Topics for today Events of the day/week

Kenyan parties agree on peace deal Catching up with readings/PowerPoints

World War II Cold War Comparing The League and the United Nations

After the Cold War, 1991-

States, sovereignty, and power

What is a “state”? What is “sovereignty”?

What is a state?

Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States (1933)

State: a legal entity in international law with a permanent population with a defined territory with a government capable of effective

domestic control and international representation/recognition

Authority and Territoriality

The authority of a state is limited by physical borders, not by associational or other criteria.

State authority is based on the claim to sovereignty, or the absence of any higher authority.

International law recognizes states both on the basis of legitimacy and violence. A viable state is capable of resisting outside/domestic attacks and elicit a minimum of international and domestic recognition.

What is sovereignty?

Sovereignty: No superior authority. Control over domestic affairs Control over cross-border movements Exclusive representation in international

politics

Sovereignty as control

Effective domestic monopoly of violence. Government controls domestic affairs.

How do states loose control? Voluntarily: enter treaties with other states or

create inter- and supranational institutions (“pooling of sovereignty”).

Involuntarily: Military invasion, economic sanctions, diplomatic threats, smugglers, cross-border pollution.

United Nations Membership, 1945-2007

51

76

117

144159

185 189 192

0

50

100

150

200

250

1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2001 2006

UN membership

UN membership expanded

Recent new member states

2006 (192): Montenegro (192)

2002 (191): Switzerland, Timor-Leste

.

.1992 (179):

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Summary: the state

A state is a legal entity with a defined territory, population, and government (monopoly of violence).

States are de jure sovereign: controlling borders (1), domestic autonomy (2), and international representation (3).

Summary: the state system

States and their supporting ideology of nationalism are a recent phenomenon in human history.

The state system emerged mostly by means of brutal internal and external violence.

States emerged in response to changes in military technology (economies of scale) as well as shifts from religious to political/ nationalist allegiances.

League of Nations

Principle of unanimity (Art. 5) Council and Assembly have the same

responsibilities and rights (Art. 2-4) Peace at a collective good.

An attack against any member is an attack against all members.

RULES: arbitration and settlement Economic sanctions as a new tool (Art. 16)

League of Nations and the United Nations

US absence Lack of enforcement Council and GA are

equals No human rights

promotion No participation of

the Global South

US presence Chapter VII Security Council

has more powers Human rights an

explicit goal of UN Decolonization

expanded membership

Failure of the League of Nations

Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity

Internationallevel

Because collective security simply can not work

Because states did not fully commit to the idea of collective security; faulty design of the League

Because the League did not address cultural/identity differences

Domestic level Because the League brought together incompatible regime types; unanimity rule

What caused World War II?

Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity

International

level

Balance of power is unstable; continuation of WWI; Versailles

Weakness of institutions; US refusal to support the League of Nations

Expanding nationalisms

Domestic level

Democracy vs. fascism; threat of economic collapse in Germany

Bolshevism/

Racism

Individual

level

Classical realism: Human nature

Humiliation of German nationalism

After the Cold War

Persian Gulf War (1991) Failed states

Break-up of Yugoslavia (1991-1994) Somalia (1993)

Rwandan genocide (1994) Anti-landmines treaty (1997) Middle East conflict (second intifada, 2001) Global terrorism (9/11) Iraq war (2003) Expansion of the European Union to 27 members

What caused global terrorism ?

Realism Institutionalism Idealism/Identity

International

level

Counterbalancing in a unipolar world; natural challenge to US hegemony; asymmetric warfare

Weak global institutions: failure to resolve Middle East conflict; insufficient inter-state cooperation on law enforcement

Radical Islam vs. democracy; lack of cultural understanding across religious lines

Domestic level

Re-assertion of authoritarian rule after 1995

Failure to integrate Muslim minorities in Europe and the U.S.; Islamic forces dominate Muslim nations

Answering terrorism

Realism: a case of asymmetric warfare Solution: military defeat and repression

Liberal Institutionalism: a criminal activity Solution: Democracy/trade and intensified inter-

state cooperation on law enforcement; transform Muslims through wealth into secularists

Identity/constructivism: a challenge to Western cultural imperialism Solution: better integration of Muslim immigrants;

appeals to moderate Muslims; creation of common cultural platforms; accept difference and promote cultural diversity