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international relations - "a set of economic, political, ideological, legal, diplomatic and other ties and
relationships between states and systems of states, between the main classes, the main social,
economic, political forces, organizations and social movements operating on the world stage, i.e. e.
between peoples in the broadest sense of the word.
Most often, one of the essential features of international relations is considered to be their
participants. Aron: “international relations are relations between political units. The content of
international relations are relations between states: an indisputable example of international
relations are interstate agreements. international relations in their very essence contain an
alternative to peace and war. Therefore, R. Aron considers international relations to be a “pre-civil”
or “natural” state of society. The sphere of international relations is dominated by a "pluralism of
sovereignties", so there is no monopoly on coercion and violence.
D. Caporaso: the main actors in international relations are not states, but classes, socio-economic
groups and political forces. D. Singer, a representative of the behavioral school: it is necessary to
study the behavior of all possible participants in international relations - from the individual to the
global community. the tendency to expand the number of participants in international relations at
the expense of non-state and private actors dictates the need for a careful analysis of their role in
changes, the analysis should be accompanied by a comparison of the "specific" weight of
participants in international relations.
2. what international relations are like now what they were like, the nature
of IR
this was the system of international relations before
In the heyday of the Westphalian system, interactions between countries are formed on the
basis of rivalry, the struggle to expand spheres of influence and increase power. The
regulation of international relations is implemented on the basis of international law. A
feature of the twentieth century was the rapid development of sovereign states and the
change in the system of international relations, which underwent a radical restructuring
three times. It should be noted that none of the previous centuries can boast of such radical
changes. The last century brought two world wars. The first led to the creation of the
Versailles system, which, destroying the balance in Europe, clearly marked two antagonistic
camps: the Soviet Union and the capitalist world. The second led to the formation of a new
system, called the Yalta-Potsdam. During this period, the split between imperialism and
socialism intensifies, opposing centers are identified: the USSR and the USA, which divide
the world into two opposing camps. The period of existence of this system was also marked
by the collapse of the colonies and the emergence of the so-called "third world" states.
this was the system of international relations before.
Nowadays.
The modern period of development of the world order is characterized by the formation of
a new system, the predecessor of which collapsed at the end of the twentieth century as a
result of the collapse of the USSR and a series of East European velvet revolutions.
According to scientists, the formation of the third system and the development of
international relations have not yet ended. This is evidenced not only by the fact that today
the balance of forces in the world has not been determined, but also by the fact that new
principles of interaction between countries have not been worked out. The emergence of
new political forces in the form of organizations and movements, the unification of powers,
international conflicts and wars allow us to conclude that a complex and painful process of
forming norms and principles is underway, in accordance with which a new system of
international relations will be built.
Special attention of researchers is drawn to such a question as the state in international
relations. Scientists emphasize that today the doctrine of sovereignty is being seriously
tested, since the state has largely lost its independence. These threats are reinforced by the
process of globalization, which makes the borders more and more transparent, and the
economy and production more and more dependent. But at the same time, modern
international relations put forward a number of requirements for states that only this social
institution can do. In such conditions, there is a shift from traditional functions to new ones
that go beyond the usual.
3. the role of diplomacy how it appeared, why succeed, why fails sometimes
The possibility of a quick and principled solution to the problem is the main reason for the
intensive development of high-level diplomacy today, but there are other reasons as well. In
particular, at such meetings there is an opportunity to quickly receive the necessary first-
hand information, exchange views and reach important agreements.
At the same time, diplomacy at the highest and highest levels also has a downside. First of
all, the scale of the decisions made sharply increases the responsibility for them, as well as
the cost of a possible mistake. This problem is especially acute in crisis situations, which was
clearly manifested, for example, during the Caribbean crisis of 1962. It should also be borne
in mind that if agreements reached at a high or top level are considered erroneous after
they are signed, then abandon they are much more difficult than from similar ones, but
signed at a lower level, since in this case the first persons of states are discredited.
The settlement of conflicts and crisis situations is one of the most urgent tasks of modern
diplomacy. This was highlighted with particular sharpness by the Caribbean crisis of 1962,
which threatened the destruction of all mankind.
Why diplomacy fails sometimes.
in my opinion, Diplomacy does not always work because the two sides cannot reach the
same consensus, that is, they cannot find a common language, or the interstates of the two
countries cannot agree on some issues. since we mentioned the history before this, i will
mention the situation with ukraine, for example they cannot come to a peace treaty as
russia puts forward deadly ultimatums for the ukrainian side, this is the abandonment of the
crimea and the luhansk and Donetsk regions, all these territories make up about 30 percent
of the territory Ukraine, as well as Russia puts forward many other ultimatums, if the
Ukrainian delegation agrees to such conditions, then the people of Ukraine will never
forgive the Ukrainian government. ending, my thought is that diplomacy does not always
work because the parties cannot reach a consensus
The legal criteria are not absolute as peoples may have different goals regarding their
status: separate state; entity within a federation; quasi-state…
Most of the people share a common history, language, traditions, and lifestyles.
People are driven by nationalism – belief that nations should form own governments.
Nation – state = coincidence between nation and state, foundation for national self-
determinationNation-states: France, Italy, Denmark Opposing examples*: US, India, Russian
Federation, Canada, South Africa
The state is not an autonomous actor but has sovereignty, is a process which functions to
maintain rules of political game.
The state reflects governmental and societal interests.
Has different changing national interests which reflect the interests and power positions of
groups within the state and outside of it.
12. history of 20th century COLD WAR, how it is still influencing the IR
The Cold War was a global geopolitical, military, economic and ideological
confrontation in the period from 1946 to the end of the 1980s between two
blocs of states, one of which was centered on the USSR and the other on the
United States. This confrontation was not a war in international legal
terminology. One of the main components of the confrontation was the
ideological struggle — that is, the struggle of the USSR and the USA for a
dominant position in world public opinion.
The internal logic of the confrontation required the parties to participate in
conflicts and intervene in the development of events in any part of the world.
The efforts of the USA and the USSR were directed, first of all, to domination in
the political sphere. The USA and the USSR created their spheres of influence,
consolidating them with military-political blocs — NATO and the ATS. Although
the United States and the USSR did not officially engage in a direct military
clash, their rivalry for influence led to outbreaks of local armed conflicts in
various parts of the third World, which usually proceeded as mediated wars
between the two superpowers
"Cold War" is a term that became widespread after World War II to denote the
confrontation of the USSR and its allies on the one hand and the United States
and their allies on the other. It was discontinued in the late 1980s and early
1990s, mainly due to political and social changes in the USSR and other
countries of the former socialist camp.
The term “cold War” itself was coined by Churchill during his speech in Fulton
(USA) on March 5, 1946. The Cold War completely changed the situation in
Germany, dividing it in two by the Berlin wall, the Korean War, half of Europe
was in the Soviet zone of influence, and pro-Soviet regimes were feverishly
emerging there. Secondly, there was a powerful wave of liberation movement
in the colonies against the metropolises. Thirdly, the world quickly polarized
and turned into a bipolar one. Naturally, this has affected the world so much
that we still have the fruits. Russia, as one of the heirs of the USSR, decided not
to particularly leave the old policy and continues to "race forces" with the
NATO Bloc, which is partly the reason for the new conflict in Ukraine.
13. WW2
World War II, also called Second World War, conflict that involved virtually
every part of the world during the years 1939–45. The principal belligerents
were the Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—and the Allies—France,
Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China.
The war was in many respects a continuation, after an uneasy 20-year hiatus, of
the disputes left unsettled by World War I. The 40,000,000–50,000,000 deaths
incurred in World War II make it the bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest
war, in history.
Along with World War I, World War II was one of the great watersheds of
20th-century geopolitical history. It resulted in the extension of the Soviet
Union’s power to nations of eastern Europe, enabled a communist movement to
eventually achieve power in China, and marked the decisive shift of power in
the world away from the states of western Europe and toward the United States
and the Soviet Union.
By the early part of 1939 the German dictator Adolf Hitler had become
determined to invade and occupy Poland. Poland, for its part, had guarantees of
French and British military support should it be attacked by Germany. Hitler
intended to invade Poland anyway, but first he had to neutralize the possibility
that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion of its western neighbour. Secret
negotiations led on August 23–24 to the signing of the German-Soviet
Nonaggression Pact in Moscow. In a secret protocol of this pact, the Germans
and the Soviets agreed that Poland should be divided between them, with the
western third of the country going to Germany and the eastern two-thirds being
taken over by the U.S.S.R.
Having achieved this cynical agreement, the other provisions of which stupefied
Europe even without divulgence of the secret protocol, Hitler thought that
Germany could attack Poland with no danger of Soviet or British intervention
and gave orders for the invasion to start on August 26. News of the signing, on
August 25, of a formal treaty of mutual assistance between Great Britain and
Poland (to supersede a previous though temporary agreement) caused him to
postpone the start of hostilities for a few days. He was still determined,
however, to ignore the diplomatic efforts of the western powers to restrain him.
Finally, at 12:40 PM on August 31, 1939, Hitler ordered hostilities against
Poland to start at 4:45 the next morning. The invasion began as ordered. In
response, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3,
at 11:00 AM and at 5:00 PM, respectively. World War II had begun.
Constructivism
Constructivism rests on the notion that rather than the outright pursuit of
material interests, it is a nation’s belief systems—historical, cultural and social
—that explain its foreign policy efforts and behavior. For example, since
German aggression served as the primary catalyst for the Second World War,
Germany deploys its armed forces outside of German borders only when its
government is certain of the need to intervene in instances of genocide or
conflict that threatens to spill over into other nations. This has been
demonstrated by the country’s foreign policy following the first and second
Gulf War (the latter of which Germany refused to participate), as well as its
reluctant participation in United Nations-led operations in Somalia and
Yugoslavia.
Constructivists also argue that states are not the most important actors in
international relations, but that international institutions and other non-state
actors are valuable in influencing behavior through lobbying and acts of
persuasion. For this reason, constructivism has become a popular and important
theory in recent decades as non-state actors like international organizations such
as Amnesty International, OXFAM, and Greenpeace gain political influence.
International organizations play a role in promoting human rights and making
them an international standard to which countries are expected to conform.
Marxism
Karl Marx was a Prussian philosopher and economist whose works posited that
societies could escape the self-destructive nature of capitalist socioeconomic
systems by implementing socialist theory into their policies, both locally and
abroad. Marxism, a theory that closely analyzes social classes, aims to
dismantle the capitalist structure of the international system, as it states that
capitalism is no longer practically sustainable in the modern world. Marx
believed that private property should be replaced by cooperative ownership,
with the emphasis placed entirely on satisfying human needs for consumption,
rather than creating private profit. Under an ideal socialist international regime,
societies would work together to ensure that basic human needs were met on a
global scale
Feminism
Gender issues are a significant concern within global politics, and feminism as
an international relations theory seeks to regulate the power derived from (or
denied on the basis of) an individual’s gender. Feminists are mostly interested
in tracking political and social developments that inhibit success in female
populations. When systems of power subtly or overtly tell women they can only
fulfill certain roles, those limitations become social norms and perpetuate the
cycle. The significance of feminism in international relations is evidenced by
the role women play in promoting more just and fair international relations
policies.
The nature of realism implies that seeking a moral high ground is a goal that
governments cannot always achieve and that deceit and violence can be highly
effective tools for advancing national interests. With homeland defense elevated
to the highest priority, remaining morally righteous in the eyes of international
organizations can take a backseat to enforcing foreign policy that will improve
the nation’s global stature.
Примеры:
1. All human beings are free and equal
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another
in a spirit of brotherhood.
2. No discrimination
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms, without distinction of any
kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no
distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or
international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs.
3. Right to life
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person
4. No slavery
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall
be prohibited in all their forms.
information
Information has become one of the most important resources, along with
human, financial and material resources, because for humans the need to obtain
information is constant. In learning about the world around us, we are
constantly dealing with information. It helps a person to evaluate correctly the
events occurring, to take a considered decision, to find the most successful
variant of his actions. Intuitively we understand that information is what each of
us replenishes our own baggage of knowledge, and the media is one of the main
sources from which we get information, media in the modern world is provided
to us in various forms such as: news on tv, radio, articles in social networks and
so on.
The media enable people to keep informed of all current events happening in
the country and in the world. In this regard, information and the media are
considered the fourth power, and who controls information controls everything
else (proof of this are many countries where the media and everything else is
controlled by the state, which is a violation of natural human rights). Sometimes
it seems to me that the news presents not an objective picture of events, but
propaganda of one's own views or views of government policy, censorship and
distortion of facts. Political views are shaped by the media because many people
do not want to think critically and believe everything the media says and are
susceptible to propaganda. For example, journalists whose views differ from
those of the government are currently persecuted.
mass media
Information has become one of the most important resources, along with
human, financial and material resources, because for humans the need to obtain
information is constant. In learning about the world around us, we are
constantly dealing with information. It helps a person to evaluate correctly the
events occurring, to take a considered decision, to find the most successful
variant of his actions. Intuitively we understand that information is what each of
us replenishes our own baggage of knowledge, and the media is one of the main
sources from which we get information, media in the modern world is provided
to us in various forms such as: news on tv, radio, articles in social networks and
so on.
The media enable people to keep informed of all current events happening in
the country and in the world. In this regard, information and the media are
considered the fourth power, and who controls information controls everything
else (proof of this are many countries where the media and everything else is
controlled by the state, which is a violation of natural human rights). Sometimes
it seems to me that the news presents not an objective picture of events, but
propaganda of one's own views or views of government policy, censorship and
distortion of facts. Political views are shaped by the media because many people
do not want to think critically and believe everything the media says and are
susceptible to propaganda. For example, journalists whose views differ from
those of the government are currently persecuted.
realist approach
Realism is one of the dominant schools of thought in international relations
theory, theoretically formalising the Realpolitik statesmanship of early modern
Europe. Although a highly diverse body of thought, it is unified by the belief
that world politics is always and necessarily a field of conflict among actors
pursuing wealth and power. The theories of realism are contrasted by the
cooperative ideals of liberalism in international relations.
State-centrism: states are the central actors in international politics, rather than
leaders or international organizations;
Anarchy: the international political system is anarchic, as there is no
supranational authority to enforce rules;
Rationality and/or egoism: states act in their rational self-interest within the
international system; and
Power: states desire power to ensure self-preservation.
liberal approach
Liberalism is a school of thought within international relations theory which
revolves around three interrelated principles:
The media enable people to keep informed of all current events happening in
the country and in the world. In this regard, information and the media are
considered the fourth power, and who controls information controls everything
else (proof of this are many countries where the media and everything else is
controlled by the state, which is a violation of natural human rights). Sometimes
it seems to me that the news presents not an objective picture of events, but
propaganda of one's own views or views of government policy, censorship and
distortion of facts. Political views are shaped by the media because many people
do not want to think critically and believe everything the media says and are
susceptible to propaganda. For example, journalists whose views differ from
those of the government are currently persecuted.
political economy
Political economy, political economy is one of the social sciences, the subject of
the study of which is the relationship between the market and the state, the
individual and society. If the subject of economics is associated with the
objectification of human economic activity (behavior), the subject of political
economy is associated with the socialization of this activity, as any human
activity (people) is carried out within the framework of certain social relations.