International Relations

By

Zahid Mehmood Zahid

zmzahid30@gmail.com
National Officers Academy (NOA),
Islamabad
 Recommended Books

(1) “Globalization of World Politics: An introduction to

international relations”
John Baylis, Steve Smith, Patricia Owens

(2) “International Relations” 10th edition

Joshua S. Goldstein & John C. Pevehouse
 Introduction
• The definition and Scope of IR
• The Nation State System
• Evolution of International society
 IR analysis necessitates IR sense

Analysis of an event requires you to think in terms of

IR.

Like all other disciplines, it also has its own jargons

and principles.

It is an atheistic discipline with less regards to

morality.
 How does IR operate …

Stay objective and analyse objectively. (Iran-Saudi)

It has certain levels of analysis; (1) Individual, (2)

State, & (3) Int. System. (Pak-Saudi & Indo-Pak
relations).

IR connects the Past with present and predicts the

future. (Indo-Pak)
 History of IR and what is it all about…?
IR is relatively a new field of study whose origins -
post-WWI era.

IR became an academic discipline in 1919 when

university of Aberystwyth established department of
Int. Politics.

IR is the branch of Political Science.

 Cont…
It is about methods and Frameworks for
understanding the world.

Wars are the bread & butter of IR.

Also analyses inter and intra-state conflicts,

militancy, terrorism, violence, separatism etc.
Restricted Definition of IR

“Official relations among states”,

Jeremy Bentham
Comprehensive Definition:

“IR encompasses much more than relations among

nation states and International organizations and
groups. It includes variety of transnational relationships,
at various levels, above and below the state level in
the international system”

Palmer and Perkins

 Ingredients of IR;
Political & social issues - terrorism & militancy.
Economic organizations (World Bank, IMF, BRICS,
ASEAN)
National power & National Interest,
Balance of Power,
War and Diplomacy,
Nuclear Proliferation & WMDs,
Foreign policies,
and many more.
 Scope of IR
Few say, scope covers govt to govt relations - dealing
with war and peace.

Others see IR as about cross-border relations of all kinds,

political, economic and social through institutions like
UNO, SCO, ASEAN, ECO, EU etc.

In 21st century, few focus on globalized relationship

through Banks and MNCs.
 Fields IR deals with …
Politics, economics, Law, history, criminology,
diplomacy, security, globalization, nuclear
proliferation, terrorism, and human rights etc.

Why study IR?

First, It expands your understanding beyond domestic

horizon.
Secondly, very few other subjects cover such a broad
range of topics.
 Think Critically …!

Why do we identify ourselves as Pakistanis, Indians,

Iranians, Afghanis, and Russians?

What is sovereignty?

Are all states equal?

If Yes, Why US and Russia seem to be intervening in

many parts of the world?
 Evolution of Nation State System

Nation “A large body of people united by common

history, culture, identity, or language, inhabiting a
particular state or territory”.

State “a sovereign political entity with a

governance system, territory, and its inhabitants”.
 Nation State
A nation state has defined territory with a sovereign
government, with population sharing a common
culture, history, and language.

Nation State System

“A pattern of political life in which people are

separately organized into sovereign states and interact
with one another”.
 Modern Nation State System.

The nation-state is a recent phenomenon.

Where state is supposed to protect its citizens from

wars and economic threats.

For the protection of national interests these nation

States use methods like diplomacy and wars.
Where has this come from?
 Evolution of Nation State System
Cave era Individual society 2.5 million years ago,
few says 10,000 years.

Groups life started near water concentrations

Tribes Social & physical needs grew –

marriages and children etc.

Feudalism agrarian industry gave way to

feudalism.
 Rise of Nation State System

Prior to the 500s, nation-states did not exist in Europe.

People used to identify themselves with their region

or feudal lord.

Feudalism was a not only an economic system but

also was a political system.
 Crusade wars and decline of Feudalism
After Crusades wars European soldiers returned home
with tales of the wealthy Muslims.

This led to the development of trade routes b/w East &

West, later on towns and cities began to develop
along these routes.

Over time, these towns started demanding

independence from local lords.
 Rise of the Modern Nation-State System

During 16th and 17th centuries Holy Catholic Church

was ruling the West.

But, few kings wanted to have control over religious

affairs to get absolute power.

In England, Henry VIII broke away from the Pope and
established an independent Protestant church in the
1530s.
 Thirty Years Sectarian War 1618-1648

The war involved almost entire Europe, including

Germany, Austria, Sweden, France, and Spain.

Catholics could not defeat Protestants.

The treaty that ended the war – called the Treaty of

Westphalia 1648.
Treaty of Westphalia stated;

“sovereign ruler of a state has power over nation and

state, including religion.”

Resultantly, England, France, Germany, and Spain

shook pope and became nation states.
 Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

Treaty was meant to settle conflicts, especially

conflicts over religion.

Pope referred to the Westphalian treaty as ‘Null, Sin’.

Treaty, in other words, established the constitution of

modern world politics.
 Cont…

Over the course of time, NSS evolved, brought

democracy, int. Law, diplomacy, and mutual trade
etc.

Westphalian treaty is also known as “peace of

exhaustion” because war had bankrupted the waring
parties.
 Elements of Westphalian Peace
Sovereignty: The notion that every state has the right
of self-rule over its people and territory. Only
sovereign states could enter into relations.

Legal Equality: All states are equal as sovereign

member of the International community.
(Nepal = USA)

Non-intervention: no interference was permitted in

the affairs of other state.
 The UN Charter
Chapter 1: Purposes and principles

Article: 2 (1) The organization is based on the

principle of the sovereign equality of all its member
states.

Article: 2 (4) All members shall refrain in their relations

from the threat or use of force against the territorial
integrity or political independence of any state …...
 Outcomes of Treaty

1- Religion; Treaty Favoured secularism and ensured

religious freedom.

Since the empire was catholic and protestant

reformation had begun in 1517-1521 under Martin
Luther King Sr. with two objectives;
 Cont…

I. Identifying papacy as anti-Christ.

II. Discovering Jesus and salvation by faith.

2- Nationalism
Nationalism entered into Europe after the
Westphalian Treaty.

Prior to that feudals and kings used to think in terms of

religion.
 Significance of Nation State System
Each state can decide the best for its people with
out external pressures.

Other states, no matter how powerful, do not have

the right to intervene into other sovereign countries.

The principle of autonomy does not allow exploitation

of the weaker by major states.
Challenges faced by NSS in contemporary World
Today, it faces the challenges from;
Drone strikes,
Non-state-actors like ISIS, Boko Haram.
Intra-state conflicts: Syria, Yemen & Afghanistan.
Growing interdependence.
Regional Integration (EU, ASEAN)
Humanitarian intervention: in Libya.
Globalization: WTO, IMF, World Bank, MNCs
 Questions to attempt;
Explain significance and scope of IR in a changing
world.

Explain the salient features of modern nation state

system.

How do you see the role of state in the future, given

that that globalization and MNCs are undermining
state authority?