2. The Westphalian Order: Concept and History Flashcards
What is the definition of the Westphalian Order?
It is a global system based on the principle of international law that each state has
- sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers,
- on the principle of non-interference in another country’s domestic affairs,
- and that each state (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law.
How the 30 Years War started and what it turned into?
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) ended with the Peace of Westphalia. It started as a religious war between the Holy Roman Emperor and the German princes, but it developed into a power struggle in the whole of Europe. The Habsburgs of the empire and Spain were opposed by France, Sweden and their allies. The latter powers wanted to prevent a new hegemony, which was believed to be the emperor’s aim.
What were the religion related changes?
○ Strengthened the Peace of Augsburg (1555), which said that the ruler of a region should choose their religion, so religion was coordinated on the local level. Now the Westphalian order extended freedom of religion to the Calvinists
○ Restored and froze the religious arrangements of 1624, so it deprived the princes, cities and parts of the empire from freely choosing their affiliations. Private exercise was enabled and people could choose their own religion.
○ The pope rejected and despised the treaty
What were the Constitutional law related changes?
● The 300 estates of the Holy Roman Empire were strengthened in their freedoms and rights. They were granted sovereignty and they could conclude alliances with foreign actors and each other.
What were the political and territorial changes?
● It declared the independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland
(The Dutch were also recognized as independent from Spain during the war)
● France got Alsace, Sweden got Western Pomerania
List other features of the Peace of Westphalia!
❖ The system operated between 1648 and 1914.
❖ A new, state centric international order emerged.
➢ Westphalia was the first multinational peace conference.
➢ Great powers recognized each other.
➢ It set a new system of norms:
■ the principle of non-intervention,
■ prohibition of annexations
■ prohibition on wars of religious origin.
■ The idea of state security was strengthened.
List the pillars that support the state system!
➢ principle of sovereignty (domestic politics are the exclusive competence of the sovereign)
➢ principle of legitimacy (the dynastic principle translated into the language of rationalism)
➢ principle of diplomacy (permanent network of information flows and legations)
➢ principle of power (armies are a necessary instrument of international society, balance of power can only be preserved by the capability to use force – early idea of deterrence)
➢ principle of international law (in essence the idea that international treaties are binding and have precedence over domestic law)
List more typologies of the system!
- The end of the Thirty Years War brought a new territorial political system regarding culture and religion
- New type of warfare - violence was nationalized
- Balance of power: when states cooperate to prevent hegemony, and they try to keep the non-hegemonic conditions.
- The Peace of Westphalia legitimized a commonwealth of sovereign states. - Still hierarchal, not equal in power
What are the thoughts of Henry Kissinger on the topic?
„the genius of the system, and the reason it spread across the world was that its provisions were procedural, not substantive. If a state would accept the basic requirements, it could be recognized as an international citizen, able to maintain its own culture, politics, religion and internal politics, shielded by the international system from the outside intervention”.
Compare the Westphalian system with the Age of Empires!
➢ In most of human history empires dominated international relations. Hegemonies and dominions were common. There were no nation-states, waging war was the solution of most international affairs, the one with the stronger army won. Nations were not equal.
Compare the Westphalian system with the Medieval Society!
➢ There were some attempts to reinstall an empire, however kingdoms and principalities were more common. The Church and Christianity played a huge role. European nations were believed to be connected by their common Christian cultures, so the idea of Christendom spread where the pope was an important ruler. War happened between various actors, no explicit rulers and borders.
➢ Medieval society was divided into two legacies, two political theories: Empire vs. Respublica Christiana
Compare the Westphalian order with After WW 2!
➢ End of the Eurocentric international order, the two new superpowers were from outside of Europe. The states in Europe started to integrate to balance the new system, first mainly economically.
➢ First globalization of Westphalia, but only the form of sovereign states were exported, the competences and the contents of the Westphalian system were not. It became dysfunctional, as even the least developed societies became states. (Eg. In the Middle East pre-Westphalia and Wespthalia existed together, and in Africa there were artificial state borders, no nationalism, no legitimate monopoly on violence etc.)
➢ The time after 1989/90 meant further leaving the Westphalian system due to the dissolution of the bipolar world order -› liberal cobweb model, where there were new centres of interest and multilateral relations
Compare the Westphalian order with Globalization after 911!
➢ Westphalian perspective views glob. as cancelling the primacy of the society of states. Idea of global democracy, and global governance, more individualist, more solidarist. Identification of a significant class of political actors on the world stage.
➢ Regional integration: in regionalism the capabilities of the sovereign states are still important. (e.g. EU) Regionalism can be a “sequel’ to the Westphalian era with a new pluralism.
➢ After 911: New doctrines and practices without precedent. Previously: interactions among territorial sovereign states, now: non-states actors like terrorist organizations.
➢ Warfare departed from traditional ideas of responsibility to protect, and new actors.
➢ Security vacuum after the Cold War and bipolarity. Geopolitical debut for unipolarity with the USA. Led to the more precise idea of a collective security system in the UN. The new interventionist warfare eroded the sovereignty of foreign countries, thus damaging the Westphalian system.
➢ States became more inward looking at the same time. Hybrid model with integration and advocating Westphalian ideas as well.
During the 30 Years War how states treated each other?
➢ Despite the inequality between states, all states and princes treated each other as de facto equal, as they needed cooperation and alliance in warfare and diplomacy. -› new norms in the society of European states
Who had universal authority?
➢ No universal Church, no pope nor emperor had universal authority. New institutions and rules were needed as the situation was nearly anarchic.
