1102GIR Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Hague Conventions Of 1899 And 1907, John Donne, Nationstates
4 May 2018
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L12. International Organisations
"No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own there:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee."
John Donne (1572-1631)
Origins of Internationalism
• Internationalism: The view that sovereign nations should work together and establish common
institutions
• Not the same as 'world government'
• Liberal and Marxist strands
• Treaty of Westphalia,1648: The sovereign state
• 19th century and the rise of nationalism
o The 'nation-state': the state contains a nation
• Efforts at cooperation after the Napoleonic wars
• Concert of Europe, international law
o Geneva and Hague Conventions
• The problem:
o Overlapping and competing nationalisms
• E.g. American 'Manifest Destiny' vs. Mexican nationalism
• Imperialism/colonialism adds an additional complication
The League of Nations
• Formed in 1920, in the aftermath of 'The Great War'
• Massive destructive power of industrialised nation-states
o WW1: 17 million deaths
• Intended to prevent another world war, promote disarmament
• Woodrow Wilson:
"A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the
purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial
integrity to great and small states alike."
• But USA never joins
• 1933: Germany and Japan withdraw
• 1935: Italian invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
• Failure to stop Germany, Italian and Soviet involvement in Spanish Civil War
• Failure of disarmament objectives
United Nations
• Formed after WW2, the deadliest conflict in human history
o 60-85 million deaths (up to 60 million civilians)
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Document Summary
Every man is a piece of the continent, If a clod be washed away by the sea, As well as if a manor of thy friend"s. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; Internationalism: the view that sovereign nations should work together and establish common institutions. Formed in 1920, in the aftermath of "the great war: massive destructive power of industrialised nation-states, ww1: 17 million deaths. Intended to prevent another world war, promote disarmament: woodrow wilson: Failure to stop germany, italian and soviet involvement in spanish civil war. General assembly: main deliberative body of un, one state = one vote, can issue non-binding resolutions, voting on important issues requires 2/3 majority. Security council: charged with issuing sanctions, binding resolutions, authorising military interventions and peacekeeping. Five permanent members: the original nuclear states and victorious ww2 powers, usa, uk, france, china, russian federation, veto powers, non-permanent members, australia is the current chair, criticism of ineffectiveness, e. g.
