Topics for today

Events of the day/week The state system

What is a ‘state’? Theories of IR: World War I and World War II Collective security

Comparing the League of Nations and the United Nations

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

What is “sovereignty?”

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

politics

Sovereignty is an idealized state of affairs. The actual

degree of sovereign control varies greatly among states.

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.

New states

Bangladesh, 1974 (formerly part of Pakistan).

Eritrea, 1993 (formerly part of Ethiopia).

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, 1991/2 (formerly Soviet Union).

East Timor, 2002 (formerly part of Indonesia).

Montenegro, 2006 (formerly part of Serbia and Montenegro)

1700: 45 states 1945: 65 states; Today: almost 200 states.

World history and IR theories

Realism A cyclical struggle for power

Liberalism Progressive economic development of

societies Idealism/Constructivism

Unfolding of competing ideas, in the past: nationalism; today: human rights

What caused World War I?

Realism: German unification leading to power struggle among European states/decline of British empire

Institutionalism: Weakness of international institutions to prevent war

Identity/constructivism: Nationalism; feelings of superiority over other peoples.

Realism

Cause (anarchy): anarchy creating mistrust and insecurity in a multipolar system (p. 78); third image/international level

Process: Germany’s blitzkrieg aimed to avoid a two-front war, but

increased the threat level for everyone else. Germany attacked Russia to prevent its rise as a power. One country attacked another because of an imminent

attack.

Liberal institutionalism

Causes (institutions): Weak global institutions: No global inter-

governmental body; trade and law not strong enough (third image, international level)

Lack of democracy: weak representation of pacifistic voices (second image, domestic level)

Clumsy diplomacy: Kaiser Wilhelm II

Lack of sufficient interdependence.

Identity/Constructivism

Causes (ideologies): Racist nationalism: Jingoism combined with advanced

military technology Ideological nationalism: growing tensions between

liberalism (US, France, Britain) and other ideologies Socialist nationalism: Emergence of Marxism creates

incentives for conservative leaders to divert attention away from domestic struggles by going to war

Lack of common understanding and norms.

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

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 differences

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

Individual level

What is collective security?

Effort to neutralize military power Focus on threat, not power Reciprocity: trade in the right to attack for

collective protection by all Examples: League of Nations/United Nations

From the League to the UN

Context: League's Covenant was drafted after the end of hostilities and at the same

time as the negotiations about The fate of the loosing powers (Paris Conference). The U.N. Charter was negotiated during World War II and led to an independent legal document.

League: unanimity; U.N.: majority voting (with exceptions) More effective institutions:

Creation of an executive body (Security Council) with privileged status pertaining to security questions.

Stronger norms: U.N. Charter provides more comprehensive powers for peacekeeping and

peacemaking. U.N. does not allow the unilateral use of force, except in case of an

‘imminent attack;’ the League’s covenant allowed the use of force for dispute settlement (after arbitration).