PSC 116G Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Japanese Militarism, Appeasement, Berlin Wall
Transition from Feudalist Europe
• Technological changes
• Cannon, printing press, etc.
• Rise of Merchant Class
• Reformation (1517)
• Most significant ‘political’ development of early modern European history
• Renaissance
• Italian city-states (Venice, Florence, Milan)
January 31st
The Westphalian System
• Thirty Years War (1618-1648): Series of declared and undeclared political and
religious wars
• Political: Habsburg Holy Roman Empire vs proto-states
• Civil: in modern day Germany
• Religious: Catholics vs. Lutherans, Calvinists
• ⅓ of the population died
• Peace of Westphalia (1648)
• A treaty to end the Thirty Year War
• Codified principle of sovereignty
• State has complete political authority over its territory
Internal: no right to challenge ruler’s power
External: outsiders had no right to interfere
• Established nation-states
• Sovereignty granted only by recognition of other states
• Separation of church and state in the international system
• Religious pluralism
• Beginning of current sovereign state system
Transition to Modern Europe: Other Factors
• Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the ‘New World’ in 1492
• To capitalize on the potential riches of the new world, monarchs begin to
consolidate political power
• The ‘nation-state’ becomes the most efficient political system for economic
exploitation.
Fernando and Isabel of Spain funded Christopher Columbus in his journey of finding the
new world-- with that, the country of Spain became something people paid more
attention to.
The Balance of the Power System
• Anarchy is key feature of Westphalian international system
• No higher political authority over individual states
• Larger states attack and absorb small states
• In European states
• Nothing to prevent war, but still limited
Balance of Power
• No state was allowed to become too powerful
• States shifted alliances and capabilities to keep ‘balance’
• Small armies (mercenaries) also limited power
• Law of war: moral objections to unlimited war
The Rest of the World
• Nation-state = most efficient political organization
• External threats
• Superior, agricultural, industrial, and military tech
• Developed efficient treasury and tax system
• Over 400 yr period, Europe dominated most of the world
• Forcibly imposed modern state system
• Colonization -- sovereign states
In the early state system, national armies were primarily composed of Mercenaries
Napoleon and National Warfare
• French Revolution
• Nationalism
• National self-determination
• Democracy
• Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France
• Comes into power in 1799
• Levee en Masse
• Innovation changed warfare
• Harnessed entire French nation
• By 1812, Napoleon concuers most of Europe (Napoleonic Wars)
• Invasion halts in Russia
• Other countries adopt nationalism
Napoleon basically rewrites international politics during his time.
Document Summary
Transition from feudalist europe: technological changes, cannon, printing press, etc, rise of merchant class, reformation (1517, renaissance, most significant political" development of early modern european history. External: outsiders had no right to interfere: established nation-states, sovereignty granted only by recognition of other states, separation of church and state in the international system, religious pluralism, beginning of current sovereign state system. Fernando and isabel of spain funded christopher columbus in his journey of finding the new world-- with that, the country of spain became something people paid more attention to. The balance of the power system: anarchy is key feature of westphalian international system, no higher political authority over individual states, larger states attack and absorb small states. In european states: nothing to prevent war, but still limited. Balance of power: no state was allowed to become too powerful, states shifted alliances and capabilities to keep balance", small armies (mercenaries) also limited power, law of war: moral objections to unlimited war.
