2.A - case study of a place where sovereignty has been challenged/factors that erode sovereignty

Question 1

why could Ukraine be politically tense?

Answer 1

• used to be a part of USSR
• areas of russian population living in Ukraine which Russia believes it should control -> ETHNIC DIVISION challenges sovereignty
• sits between Russia (large power/state) and western Europe

Question 2

what is the ethnic split of Ukraine?

Answer 2

77% Ukrainian
17% Russian
30% speak Russian
60% of Crimea is ethnically Russian

Question 3

what proportion of Crimea is ethnically Russian?

Answer 3

60%

Question 4

what is the history of Crimea?

Answer 4

• Crimea was conquered by Russia in the 18th century (ethnic Russians majority of pop.)
• the Black Sea Fleet is kept in the ONLY RUSSIAN warm water port of Sevestapol.
• in 1954 Crimea was given to Ukraine (which was under Soviet rule) by Khruschev.
• in 1991 the USSR collapsed and Crimea became part of Ukraine. It has a grey area of identity.

Question 5

what happened in 2004? (Crimea)

Answer 5

2004 = orange revolution.
- Yanukovic (pro-Russian) came to power through a corrupt election
- pro-EU people protested and there was a re-election

Question 6

what happened in November 2013? (Crimea)

Answer 6

1. pro-Russian Yanukovic decides NOT to sign EU deal
2. protests by pro-EU people in the west of Ukraine are against this.
3. Russia wants Ukraine to be more pro-Russian so gives $15bn to get in their good books.
4. Euromaiden riots - protests at the government as they dont want to be part of Russia.
5. the people of Ukraine try to overthrow Yanukovic which leads to some threats towards the ethnically Russian people in Ukraine.
6. Yanukovic is kicked out of power and forced to flee Russia.
7. Feb 2014 - pro-EU government is in power and tries to ban Russian as a language.
8. Putin has a claim that ethnic Russians are in danger of being repressed by the (pro-EU) govt.

Question 7

what happened on 23rd Feb 2014? (Crimea)

Answer 7

1. • there is a bill in Kiev from the (now pro-EU and anti-Russian) Ukrainian govt to ban “minority languages”, including Russian.
   • this would make Ukrainian the sole language, and would repress the culture of the national Russians in the east of Ukraine.
2. the acting president did veto this but it angered the Russians
3. in mid-Feb, the pro-Russian Yanukovic is ousted from the presidency of Ukraine, and he immediately flees to Russia. an arrest warrent is issued for him of the 24th Feb.
4. this leaves Russia unhappy that Ukraine will sign the EU deal and move close to Europe

Question 8

what happened on 1st March 2014 and what did this challenge?

Answer 8

• Russia’s parliament approves a request by President Vladimir Putin to use Russian forces across Ukraine
• the government was threatened by Russian invasion = sovereignty threatened
• TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY CHALLENGED due to the annexation of Crimea

Question 9

what happened on 2nd March 2014 and what did this challenge? (Crimea)

Answer 9

• US president Barack Obama tells Putin that Russia has flouted international law by sending troops to Ukraine. (challenging sovereignty)
• in a 90 minute phone conversation, Obama urges Putin to pull back forces in Crimea.
• putin responds by saying that Moscow reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine. (linked to $15bn?)

Question 10

how do ethnic/linguistic differences cause conflict and challenges to government?

Answer 10

• ethnic disparities: the 2 main ethnic groups are Ukrainian (77%) and Russian (17%)
• political split is linked to linguistic split
• areas of ethnic Russian population living in Ukraine which Russia believes it has the right to control.

Question 11

how does political instability and disagreement cause conflict and challenges to government?

Answer 11

• inability to build a common national identity and develop a strong state mechanisms; there has been endemic corruption, attempts to rig an election, unpopular govt. policies and violent demonstrations
• 2004 orange revolution. Yanukovic (pro-Russian) came to power through a corrupt election, pro-EU people protested and there was a re-election.

Question 12

how does a weak government cause conflict and challenges to government?

Answer 12

• people of Ukraine try to overthrow Yanukovic/Euromaiden riots
• needed $15bn loans from Russia or EU
• Ukraine feels split. Failure of any govt. to unify Ukraine.
• economically weak

Question 13

how does military action cause conflict and challenges to government?

Answer 13

• conflict between ukranian and pro-russian separatists (supported by Russian Federation) in the Donbass region has serious social, economic and environmental impacts.

Question 14

what socio-economic impacts of conflicts are there on people?

Answer 14

• approx. 1.47 mill of 5.2 mill inhabitants of the Lugansk and Donetsk oblasts are internally displaced people having fled their homes since April 2014.
• a further 600,000 moved to neighbouring countries, mostly to Russia, as residential areas came under fire.
• evacuees have moved to dormitories in summer camps, disused huts in pinewoods and villages, and a sanitorium at Svetagorsk. their lack of income, poor quality of shelter and poor access to healthcare, medicines and food have added to the vulnerability of the many old, young and disabled.
• there have been 7000 deaths and 13900 injuries, including 298 people shot down in a civilian aircraft.
• the town of Debaltseve has been bombed, causing damage to housing, services, places of work, communications and livelihoods. located on the highway linking other rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk, it is a strategically important rail link for goods from Russia. those who stay, sheltering in basements, have no power or heating

Question 15

what happened in Debaltseve?

Answer 15

• the town of Debaltseve has been bombed, causing damage to housing, services, places of work, communications and livelihoods.
• located on the highway linking other rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk, it is a strategically important rail link for goods from Russia.
• those who stay, sheltering in basements, have no power or heating

Question 16

what happened to evacuees of Crimea?

Answer 16

• evacuees have moved to dormitories in summer camps, disused huts in pinewoods and villages, and a sanitorium at Svetagorsk.
• their lack of income, poor quality of shelter and poor access to healthcare, medicines and food have added to the vulnerability of the many old, young and disabled.

Question 17

what political impacts of conflicts are there within ukraine?

Answer 17

• donetsk airport has been the scene of heavy fighting
• rockets were fired on the ukraine military HQ at Kromatorsk

Question 18

what socio-economic impacts of conflicts are there within ukraine?

Answer 18

• donbass industrial and residential areas have suffered loss of power, water supply and gas

Question 19

what environmental impacts of conflicts are there within ukraine?

Answer 19

• areas of steppes and forests, usually prone to fire in the dry summer, have been burning more than usual.
• movement of heavy vehicles has damaged nature reserves.

Question 20

what environmental impacts of conflicts are there within ukraine?

Answer 20

• areas of steppes and forests, usually prone to fire in the dry summer, have been burning more than usual.
• movement of heavy vehicles has damaged nature reserves.

Question 21

what political impacts of conflicts are there on other countries? (ukraine case study)

Answer 21

• economic sanctions by the EU and the USA have been effective in leading to increased prices and a drop in value of the rouble in Russia.
• NATO has increased its strength in potentially vulnerable former Soviet states on the baltic

Question 22

how many people have become IDPs in ukraine?

Answer 22

• approx. 1.47 mill of 5.2 mill inhabitants of the Lugansk and Donetsk oblasts are internally displaced people having fled their homes since April 2014.

Question 23

how many deaths and injuries were there in the ukraine conflict 2014?

Answer 23

there have been 7000 deaths and 13900 injuries, including 298 people shot down in a civilian aircraft.

Question 24

what are supranational institutions?

Answer 24

a multinational union in which member countries cede sovereignty on some internal matters to the group, whose decisions are binding on its members

Question 25

examples of supranational institutions

Answer 25

• EU
• UN
• The World Bank

Question 26

what are the benefits of EU intervention?

Answer 26

• EU intervention protects states’ interests
• these include the ability to address transnational issues such as air and water pollution and international crime
• and economic/trade advantages with access to a large European market

Question 27

what are the negatives of EU intervention?

Answer 27

• these states are required to implement EU laws and decisions even if they didn’t vote for them
• they can’t pass laws in interests of their own states if they conflict with those of the EU
• the 19 members of the Eurozone have additional financial restrictions such as being unable to set their own interest rates, and being forced to contribute to large bail-out funds, e.g. Greece’s debt crisis in 2015

Question 28

UN intervention

Answer 28

• was the first post-war IGO to be established
• has a role of peacekeeping
• 193 sovereign states are members of general assembly
• UN forces in Congo were accused of not providing any aid after peacekeepers didn’t provide the assistance needed after the attacks in Mavivi
• in 2014 the Human Rights Watch accused the peacekeepers as they failed to respond to calls for help during an attack which killed 30 people
• but the UN has placed very tough sanctions in Iran which has been very beneficial

Question 29

what are the PROs of supranational institutions?

Answer 29

• seen as a better way to govern the affairs of nations as they prevent conflict and promote cooperation
• offer ways to set international rules in governing the affairs of nations
• institutions often give member states greater collective influence in global affairs
• their creation marked a break from the Westphalian system in which nation-states were sovereign and answered to no one except in the case of violence

Question 30

what are the CONs of supranational institutions?

Answer 30

• those with nationalist tendencies resent following internationally agreed rules and say that adhering to them means surrendering sovereignty
• supranational institutions threatening state sovereignty will have more of an impact in less developed states that may be affected by war, poor human rights or corrupt governments, compared to states that are richer and more democratic

Question 31

how do TNCs affect governments?

Answer 31

• influences them economically
• make financial contributions to political parties (bribery)
• this creates an unfair playing field for political parties as some will have bigger budgets
• impacts sovereignty because it may affect the power of the government/its ability to govern

Question 32

how do TNCs impact sovereignty - human rights?

Answer 32

• disrespect for human rights
• exploitation of the working populations, low wages, demands for long hours/overtime, poor conditions and use of child labour
• means that the govt’s ability to protect their people is compromised

Question 33

how do TNCs impact sovereignty - environmental?

Answer 33

• they tend to work in the extraction/exploitation of natural resources
• leads to the depletion/degredation of forests, water, marine resources and toxic wastes as well as unsafe products
• destruction of the environment damages the government’s territory and they have no power to reverse it

Question 34

how did Shell impact sovereignty in Nigeria?

Answer 34

• Shell arrived in Nigeria in 1937 with the aim of extracting oil
• set up extraction operations all along the Niger Delta which was home to the Ogoni people. they said no harm would be done to them/their land and promised financial benefits from the operations
• however the operations were very faulty and created many environmental issues from oil spills/gas flaring. polluted river and land extensively.
• The Ogoni 9 - Ken Saro Wiwa was leader. protest movement.
• all 9 men were hanged on 10th Nov 1995
• in 1996 Shell was sued $15.5 mill by Saro-Wiwa’s family due to their violations against the rights of the Ogoni people. eventually paid in 2009

Question 35

POLITICAL DOMINANCE OF ETHNIC GROUPS

Answer 35

• a sovereign state may include more than 1 ethnic group within its territory
• e.g. South Sudan is estimated to include 60 different ethnic groups/indigenous tribes, of which the Dinka and Nuer people are the largest
• the traditional nation-state, where a distinct national group corresponds to a territorial area, has become an endangered species
• globalisation and the increasing movement of people across borders threaten to kill off the nations state once and for all

Question 36

how can multi-ethnic countries challenge sovereign states?

Answer 36

• various ethnic groups don’t have equal opportunities to shape the political process = problems
• in a multicultural environment, it has been observed that there is emphasised conflict, social division, difficulty of communication and cultural erosion
• can create conflict between cultures. could lead to civil war
• can lead to stereotypes and a massive imbalance of power

Question 37

examples of multi-ethnic countries

Answer 37

• in 1962-64 the Tuareg rebelled in order to gain independence and the rights to self-determination in Azawad.
• by doing so they challenged the territorial integrity of many states including Algeria, Libya and Mali

Question 38

how significant is the political dominance of ethnic groups?

Answer 38

• the significance of ethnic groups depends on the population and geographical size
• any ethnic groups looking for power/independence could threaten a civil war and the territorial integrity of all the states involved

Question 39

what is the Westphalian model?

Answer 39

• a state cannot violate the sovereignty or territory of another state since, in this respect, all are equal

Question 40

what is contested territory?

Answer 40

• an area that is owned by a state that is contested by another state

Question 41

an example of contested territory?

Answer 41

• in 2014 Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine
• UK and Argentinian claims over the Falkland Islands

Question 42

what is separatism?

Answer 42

• secession by Basque and Catalan National groups in Spain/France
• Scottish nationalists in the UK

Question 43

examples of factional or sectarian tensions?

Answer 43

• the Middle East and North Africa, where political and ethnic conflict challenge sovereignty and territorial integrity

Question 44

examples of transnational movement of terriorist/extremist activity?

Answer 44

• across the Turkey-Syria border, where smuggling of foreign fighters, oil, weapons and other military supplies threatens territorial integrity and sovereign control of the two countries

Question 45

what are contested maritime boundaries?

Answer 45

• the area of sea surrounding a given state is under their sovereign rule

Question 46

examples of contested maritime boundaries?

Answer 46

• there are many disputes over resources/exploration rights
• e.g. boundary dispute in Atlantic waters off the Ivory Coast and Ghana where oil reserves are being exploited

Question 47

the legacy of colonialism?

Answer 47

• the ‘scramble for Africa’ where arbitrary political boundaries/European administration of territory caused ethnic partitioning.