International relations concerns relationships between countries or states. The relationships also concern Inter-governmental, International nongovernmental (INGO) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Buzan & Little 8). International relations encompass state relationships in trade and economics, politics, social-cultural activities such as sports among others. The history of international relations can be traced from thousands of years. Political scientists, Little and Buzan, considered interactions among ancient Sumerian cities in 3,500 BC as a fully-established international system (9).
The history of international relations considering countries can be traced to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which ended the “thirty years of war”. The “peace of Westphalia” consisted of a series of peace treaties that were signed between May and October of 1948. Prior to the peace of Westphalia, the political organization in the European society was based on a vague hierarchical religious order (Leo 12). The Peace of Westphalia initiated the concept of state sovereignty that never existed before. Sovereignty meant that rulers of sovereign states could not have equals within a defined territory (Nau 20). Moreover, a leader in a sovereign state would be recognized as the ultimate authority within the precincts of the state. Nye (47) attributes the current institutionalization of armies as well as the practice of diplomacy when countries relate with each other, to the Peace of Westphalia. From Europe, the propositions of the Peace of Westphalia spread to other continents like the Americas, Africa and Asia through colonization. After the decolonization of states during the cold war, contemporary international relations systems were established.
Several transformations have taken place international relations since the Peace of Westphalia, most of them fueled by security concerns and the need to maintain world peace (Nye 7). Consequently, some people have advocated for consolidation of countries into regional governments. Under such systems, countries forfeit their sovereignty to the regional government. The situation seems ideal but the success of the European Union (EU) attests to the efficiency of international relations along regional governments. However, pertinent issues in international relations such as the creation of a common military force makes total integration remain a mirage in both the near and the distant future.
Though several transformations have taken place since the Peace of Westphalia, realism or political realism has remained the dominant theory in International Relations (Maxwell & Keynes 54). Since the 1980s, IR has been divided into “positivist” and “post-positivist” camps. Positivist theories analyze the impacts of material forces such as size of military forces and the balance of powers as their basis of IR. Examples of positivist IR theories include: Realism, Liberalism and Neo-liberalism. Post-positivist theories focus on constitutive question such as “what is power, and how is it experienced?” Examples of post-positivist theories are: Marxism, critical theory and social constructivism.
International relations have been influenced by societal concerns such as gender and feminism. In the early 1990s, feminist approaches to international relations gained popularity. Feminists argued that the experiences and views of women were being excluded from international relations. International relations scholar Jacqui True differentiated empirical feminism from normative and analytical feminism by stating that women and gender issues were practical aspects of international relations.
Development has played a key role in contemporary international relations. Contrary to the peace of Westphalia, where military size and power championed international relations, contemporary international relations are more diverse. For instance, the advancement in technology has had immense and diverse effects in international relations. The manufacture of nuclear weapons for instance has strained relations between some countries, while the rise of internet has increased international relations and turned the world into a global village.
Works Cited
Buzan, Barry and Little, Richard. International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of
International Relations. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 2000. Print
Markwell, Donald and Keynes, Maynard and International Relations: Economic Paths to War
and Peace, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006. Print
Gross, Leo. The Peace of Westphalia, 1648-1948. American Journal of International Law 42 (1):
1948. Print
Nye, Joseph. Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History,
(3rd Ed.), Longman, 2000. Print
Nau, Henry, Perspectives on International Relations: Power, Institutions, Ideas. Washington
DC, CQ Press. 2008. Print
