POLS 2300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Nationstates, Mutual Assured Destruction, Cuban Missile Crisis
14 Jun 2018
School
Department
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Political Geography
The development of the modern nation state:
1714: The nation state didn’t always exist. In 1714 world map there wasn’t a lot
of borders, most states had one government. It starts in Western Europe, the
formation of political entity. Outside of that part of the world there is a different
form of government (tribute systems, monarchies, tribal systems). There aren’t
countries in the Americas or Africa, its only in western Europe where you see the
type of government we know now. States are trying to expand their power
outwards
1914: The height of colonialism, now we start to see a world of nation states.
Most of latin America is dependant and has borders. The Middle East is mostly
colonized by European powers. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are part of the
British Empire. “the sun never sets on the British empire”, they dominated 20-25%
of the worlds surface and had a lot of global control.
Today: we have a world of nation-states. South-Sudan broke off from the rest of
sudan in 2012 and was the newest place to become a state. We have clear
borders and sovereignty for that state inside its borders. Around 200
independent nation states
Territoriality: the way or organizing and exercising power by administering and
governing territory. This is how states operate.
Territory: land (extended to coastal zones and maritime zones) or space that is
clearly bounded and demarcated.
State: a way of organizing territory and political power.
Four defining features for state:
1) A set of institutions and the people in the institutions that make them work
2) Central, legitimate governing authority
3) Legitimate use of force or violence (military, police)
4) Have bounded territorial integrity. Clear, secure borders.
How did we get these four features?
1648 The Treaty of Westphalia (what is now north west Germany):
- Ended 30 Years War
- involved what is now Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy
- This treaty was signed and it established the key principle that become the
basis for the nation-state. “One Legitimate political Authority in a Given Territory”
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
In 1714 world map there wasn"t a lot of borders, most states had one government. It starts in western europe, the formation of political entity. Outside of that part of the world there is a different form of government (tribute systems, monarchies, tribal systems). There aren"t countries in the americas or africa, its only in western europe where you see the type of government we know now. States are trying to expand their power outwards. 1914: the height of colonialism, now we start to see a world of nation states. Most of latin america is dependant and has borders. The middle east is mostly colonized by european powers. India, pakistan and bangladesh are part of the. The sun never sets on the british empire , they dominated 20-25% of the worlds surface and had a lot of global control. South-sudan broke off from the rest of sudan in 2012 and was the newest place to become a state.
