The Changing Global Political Landscape

New World Order Shaped by forces that connect nations and states Supranational unions (EU) Risk of nuclear war would recede States more closely linked than ever before However – national self-interest still a powerful centrifugal force

What are Forces of Devolution? Devolution When regions w/in state gain political strength & growing autonomy at expense of central gov’t Counterforce to supranationalism Internal centrifugal forces Devolutionary events most often occur on margins of state Allies of devolution: Distance Remoteness Peripheral location

Types of Devolution 1. Breakup of a state Balkanization Fragmentation of a region into smaller, often hostile political units Examples: Yugoslavia/Balkans, Former USSR, Czechoslovakia, Austria-Hungary, British India Regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government UK, Spain (Basque), France (Corsica), Canada (Quebec, Nunavut, native peoples)

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO BALKANIZE A COUNTRY: Bosnia: Serbians in Bosnia fought to break away from Bosnia & join Serbian dominated Yugoslavia Kashmir: Muslims in state of Jammu and Kashmir are fighting to break away from India Nigeria: SE part of Nigeria declared themselves to be independent State of Biafara Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers fought to break away from Sri Lanka, but ended up declaring truce "Kurdistan": Kurdish people of Turkey, Iraq, & Iran have periodically fought to create new State of Kurdistan Iraq: Shiite Muslims living in marshes of SE Iraq fought to break away from Sunni Muslim dominated gov’t of Saddam Hussein, but now are fighting for representation in new gov’t

Ethnic Regions in Former Yugoslavia Yugoslavia’s 6 republics until 1992 included much ethnic diversity. Brutal ethnic cleansing occurred in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo during the civil wars of the 1990s.

The Break Up of the Former Yugoslavia

Ethnicity is often based on cultural commonalities 2. Ethnonationalism Love for your nation (same thing as the 1648 nationalism term) Ethnicity is often based on cultural commonalities Peoples sharing a strong sense of ethnicity feel they are part of a group Ethnonationalism can be a fundamental force promoting devolution Spain – Basque, Catalonia: 17 Autonomous Communities established (greater autonomy desired by Basques & province of Catalonia) Canada—the French speaking province of Canada (Quebec)

2. Ethnonationalism, cont. Czechoslovakia—peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Velvet Divorce/ Revolution) Break-up of Yugoslavia (Figure 17-2) Dayton Accords (split up Bosnia) Yugoslavia – six “republics”; Dayton Accords (1995) split Bosnia b/t Serb “Republic” & Muslim-Croat “Federation” Most of the world’s nearly 200 states have multicultural populations if there is a concentration then it is worse then widely dispersed. Breakup of Yugoslavia – cultural centrifugal forces broke apart – thrown together on a map after WWI yugoslavia was home to 7 major and at least 17 smaller ethnic and cultural groups. Two alphabets were used. Christian, Serbian Orthodox, Muslim and no Yugoslav nation existed except in the legal sense. Once cultural differences become a soarce of conflict the cycle of violence is not easily stopped.

Examples of Ethnonational Devolutionary Movements Ethnic groups see themselves as distinct nations with the right to control their own territory Scotland, Wales & N. Ireland (UK) Basque & Catalonia (Spain) Flanders & Wallonia (Belgium) Quebec (Canada) Tamils in Sri Lanka Former USSR Former Yugoslavia Former Czechoslovakia Hawaii, US Basque Country

European Regions Seeking Autonomy

Belgium- devolution roots are cultural Walloons (French) & Flemish (Dutch)

Scotland & Wales – voted in favor of greater autonomy especially in parliaments, mixed feelings for independence

3. Economic forces Catalonia (province in Spain) 1979 government signed autonomy agreement Own parliament, official status of language, taxing and education powers transferred Discussion of Italy, France, Corsica Italy – cultural - island of Sardinia France – cultural -island of Corsica Italy – north very industrialized and south is agricultural. Cut off point at the Po River Padania campaign France – cited as the model nation-state. Island of Corsica. Brazil – economic differences – north/south. Tax money being mispaned. Assistance in Amazonia, found a leader, manufactured a flag and demanded independence for the republic of the pampas. No country is immune from devolutionary forces.

4. Spatial Influences c. Shatterbelt Devolutionary events occur on margins of states Many islands are also subject to devolutionary forces a. Gateway states political entities situated in border zones b/t geopolitical power cores state absorbs & assimilates cultures & traditions of its neighbors w/out being dominated by them proposed by SB Cohen b. Irredentism Mov’t to reunite a nation’s homeland when part of it is contained within another state. Part that is ruled by the other state is the irredenta One thing in common- they occur on the margins of states. Lies on a coast or on a boundary. Distance, remoteness and peripheral location are allies of devolution. US faces devolutionary challenges w/Hawaii. Before its annexation into the US Hawaii was a Polynesian kingdom. At present native Hawaiians do not have the numbers, resources or influence to achieve their separatists aims. Gateway states SB Cohen c. Shatterbelt a region caught between powerful forces whose boundaries are continually redefined

Devolutionary Pressures in Europe, 2002

Changes resulting from devolution in Europe Formation of new states/government More power to regions (formation of new legislatures, local control over policies) Local ethno-nationalism (linguistic/religious revival) Regional separatism Political instability (civil war, fighting, hostility, ethnic cleansing) Economic instability Mass migration (refugees, emigration)

Devolution in Other Parts of the World Sudan—Muslim north and non-Muslim south Sri Lanka- Sinhalese (Buddhist) and Tamil (Hindu) Canada (Quebec) US/ Puerto Rico/ Hawaii China/Taiwan Brazil – economic differences (south misuse of taxes)

Ethnic Groups in Africa

Sri Lanka The Sinhalese are mainly Buddhist and speak an Indo-European language, while the Tamils are mainly Hindu and speak a Dravidian language.

Quebec

Hawaii U.S. overthrew Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, annexed Hawaii in 1898, granted statehood in 1959.

China v. Taiwan

Middle East Redrawn?

Ethnic Divisions in South Asia At independence in 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan, resulting in the migration of 17 million people and many killings. In 1971, after a brutal civil war, East Pakistan became the country of Bangladesh.

Devolution of USSR “Near Abroad” – Russian cultural regions along the post-Soviet periphery USSR split into 15 republics; Russia still has devolutionary problems (e.g. Chechnya) Tried to replace USSR with CIS All former republics had lots of economic ties Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia did not join the Commonwealth

The devolution of the Soviet Union Usually devolution does not affect the entire world – one exception is the devolution of the Soviet Union. Devolution caused by political, economic and cultural forces. Soviet union had been one of the worlds two superpowers. (US was the other one). Cold War – nuclear arms race 1980’s – weakening of Moscow’s control over the countries of Eastern Europe, Berlin Wall came down, communist parties from Poland to Bulgaria lost their importance. Russia along with 14 peripheral republics emerged as new independent states.

Former USSR

Ethnic Groups in Russia

New World Order (changes) Description: International system after the collapse of the USSR; balance of nuclear terror no longer determines the destiny of states (US is only superpower) Multipolar world – US, Europe, Russia & China – future is uncertain (peace or conflict) Globalization – expansion of economic, political & cultural activities to a global scale, states’ traditional position is weakened by networks of interaction Democracy – has affected virtually all regions; little progress in North Africa & Southwest Asia (e.g. one-party democracy)

More changes in New World Order: Antiquated boundary framework – 21st c. world w/ 19th c. borders (most devolving movements occur in periphery of states) Rise of terrorism – superpowers supplied allies w/ weapons during Cold War; increasing threat of nations w/ nukes, chemical & biological weapons, suicide missions = potential to unite or divide world

More changes in New World Order (cont.) Growing influence of religion A global phenomenon religious fundamentalism vs. secularism, stereotypes (Islamic world vs. Judeo-Christian world) When the move to religion is associated w/ fundamentalist ideas, results can be explosive Effects of religious fundamentalism Jews settling in Israeli-occupied territories fueled regional territorial conflicts Upsurge of Shiite fundamentalism led by an exiled ayatollah in Iran Problems in Algeria, Sudan, & Malaysia Territorial conflicts -