Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty, and International Relations

Key Concepts: Power, Sovereignty, Legitimacy, and Interdependence

Example 1: Cold War

Power, Legitimacy

The Cold War was a prolonged period of political, military, and ideological rivalry between
the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies and blocs, which
lasted roughly from the end of World War II in 1945 to the early 1990s. It was characterized
by a lack of direct military conflict between the superpowers but was marked by intense
competition and proxy wars in various parts of the world. In this, it demonstrates the concept
of power in global politics. It involved conflicts in economic power and military power. Both
superpowers engaged in a massive arms race, developing nuclear weapons, and building up
their military capabilities. The fear of mutual assured destruction (MAD) helped prevent
direct conflict. Moreover, it has questioned the legitimacy of global superpower nations.
Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946 described the division of Europe into
Western and Eastern blocs, with the United States and Western Europe on one side and the
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on the other. In the end, we have seen the fall of USSR and
its dissolution making the US the sole superpower at that time.

Example 2: Israel-Palestine Conflict

Power, Sovereignty, Legitimacy, Interdependence

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when
Jewish immigrants began moving to Palestine. Tensions escalated over competing national
aspirations, with both Jews and Palestinians claiming the right to self-determination in the
same land. It undermined the legitimacy of the Palestinian government and of their land. The
intervention of the west in this conflict has fueled and driven the tensions further than it is.
Israel’s dependence on the west has given them the unfair advantage of power over the other.
The Balfour Declaration, expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the
Jewish people" in Palestine, is one of the interventions that fueled further tensions. The
invasion of Palestinian lands until this day has been the major root cause of the tensions and
numerous peace efforts has been put forward, but nothing seemed to work as disputes on
borders and security continues to arise.

Example 3: Syrian Civil War