The Evolution of the International System: From Bipolarity to Globalization
Item 6: From International Society to World Society
Evolution and Structure: Power in International Relations
The first half of the twentieth century witnessed two world wars originating in Europe. World War I (1914-1918) began in a period followed by interwar fascism in Italy and Germany. This period saw a crisis of democracy, culminating in World War II (1939-1945), which aimed to dismantle these totalitarian regimes. 1945 marked the emergence of a new international society, a consequence of a war classical in its origins. The Marshall Plan, the first initiative to rebuild Europe, excluded Spain from its benefits. This new international society differed significantly from previous systems in its structure, processes, and norms. It arose from an expansion of actors, growing from 50 states in 1945 to 150 in the 1980s due to decolonization, which diminished the dominance of colonial powers.
This period, active in the late 1940s and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall, introduced a bipolar system with two dominant poles: the US and the USSR. This bipolarity was most evident in international politics. Europe, no longer the center of gravity, focused on regeneration, with France and Germany aiming to prevent future conflicts between them. Meanwhile, peripheral conflicts erupted, often fueled by the US and Soviet Union to expand their spheres of influence. These conflicts saw a constant military presence of both superpowers. This era, known as the Cold War, represented a period of “improbable peace and impossible war.” An arms race ensued, with both powers expending vast resources to surpass their adversary. The Cold War was fundamentally a war of ideology, pitting Marxist-communism against capitalism.
Evolution
The initial rigidity of the Cold War, marked by high tension and a lack of communication between the superpowers, lasted from 1945 to the early 1950s. The 1960s ushered in a period of détente, easing international relations. However, this period also witnessed moments of extreme tension, most notably the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The 1980s saw renewed tensions with Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative “Star War”).
The East-West Divide
The East-West divide was a defining feature of the bipolar world, particularly evident in Europe. Characterized by groups of states aligned with either side of the “Iron Curtain,” it led to opposing strategies on all fronts, especially political and economic. Originating in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, it became central to international relations after 1945. Europe was divided, with the US-led West and the USSR-controlled East. Germany, too, was divided into West Germany (aligned with the US) and East Germany (aligned with the USSR), leading to the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Opposition Strategies:
Political-Military: U.S.: NATO (1949) and USSR: WARSAW PACT (1951)
Economics: USA: OEEC (1948) OECD (1960) and USSR Comecon. It goes through different phases like the Berlin blockade, but over the years (60 – 70) a number of factors contribute to this fracture is dissolved, are e ind between the leaders of the two powers. These meetings contributed to the fracture of the bipolar order due to the communication, they start the agreements. As is generated between the leaders trust their role as guardians of the bipolar system is diluted. There are new poles that also influence the international order, in western France, which has always aimed to stop the feet the U.S., but out individually first, getting out of the integrated structure of NATO in 1966 and then collectively, leading the European political cooperation mechanism, which was created then the European community. This mechanism was intended to harmonize the foreign policies of all member states. France and so this would benefit U.S. address in the Soviet bloc, with China at 60, broken relationships, implying that the USSR lost the ideological monopoly of communism and gained a rival in spreading its influence in the third world, because there was heavier than the Chinese that the Soviet leadership. At the end of the 60 states that were under its orbit, are uncomfortable and the Prague Spring comes in 68, where the European Union strongly suppressed the revolt and the USSR, he demonstrates his weakness.
CREATING A NETWORK OF RELATIONS OUTSIDE THE Intra two superpowers. 1975: CONFERENCE FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (HELSINKI): The CSCE was an important because European countries gathered at the two sides. The Perestroika: puts an end to the Cold War situation. Gorbachev was the last president of the USSR, as it was aware that she could not continue the arms race and loaded all the bipolar order from within. Being aware of the limitations of its country to stay in bipolar logic. This led him to generate new thinking on international affairs, focusing on 2 main ideas:
- Direct attack on the East-West divideBy proposing the elimination of ideologies of international relations (to end the ideological feud between Marxism and capitalism).
- Accept reality: the planned economy does not work so we must begin an evolution to capitalism, but they want to starve.
The whole process ends with the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
CENTRAL-PERIPHERAL FRACTURE (colonization COLONIZED)
Exists today but not displayed in international relations, because they organize themselves. But this fracture originates in the s. XVI, with the settlements and the discovery of America. The periphery would influence that power bipolar. Not talking about groups of states, are disorganized. Has ancient origins in the sixteenth century with the discovery of America and new actors in the international context, cities and colonies. Your maximum importance is given in the context of the GF because there arises a periphery. The core countries are a dominant core and peripheral capitalist economies are weak states all political, economic, industrial and financially speaking, operating within a framework of relations established in advance by the central states. also spoke semiperiphery, which are the countries that have the potential to enter the center. It is now considered the center, the countries belonging to OECD and everything else can be included in the periphery, so that it functions like a drawer disaster, we can say that the periphery is classified into three types of statements:
- Newly industrializing economies, countries like South Korea.
- OPEC oil exporting countries.
- 4 th world, countries that need international assistance to live, as they are extremely poor.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE PERIPHERY
The periphery will be organized after the Cold War, because small countries want to influence and be independent from the major powers, as was the case in Egypt in the Bandung Conference (island of Java in Indonesia). 29 Afro-Asian countries did not want to be ruled or to one side or another, the three most important countries were Egypt, India, Indonesia and they were well led. This conference led to the Non-Aligned Movement, which currently consists of about 120 countries . The principles established were very renovators, are called principles of peaceful coexistence. It meant a rejection of bipolar logic and thus what the periphery is to introduce a new logic. Fractures East-West and Centre-Periphery that over throughout the Cold War, playing a proactive role in the international system have been eroded over the years and is not as noticeable. This has resulted in a much more complex, which found an increased fragmentation as a result of the diversification of the suburbs, and the globalization of problems.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY post-Cold War (1989 – 2005) THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ORDER
The big event that was capable of modifying the international framework was the fall of the Berlin Wall, from bipolar to unipolar order in the political and military U.S. and multipolar in the economic order by the U.S., EU. and Japan. The Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 new states. The process of European integration continues and new states are also integrated. Continuity and maintaining and making new sounds in international society after the war. There is also continuity in the conflicts began in the Cold War and remain today: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir. The process of disintegration of Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia was created in 1945 at the hands of Marshal Tito and lasts until 1980, when Tito dies. It is an artificial creation and complex as there were different ethnic communities: Serbs (Orthodox), Croats (Catholics) and Bosniaks (Muslims). When it dies it creates a transition process which started the Balkan wars. Was divided into 6 republics. The current situation is peaceful, very tense because this is maintained by the military presence. THE HERITAGE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: GLOBALIZATION GLOBALIZATION AND CONFLICT: begins in the eighteenth century and is activated late 80, with the end of the Cold War. The negative aspects are that makes them bigger the gap between rich and poor, and many conflicts remain, because the Cold War and the conflict between East and West.
CREATING A NETWORK OF RELATIONS OUTSIDE THE Intra two superpowers. 1975: CONFERENCE FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (HELSINKI): The CSCE was an important because European countries gathered at the two sides. The Perestroika: puts an end to the Cold War situation. Gorbachev was the last president of the USSR, as it was aware that she could not continue the arms race and loaded all the bipolar order from within. Being aware of the limitations of its country to stay in bipolar logic. This led him to generate new thinking on international affairs, focusing on 2 main ideas:
- Direct attack on the East-West divide, proposing the elimination of ideologies of international relations (to end the ideological feud between Marxism and capitalism).
- Accept reality: the planned economy does not work so we must begin an evolution to capitalism, but they want to starve.
The whole process ends with the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989.CENTRAL-PERIPHERAL FRACTURE (colonized colonized): There is today but not displayed in international relations, because they organize themselves. But this fracture originates in the s. XVI, with the settlements and the discovery of America. The periphery would influence that power bipolar. Not talking about groups of states, are disorganized. Has ancient origins in the sixteenth century with the discovery of America and new actors in the international context, cities and colonies. Your maximum importance is given in the context of the GF because there arises a periphery. The core countries are a dominant core and peripheral capitalist economies are weak states all political, economic, industrial and financially speaking, operating within a framework of relations established in advance by the central states. also spoke semiperiphery, which are the countries that have the potential to enter the center. It is now considered the center, the countries belonging to OECD and everything else can be included in the periphery, so that it functions like a drawer disaster, we can say that the periphery is classified into three types of statements:
- Newly industrializing economies, countries like South Korea.
- OPEC oil exporting countries.
- 4 th world, countries that need international assistance to live, as they are extremely poor.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE PERIPHERY
The periphery will be organized after the Cold War, because small countries want to influence and be independent from the major powers, as was the case in Egypt in the Bandung Conference (island of Java in Indonesia). 29 Afro-Asian countries did not want to be ruled or to one side or another, the three most important countries were Egypt, India, Indonesia and they were well led. This conference led to the Non-Aligned Movement, which currently consists of about 120 countries . The principles established were very renovators, are called principles of peaceful coexistence. It meant a rejection of bipolar logic and thus what the periphery is to introduce a new logic. Fractures East-West and Centre-Periphery that over throughout the Cold War, playing a proactive role in the international system have been eroded over the years and is not as noticeable. This has resulted in a much more complex, which found an increased fragmentation as a result of the diversification of the suburbs, and the globalization of problems.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY post-Cold War (1989 – 2005) THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ORDER
The big event that was capable of modifying the international framework was the fall of the Berlin Wall, From bipolar to unipolar order in the political and military U.S. and multipolar in the economic order by the U.S., EU. and Japan. The Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 new states. The process of European integration continues and new states are also integrated. Continuity and maintaining and making new sounds in international society after the war. There is also continuity in the conflicts began in the Cold War and remain today: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir.
The process of disintegration of Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia was created in 1945 at the hands of Marshal Tito and lasts until 1980, when Tito dies. It is an artificial creation and complex as there were different ethnic communities: Serbs (Orthodox), Croats (Catholics) and Bosniaks (Muslims). When it dies it creates a transition process which started the Balkan wars. Was divided into 6 republics. The current situation is peaceful, very tense because this is maintained by the military presence. THE HERITAGE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: GLOBALIZATION AND CONFLICT
GLOBALIZATION: begins in the eighteenth century and was active in the late 80’s, with the end of the Cold War. The negative aspects are that makes them bigger the gap between rich and poor, and many conflicts remain, because the Cold War and the conflict between East and West.