The evolution of the international system 1648-1989

1. The evolution of the international system 1648-1989 • The core historical subject matter: the territorial state and the international state system • the purpose of the sovereign state • definitions • The historical evolution of the state system • The changing contemporary world of states

2. Conceptual clarifications • The purpose of the territorial state: security, freedom, order, justice, welfare • Definitions of the territorial state as a social organization - Sovereignty: internal and external Internal sovereignty: authority over certain territory and the population within this territory External sovereignty: the right of the state to represent the population living on certain territory in the external affairs Sovereignty referred to as monopoly over the legitimate means of coercion • The international system of state: definition/ social organization and historical institution Df. A system of relations between politically organized territorial structures that enjoy and exercise a measure of independence from each other and are no under a higher authority

3. The historical development of the state system • Historical forms of political organization: -historical precursors of the state system: the Hellenic city-states and Italian Renaissance cities; -the political empire: Roman Empire, Christendom and Byzantium, Islam Iran, India, China; -feudalism: parallel and overlapping hierarchies, dispersed authority; -colonies. • Sovereign states in 16th century Western Europe and the emergence of the system of states (the Peace of Westphalia); late 18th century- North America; early 19th century South America;

4. Characteristics of the state system in Europe after 1648 • States’ mutual recognition of legitimacy and independence • States recognize and observe a set of rules and norms in their relations e.g. international law and diplomatic practices • Balance of power is maintained to prevent rise of a hegemonic power

5. The global spread of the state system • The process of colonization in the early modern era (16th century), political and economic domination of the European powers over their overseas empires • Non-European independent member state of the state system, controlled by the settler populations • Incorporation in the system of non-Western states, which have not be colonized by the West: the Ottoman Empire, Japan and China • Anti-colonialism after the Second World War

6. The changing contemporary world of states • Diversity of the state system - Internal dimension of the state: state as a government as opposed to state as a country, concerning state/society relations - External aspect of the state, concerning interstate relations • State types in the global state system Strong state/ weak state in terms of empirical statehood (institutions, economic basis and internal unity) Strong power/ weak power state