PSC 116G Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Levée En Masse, Nationstates, A Question Of Balance
25 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Anarchy is the key feature of westphalian international system. Larger states attack and absorb small states. Nothing to prevent war, but still limited. No state was allowed to become too powerful. States shifted alliances and capabilities to keep balance". Law of war: moral objections to unlimited war. Over 400 yr period, europe dominated most of the world. Didn"t have to take any rights or land seriously. Napoleon bonaparte, emperor of france (gains power 1799) Harnessed entire french nation (best fighters=highest ranks) Council of vienna (1815): treaty ends napoleonic wars. Relative peace-no wars involving all major powers. Nationalism: attempts to forge a national identity out of disparate elements. Imperialism: one country controls another country or territory (colonialism) Wars of unification in italy and germany. Breakdown of old empires (ottoman, russian, austro-hungarian, spanish) The most intensive parts of colonization were africa and asia. Disintegration of ottoman and austro-hungarian empires destabilizes europe. Fears over rising" germany inspires alliances and arms races.
