INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Sophie Kropman 1

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

AN INTRODUCTION

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WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS?

• The study of the relations between states• States are the main actors/players that are

associated with international relations• States are:– Politically organised human groupings– Occupy distinctive territory with borders– Are independent of one another– Are not under any higher political authority

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The doctrine of State Sovereignty

• STATE SOVEREIGNTY– The agreed right a central

government has to control a given territory with clearly defined borders and mediate disputes between its citizens with a measure of independence from other governments

• KEY CONCEPTS ASSOCIATED WITH SOVEREIGNTY– Self determination– Non intervention– Self defence

Australia is a sovereign state with a distinct territory and clearly defined borders and a government recognised internationally .

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The development of an international society

• ANCIENT GREECE: based on the concept of city-states such as Athens, Sparta and Corinth. The city state was referred to as the ‘polis’ and enjoyed political autonomy from other states.

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• RENAISSANCE ITALY: based on the concept of the stato which were also city-states. These included Florence, Venice and Milan. These stati were independent and instituted their own free standing political systems.

• Together, these stati formed the second wave of an international society.

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• TREATY OF WESTPHALIA 1648: This peace treaty ended the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants. This treaty signalled beginnings of modern international relations between modern states. Characteristics included:– Sovereigns (kings/queens) not

subject to any higher political authority

– Every sovereign (king/queen) is independent and equal to every other sovereign.

– The ruler of their territory determines their own laws

– A balance of power intended between member states to prevent any one state from dominating

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The Westphalian Constitution of World Politics

1. TERRITORIALITY- humankind is organised principally into exclusive territorial (political) communities with fixed borders

2. SOVERIEGNTY- within its borders the state or government has an entitlement to supreme, unqualified, and exclusive political and legal authority

3. AUTONOMY- countries appear as as autonomous containers of political, social , and economic activity in that fixed borders separate the domestic sphere from the world outside.

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Traditional International Relations• States as the main actors in international relations• Respect for the sovereignty of states crucial • Security of the state was most important- security of borders,

citizens, economy• Diplomacy (using dialogue to persuade) was a crucial tactic in

forging relations between states• United Nations (UN) an important manifestation of the

modern ‘society of states’ however states still sovereign within their own territory

• States had the monopoly of violence- they raised armies, manufactured and traded weapons, and declared and fought wars against other states

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International relations today• States remain the main actors in international relations BUT

have to share the space with other non-state actors such as:– TNCs (Transnational Corporations)– NGOs (Non Government Organisations)– Oil and currency speculators– Terrorist networks

• Respect for the sovereignty of states remains today although there have been attempts to rise above this when there are acts of genocide occurring. Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan show that state sovereignty and interests remain more important that intervening in the name of an international society

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• Security of the state remains important however a state’s security has expanded to include threats that it has lost the ability to control within its territory– Climate change– AIDS. SARS, Avian flu– International terrorism– Illegal trade in people, organs, weapons, narcotics– Refugees and asylum seekers

• Diplomacy (using dialogue to persuade) remains a crucial tactic in forging relations between states however resolving conflict and other issues between state and non state groups is difficult when the other actors are not states

• States no longer have the monopoly of violence- they now share and compete with other non state actors in trading weapons, selling nuclear secrets, and even raising private armies. They are also now targeted by non state terror networks in warfare.

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What has fostered this change in international relations and the power

of the state?• GLOBALISATION has fostered this change. – It is a force wave that has emerged over the last

20 years– It has been driven by the technological advances

in information technology– It is the framework by which all international

relations, war, trade and communications occur between people and states

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