The evolution of the international system The core historical subject matter: the territorial state and the international state system -the purpose of the sovereign state -definitions The historical evolution of the state system The changing contemporary world of states

Conceptual clarifications The purpose of the territorial state: security, freedom, order, justice, welfare Definitions of the territorial state as a social organization - Sovereignty: internal and external Internal sovereignty: authority over certain territory and the population within this territory External sovereignty: the right of the state to represent the population living on certain territory in the external affairs Sovereignty referred to as monopoly over the legitimate means of coercion The international system of state: definition/ social organization and historical institution Df. A system of relations between politically organized territorial structures that enjoy and exercise a measure of independence from each other and are no under a higher authority

The historical development of the state system Historical forms of political organization: -historical precursors of the state system: the Hellenic city-states and Italian Renaissance cities; -the political empire: Roman Empire, Christendom and Byzantium, Islam Iran, India, China; -feudalism: parallel and overlapping hierarchies, dispersed authority; -colonies. Sovereign states in 16 th century Western Europe and the emergence of the system of states (the Peace of Westphalia); late 18 th century- North America; early 19 th century South America;

Characteristics of the state system in Europe after 1648 States’ mutual recognition of legitimacy and independence States recognize and observe a set of rules and norms in their relations e.g. international law and diplomatic practices Balance of power is maintained to prevent rise of a hegemonic power

The global spread of the state system The process of colonization in the early modern era (16 th century), political and economic domination of the European powers over their overseas empires Non-European independent member state of the state system, controlled by the settler populations Incorporation in the system of non-Western states, which have not be colonized by the West: the Ottoman Empire, Japan and China Anti-colonialism after the Second World War

The changing contemporary world of states Diversity of the state system - Internal dimension of the state: state as a government as opposed to state as a country, concerning state/society relations - External aspect of the state, concerning interstate relations State types in the global state system Strong state/ weak state in terms of empirical statehood (institutions, economic basis and internal unity) Strong power/ weak power state