1. The Emergence of the Nation State System
AKA “Westphalian System”

2. The Beginning….
Fundamental actors on world stage are individuals ---- affect trends/ world
Individuals join groups. Why?

3. Political Organizations
World history --- political orgs --- bands; tribes; chiefdoms; states; etc.
Org vs. org = collaboration or competition
Today’s leading political org is nation-state
Not always the case
Why did they develop that way?

4. Modern Nation-State System
Began w/ Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Ended Thirty Years’ War in what is now Germany
Initially, religious conflict (Protestantism vs. Catholicism)
Evolved into more general political (authority of H.R.E.)/ geographic/ complex conflict…

5. Effects/ Aftermath Consumed all of Europe
Huge impact – disease, famine, destroyed crops, population loss
Before: all in small medieval kingdoms as part of larger Christian community led by Pope
After: system of autonomous states w/ no higher authority

6. Key ideas From Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Sole jurisdiction over domestic affairs/ territory
Each prince had right to decide public religion of own people
States can/should engage in foreign relations w/ other states, BUT
Should refrain from interfering in each other’s affairs (national sovereignty)
No overarching institution had authority to regulate state conduct

7. How Do we Describe nation-States?
State Nation Nation-State

8. State
Organized political entity w/ permanent population, well defined territory, & a government

9. Nation
A group of people who feel common identity due to shared language, culture, history

10. Nation-State
Specific geographic area containing a sovereign polity (meaning??) whose population identifies with that polity
 Is the US a nation-state?

11. What if the world’s not neat?
Multi-state nation ---- ex: Kurds, Koreas
Multinational state– ex: former Yugoslavia; Nigeria
Stateless nations--- ex: Palestinians; Kurds; Basque
Some states are ethnically homogeneous (ex: Iceland)