1. The Emergence of the Nation State System
AKA “Westphalian System”

2. Political Organizations
World history --- political orgs --- bands; tribes; chiefdoms; states; etc.
Org vs. org = collaboration or competition
Today’s leading political org is nation-state

3. Modern Nation-State System
Began w/ Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Ended Thirty Years’ War in what is now Germany
Initially, religious conflict (Protestantism vs. Catholicism)
Evolved into more general political (authority of H.R.E.)/ geographic/ complex conflict…

4. Effects/ Aftermath Consumed all of Europe
Huge impact – disease, famine, destroyed crops, population loss
Before: all in small medieval kingdoms as part of larger Christian community led by Pope
After: system of autonomous states w/ no higher authority

5. Key ideas From Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Sole jurisdiction over domestic affairs/ territory
Each prince had right to decide public religion of own people
States can/should engage in foreign relations w/ other states, BUT
Should refrain from interfering in each other’s affairs (national sovereignty)
No overarching institution had authority to regulate state conduct

6. How Do we Describe nation-States?
State Nation Nation-State

7. State
Organized political entity w/ permanent population, well defined territory, & a government

8. Nation
A group of people who feel common identity due to shared language, culture, history
Cultural/ethnic entity

9. Nation-State
Specific geographic area containing a sovereign polity (meaning??) whose population identifies with that polity
a sovereign state whose citizens or subjects are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.
 Is the US a nation-state?

10. What if the world’s not neat?
Multi-state nation ---- ex: Kurds, Koreas
Multinational state– ex: former Yugoslavia; Nigeria
Stateless nations--- ex: Palestinians; Kurds; Basque
Some states are ethnically homogeneous (ex: Iceland)