International Politics (IP) is the study of how states gel with each other and with international organisations and certain subnational entities. However, RP as a discipline has five “orthodox sets of dates” by which teaching and research are organised: 1500, 1648, 1919, 1945 and 1989, according to Buzan and Lawson (2012). These dates are considered as the tipping points for a transformational process that are decades or possibly centuries in duration. However, this essay hopes to explain these dates and critique them as well.

Prior to the 1450s, the Ottoman Empire had conquered the Romans and had taken charge of the trade route that the Europeans had established to India. At the time, the Europeans had grown so much likeness for Indian spices, fabrics, gold, artefacts and precious stones. With this ready market available, whoever controls the trade route controls wealth, hence the need arouse for the Europeans to find other routes to India, by avoiding the Arabs on the original route. This led to the Portuguese making landfall in Western, Eastern and Southern parts of Africa. The then Gold Coast had Portuguese arriving on its shores in 1471 and in South Africa in 1488. These explorations encouraged Christopher Columbus to seek a new royal patron for a mission to establish his own route to the Far East (1451-1506). However, Christopher’s become the most recognised of all since he made the claim that he has found India by sailing west while the other sailors had failed abysmally. This newfound world opened the floodgate for other European countries to seek new territories as well as to spread the “gospel”. Hence, 1500 is considered, as symbolic of the opening of the sea lane for European countries to navigate around the world.

1648, is another date that is considered important in the study of International Relations and IP. The date marks the Peace of Westphalia Treaty – a European settlement which brought an end to a 30-year war between Spain, the Dutch and Germany. The peace was negotiated in Westphalia towns – Munster and Osnabruck. Nonetheless, England, Poland and the Ottoman Empire were not present at the negotiation table. Some scholars have argued that the treaty provided the foundation for the modern concept of state sovereignty because the treaty confirmed sovereignty over some territories i.e. Sweden, France and their allies. Two major results of the territorial settlement were the confirmation of limited provision of the Netherlands and Swiss confederation as independent republics. A status they have held for a long time. The symbolism of the Treaty also has to do with the unconditional granting of amnesty to all those whose possessions had been deprived. A declaration or decree was made that all seculars should be restored to those who have held them in 1618. Lastly, the Treaty also confirmed the Peace of Augsburg (1555), which had granted Lutherans religious tolerance in the Empire that had been rescinded by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II in his Edict of Reinstitution in 1629. As such, the Peace of Augsburg granted religious freedom and tolerance to the protestant faith.

1919 marks the end of World War 1 (WWI) and the establishment of the League of Nations that ushered states into the hope and expectations of the new “World Order.” The peace process became a focal point in International Relations. The League had 58 members and they were required to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states and disallowed the use of the threat of military force as a means of resolving international conflicts. The League sought peaceful means of resolving conflicts and was successful in settling border disputes between Iraq and Turkey, and Colombia and Peru. Regrettably, it could not stand the test of time in the 1930s, as the League broke down due to the aggression of Germany, Italy and Japan. The world relapsed into another war.  During the period, new centres, institutions, schools and universities devoted to the teaching and research of international relations centred in North America and Europe focused on the root cause of the First World War. Major portions of Germany and Imperial Russia archives were opened, making it possible for impressive scholarly works in diplomatic history to be pieced together as well as unearth the unknown history of pre-war alliances, secret diplomacy and military planning. The materials became the source for many authors including Winston Churchill.      

1945 signifies the end of the Second World War (WW2) and the birth of the United Nations. Due to the failure of the League of Nations, the United Nations changed its approach and targeted global peace and security. During this period, proponents of Idealism came under heavy criticism and their notion of morality can promote international understanding and cooperation was described as unrealistic and impracticable. By this, academia was divided into two schools of thought – idealism and realism. The realists believe the world is anarchical and there cannot be a win without a fight. They further argue that nations are in the international arena searching to satisfy or protect their individual selfish interest but not for the collective good of all. Realism led to the era of the arms race, in which many states became paranoid even about developmental projects embarked on by an “enemy” state. The UN throughout these odds years has remained steadfast and has expanded its scope to capture human rights, environmental, aqua and wildlife protection as well as the very things that dignify the human race and the integrity of planet earth.

1989 also marks the end of the Cold War, which was virtually fought on philosophies –capitalism and socialism- by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The split of the Soviet Union ended the Cold War that was fought over three decades. The world witnessed dramatic changes from multipolar, bipolar to a unipolar system. Within this period most colonies had gained their independence, hence Francis Fukuyama foresaw liberal states emerging. Krauthammer propounded a theory “Out of the cold moment” to suggest that America was the only country that emerged victorious. This influence America’s foreign policy “America hegemony”. Hitherto to this, Huntington, in a self-fulfilling prophesy “Clash of civilisation” predicted how this hegemony would clash with other beliefs.

Significance       

The dates serve as a point of reference for the discipline of self-understanding.

They operate as markers for how RP is viewed by other disciplines

They fix attention on specific events

They shape how history should be understood

Demerit

They are too narrow in focus by ignoring and downplaying other important events before and after the dates. Examples are the 9/11; where the attack on the United States changed how security is viewed globally, the industrial revolution; where the genesis of Climate change and child labour started from in 1760,   Spanish Influenza in 1918 that is estimated to have infected about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population. About 20 to 50 million people died of the influenza et al.  

They are too focused on wars – there have been so many events in the world that have impacted lives such as the internet.

They are too focused on Europe, leaving out other events that took place in other continents like Africa Asia and Americas.

Recommendations

If the purpose of the dates is for the study of International Relations, then the scope must be broadened.

The dates must not be static but should be subjected to periodic reviews

Conclusion

The following dates established how RP is understood, adventurous Europe and wars have shaped our current dispensation. The Europeans cannot be faulted for singing their own praises, if others have vehemently failed to tell their stories to suit their contexts.

By Bernice Bessey (student)

For further reading: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256058565_Rethinking_Benchmark_Dates_in_International_Relations