains or losses are more important to the realist vs absolute gains or losses say if a 2 countries come to an agreement on something and country A would benefit more than country B country B wouldn t agree to this since country A is gaining more even though they re both gaining State behavior determined by external environment not internal structures Economic variant mercantilism Liberalism idealism Multiple actors States mostly IGO NGO MNC key value progressive reform of the status quo growth and development importance of absolute gain as long as both countries gain something no matter the division they cool af freedom free trade free exchange of ideas internal structures of states determine external behavior mechanisms for avoiding conflict spread of democracy develop international org and law develop security communities Marxist radical world view Key value overthrow of the state s status quo justice focus on unfair and exploitable aspects of international relationships Key actors are economic desires NOT STATES War is a product of capitalism exploitative relationships changing the relationships ends war replacing capitalism with socialism ends war Realism Historically Dominant View Sun Tzu Art of War Machiavelli The Prince Morgenthau s National Interest defined as power Some have blamed the existence of power politics for turning a minor conflict in the Balkans into WWI After WWI the pendulum shifts toward policies of idealism Key proponents Woodrow Wilson a After WWII shift back to realism which was an appropriate approach toward the cold war rivalry Liberalism comes back after the cold war The Neocons neoconservatives Dominant view in US foreign policy during most of GWB administration from 2000 to 2006 Core Belief Use US power to spread its ideals Military and economic power can be used to change countries that are hostile toward Create democracy in countries and facilitate nation building Containing enemies is no longer enough Preemptive military action is often the US required Strong preference for unilateralism Neoconservatives chase idealist goals using realist means Key neocons Wolfowitz Rumsfeld Cheney The Great Conflicts of the twentieth century WWI 1914 1918 defeat of autocratic monarchies WW2 1939 1945 Defeat of fascism Cold war 1945 1990 WW3 Defeat of communism Causation WW1 was the cause assassination or the system of alliances Immediate proximate causes VS fundamental causes Assassination was the spark for WW1 Fundamental causes for WW1 which led to WW1 National expansion alliances National Expansion as a cause of WW1 1871 last Franco Prussian war ended with the defeat of France and unification of Germany ON continental Europe the major powers were France Germany Austria Hungary Russia Italy The dominant power was Brittain most powerful industrial nation most powerful military nation as well The HEGEMON Germany between 1871 and 1914 They grew fast af during this time 4 directions of growth Population growth economic growth via industrialization overseas expansion via colonization growth in military spending and capabilities National expansion chain of causation Growth in terms of economic expansion increasing population
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