1. International Systems
Groups of actors linked by regular interaction that sets them apart from other systems
May be defined by geographic boundaries, types of actors or types of interaction (trade, war, diplomacy…)
Usually evolve rather than appear by design
Four main types
Independent State System – Original Greek City-States
Hegemonic State System – Concert of Europe, US and USSR in Cold War
Imperial System – Persia, Rome
Feudal System – Europe in medieval times

2. Hegemonic State System Examples

3. Modern European State System
A number of conflicts contribute:
Commercial Capitalism emerges from Feudalism
Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment: Reason & politics versus religious rule
Thirty Years War
Writers Machiavelli, Hobbs, Locke describe conflict
Peace of Westphalia (1648): Recognition of states in modern terms with kings as rulers
Rulers choose religion for each state, not Pope
Protestantism survives, Nationalism emerges & is linked to states
Mercantilist national economic systems appear

4. Nation & Nationalism
A nation is a population with a certain sense of itself or identity, a cohesiveness, a commonality of attitudes and ideals, and often (but not always) a common: language, religion, history, culture.
Nationalism: Promoting national identity, usually to exclusion of competing identities.
Exaggerated belief in greatness and unity of one’s country or nation
Often born out of occupation and repression by foreigners; Perceives an “other” to struggle against
Power of Nationalism grows with French Revolution, Napoleon and European responses

5. The Rise of the European Independent State system

7. Concert of Europe & Balance of Power
1815 – 1914 Era of general peace in Europe; attempt to avoid another Europe wide war
Peace kept thru informal “balancing” or shifting of alliances to account for changes in each nations levels of power: No one state could become powerful enough to take on the other states.
Increased Colonialism; Africa and Asia divided
General peace fails when rising strength of newly formed Germany not accommodated: WW I

8. Globalization of the European system (Africa)

9. Collective Efforts World War I (1914-1918) agony begets:
Treaty of Versailles and humiliation of Germany
League of Nations & Collective Security (no alliances)
Conditions for World War II
World War II ( ) brings
United Nations and Collective Defense, Alliances
Decolonization
Cold War

11. Globalization of the European system

13. Cold War Origins Clash between alliances led by US & USSR over:
Ideology & Religion
Economics & Political control
Survival (or so most believed)
Soviets feared invasion by imperialist capitalism
West feared revolution, subversion and large Soviet military

14. Cold War History Soviet occupation of East Europe
US policy of containment
“Fall” of China and Korean War
Growth of Nuclear arsenals – Stable peace?
Decline of Soviet Union
Cracks in communist “monolith”
Decline of Soviet economy, political control
Evaporation of USSR
Cracks in Western alliance

15. Post Cold War Period of US preeminence? Uni-polarity?
Push back by Europe (esp France & Germany)
Iraq invasion
Push back by China and a Recovering Russia
Back to Multi-polarity?