Introduction to International Relations

researchgate , 2023

This paper provides an overview of the international relations of different historical periods and examines the development of international relations as an academic discipline. It begins by exploring the international relations of Ancient Greece, focusing on the Peloponnesian War as a significant event shaping interstate relation. It then delves into the Thirty Years' War and the subsequent Treaty of Westphalia, which marked the rise of the modern sovereign state system and established principles of state sovereignty. The paper further discusses the emergence of international relations as an academic discipline and its evolution over time. It examines the impact of the First World War on international relations, including the rise of idealism and the formation of the League of Nations. The Second World War and its aftermath are also analyzed in terms of their influence on the development of international relations as a discipline. Finally, the paper explores the Cold War phase and its impact on international relations theory and practice. By examining these historical periods and their significance, this paper underscores the growth and importance of international relations as an academic discipline in understanding global dynamics and shaping international affairs.

World War 1 is an archetypal case of multilevel failures in the realm of international relations. The individual level of analysis rested upon the familial connections between the descendants of the House of Habsburg, who ended up intertwined in the monarchies making up the sides of the Great War. The leaders, most of whom were connected through intermarriage or bloodline, could have resolved many of the causes prior to the outbreak of hostilities though obviously that did not happen. At the national level, international relations theory holds that realist ideology 1 foresaw an imbalance of power resulting from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Europe.

International Studies Quarterly, 1998

This article reconstructs the interwar discourse of international relations among American political scientists and seeks to challenge the orthodox view that the scholarship of this period was essentially idealist in nature. It aims to make a contribution to the growing body of literature devoted to examining the institutional history of international relations. My purpose is to demonstrate that the conventional label of idealism that has been attached to the interwar period of international relations scholarship seriously misrepresents the actual character of the conversation that was being directed toward understanding international politics. By carefully reconstructing the internal discourse of the field, many of the field's long forgotten individuals and ideas are brought back to life. The article concludes by highlighting some of the lessons that the interwar discourse offers to the study of international relations today and argues that this period cannot be construed as idealist. Within the midst of the uncertainty confronting scholars and foreign policy analysts in the post-Cold War era, an interest has been kindled in reexamining what are believed to be the core theoretical insights of the interwar period. The dramatic events of the late 1980s, culminating in the collapse of the Soviet Union, have altered the political landscape of world politics. In response to these recent developments, there have been calls made for a systematic examination of the theories and analytical categories that international relations specialists use to apprehend the world (Lebow and Risse-Kappen, 1995). Several prominent figures in the field of international relations have made an appeal for scholars to reconsider what traditionally are considered to be the repudiated "idealistic" or "liberal" ideas associated with the interwar period. One notable example of this undertaking is provided by Charles Kegley's presidential address to the International Studies Association where he asked whether "the emergent conditions in this 'defining moment' transcend the realpolitik that has dominated discussion of international affairs for the past five decades and invite a reconstructed paradigm, perhaps one inspired by the idealist ideas associated with the Wilsonian vision" (1993:131). Another indication of the field's newfound fascination with the interwar period is manifest in the attempt of

in Alexander Anievas (ed.) Cataclysm 1914: The First World War and the Making of Modern World Politics (Leiden, NL: Brill, 2015, forthcoming), pp. 1-20., 2015

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History of international relations -my view, 2023

The study of International Relations (IR) is crucial for comprehending the complex dynamics of global politics, diplomacy, and conflict. However, the importance of understanding the historical foundations of International Relations as a discipline (IIRR) is often underestimated. This paper seeks to highlight the significance of exploring the historical evolution of IIRR, tracing its roots from early diplomatic practices and political theories to the development of modern frameworks like realism, liberalism, and constructivism. By examining key historical milestones, such as the Treaty of Westphalia, the rise and fall of empires, the world wars, and the Cold War, we gain a deeper appreciation of the forces that have shaped international norms, institutions, and power structures. Understanding this history provides valuable insights into how past events, theories, and policy decisions continue to influence contemporary global issues, from security and trade to human rights and climate change. A historical perspective on IIRR equips scholars, policymakers, and practitioners with the context needed to critically evaluate current challenges and develop informed, sustainable strategies for navigating an increasingly interconnected world.

2018

World War I UK vs. Germany The Great War was a milestone of international relations theory that preceded many concepts arose after. Security dilemma, democratic peace theory, power transition and balance of power were the essential theories in order to understand war. "It transformed in a fundamental way how we think of war and created an aversion to war that is still present."(Vasquez, 623) Although scholars aspired to learn from past and prevent upcoming wars by giving possible explanations to the roots of conflicts, there are also incompatibilities between them while allowing individuals to draw the cause and effect relation. What motivated the discussion for the causes of war were ideologies fighting on the war scene. Therefore, characteristics of realist and liberalist school of thoughts would be mentioned. The big picture of WW1 portrays that there are critical transnational reasons behind the immense global fight and questionable distribution of blame between two nations: Germany and Britain.

2014

The centennial of the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914 has already produced a wave of new books, exhibitions, documentaries, films, articles, websites, and research projects on the war and will continue to do so over the course of the next years, at least until the centenary of the armistice in 2018. One might witness this rising tide with mixed feelings: the arbitrariness of anniversaries and the ambivalent suggestive power of round numbers are a topic which merits reflection in and of its own. But the First World War has continued to be of lasting and even growing interest for historians over the past decades independently of anniversaries. Jay Winter and Antoine Prost have noted that the number of volumes that were catalogued in the British Library under the rubric of ›The World War, 1914 to 1918‹ quadrupled between 1980 and 2001, and Roger Chickering gathered further evidence for the ›enduring charm of the Great War‹ in 2011. At the same time, these last decades hav...