Fourteen essential books in the history of International Relations. Classics in IR
Galina Kupriyeva
Short reviews, which are integral part of the book, set in timeline order, starting from the earliest.I dedicated this book for those readers who has never been engaged in politics or IR, who has no expert view, but who would rather know opinions about the history of IR from scholars and experts. It is my contribution to help to understand IR and Global Politics as a whole.Thanks to KIMEP University for organization and support of MIR Program, without which the book could not exist.
Fourteen essential books in the history of International Relations
Classics in IR
Galina Kupriyeva
© Galina Kupriyeva, 2022
ISBNВ 978-5-0059-3960-9
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This book is aВ contemplation ofВ thoughts. It was written toВ put together many threads and pieces thoughtfully collected after all readings and with due understanding ofВ historical events and political processes.
I would like to thank Alex Danilovich (Ph. D., Southern Illinois University, USA), Professor of Political Science and International Relations at KIMEP University, for teaching and bringing to understanding, for his attention, confidence and discussions; Dr. Golam Mostafa (Ph. D., Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), Professor and Dean of the College of Social Science at KIMEP University for support, encouragement, advice and guidance; Dr.Steven Green (Ph. D., Michigan State University, USA) for early discussions and explanations, Dr.Donnacha O’Beachain (Ph. D, University College Dublin) for the beginning and exploration of world paradoxes, for support and advice. Especially thanks to James B.McNabb (Ph. D. in Politics and Policy, Claremont Graduate University, CA) for understanding of Philosophy, different philosophical approaches and introducing to Epistemology of Social Science. I am grateful to my family and friends who were always close to me, heartfully listened and supported.
Short reviews, which are integral part ofВ the book, set inВ timeline order, starting from the earliest. My book will be ofВ interest for those who seek toВ understand how international events at different places ofВ the globe, inВ different time, echoed, and why some events may repeat. IВ dedicated this book for those readers who has never been engaged inВ politics or IR, who has no expert view on global events, but who would rather know some glimpse at the history ofВ IR from authors, scholars and experts. This book neither teach nor blame anything or anyone, it is rather my contribution toВ help toВ understand International relations and Global Politics as aВ whole.
Thanks toВ KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan) for our uniting, organization and support ofВ MIR Program, without which the book could not exist.
INTRODUCTION
History ofВ international relations begins with wars ofВ ancient Greece, notably, with wars ofВ Greeks allied with Athens against Persia. Peloponnesian war is the landmark from which evolution ofВ international relations starts.
Relations between states address to diplomatic, political, economic and military aspects. Science of international politics covers all aspects that address to relations between states and other actors at international level. There are, mainly, two schools of thought that study international relations – realism and liberalism that successively divided into different perspectives and paradigms.
Theories ofВ international politics allow understand mistakes and experiences ofВ the past correctly inВ order toВ avoid drawbacks or apply successes inВ future. Theories ofВ international relations explain behavior ofВ different actors and help understand causes ofВ war as well as peace.
Importance ofВ international relations lies inВ virtue toВ study and analyze myriad ofВ links and interactions between states and other international actors as aВ single whole with the purpose toВ explain how the world works.
Some earlier political scientists such as E.H.Carr and Hans Morgenthau emphasize importance ofВ sovereignty and nation-state, and study, mainly, domestic structures ofВ states and behavior ofВ internal actors with the purpose toВ analyze how those influence foreign policy objectives and attitudes toВ other countries.
Other later realists such as John H. Herz and Thomas Schelling pay attention toВ influence ofВ military innovations on politics and how the nature ofВ international politics changed since the advent ofВ nuclear weapon.
Later publications of Kenneth Waltz, Keohane and Nye in addition to analysis of interactions at domestic level study system of states as a whole – whether it is anarchy or hierarchy. They study politics as the interactions of structures and systems rather than simply interactions between states or their government.
CLASSICS INВ INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THUCYDIDES В«History ofВ the Peloponnesian warВ».
Since Thucydides, realists argue that force and power lead the way inВ politics. Rejecting existence and intervention ofВ supernatural, Thucydides considered history inВ the sense ofВ human affairs, as consequences ofВ political actions rather than the providence ofВ God or any other supernatural forces. The main stated argument ofВ Thucydides is В«What made war inevitable was the growth ofВ Athenian power and the fear which this caused inВ Sparta.В» (Thucydides, 1972, p.49)
Melian dialogue is the passage from the book «Peloponnesian War» that demonstrates how conflict is caused by imbalance in power. Refusal of the Melians – the colony of Sparta – to join the Athenian empire like others, led to a siege of Melos. In a case of joining, they were promised by Athenians to be in safety and alive. By doing opposite, Melians must have been killed or have been taken as slaves. The Melians declined the offer and were captured by the Athenians, «…who put to death all the men of military age whom they took, and sold the women and children as slaves.» (Thucydides, 1972, p.408)
Significance of the Peloponnesian War in the world history is in its continuation and in unprecedented suffering of human beings. «Never before had so many cities been captured and then devastated, whether by foreign armies or by the Hellenic powers themselves (some of these cities, after capture, were resettled with new inhabitants);never had there been so many exiles; never such loss of life – both in the actual warfare and in internal revolutions.» (Thucydides, 1972, p.48).
E.H.Carr В«Twenty Years CrisisВ»
The next author contributed to evolution of realism is Edward Hallet Carr (1892—1982) – British diplomat, journalist and historian of USSR. The main critique by Carr is of liberalism and Woodrow Wilson politics. Afterwards, «Great Depression» of 1929, to some extent, proved his critical considerations on liberalism and moved him to a searching of new base for economic order that would have been found in radical change, social reform and economic planning. Especially his frustration with liberalism was intensified with growing success of Soviet Economy after 1929 while capitalist system was being in crisis. However, he rejected a pure model of socialism trying to find a balance between two philosophical views – idealism and realism. That is why the primary title of «Twenty Years Crisis» (1939) was set out as «Utopia and Reality».
The book «Twenty Years Crisis» covers the period between two World Wars. It is based on author’s observations and diaries as a contemporary of this period. The book shed light on an interwar period with deep analysis of the system being in crisis. The aim of the book is to explore the interplay between those two views – idealism (utopia) and realism (reality).
Beginning ofВ the twenty years period was characterized byВ В«utopianВ» aspirations and beliefs with little account toВ reality. Europeans believed inВ continuous British Hegemony and inВ expansion ofВ coherent В«WesternВ» civilization with common development and approach В«What was good for one, was good for allВ» (Carr, 1939, p.207). Characteristic ofВ the end ofВ the period was В«grim despairВ» ofВ the reality. There were disillusionment with harmony ofВ interests, economic crisis and emerging Nazi Germany as aВ challenger dissatisfied with its own status.
Hans Morgenthau В«Politics among nationsВ»
After World War II American thinking shifted from idealism and liberalism towards realism that emphasizes national interest and political power. The book В«Politics among nationsВ» ofВ Hans Morgenthau represents Realist Theory ofВ International Politics and sets out two purposes. The first is toВ determine political relations among nations, and the second is toВ understand the problem ofВ international peace.
The main contribution ofВ Hans Morgenthau as the founder ofВ realism is the six main principles ofВ political realism:
1. Politics, like society inВ general, is governed byВ objective laws that have their roots inВ human nature.
2.The main signpost ofВ political realism is the concept ofВ interest defined inВ terms ofВ power.
3. Realism assumes that interest defined as power is an objective category which is universally valid but not with aВ meaning that is fixed once and for all. Power is the control ofВ man overВ man.
4. Political realism is aware ofВ the moral significance ofВ political action. It is also aware ofВ the tension between the moral command the requirements ofВ successful political action.
5. Political realism refuses toВ identify the moral aspirations ofВ aВ particular nation with the moral laws that govern the universe. It is the concept ofВ interest defined inВ terms ofВ power that saves us from moral excess and political folly.
6. Political realism differs from other schools ofВ thought such as law, history, economy, and it is the most important one because it deals with the security and survival ofВ the state.
Firstly, the author defines International politics as aВ struggle for power. InВ spite ofВ different goals defined inВ terms ofВ religious, philosophic, economic or social ideal, power is the immediate aim. However, not all acts that aВ nations perform toward each other are ofВ political nature. Also, not all nations are equally involved inВ international politics.
The author defines power as «man’s control over the minds and actions of other men», and political power as «a psychological relations between those who exercise it and those over whom it is exercised.» (Morgenthau, H, p.30) There are four main distinctions: «between power and influence, between power and force, between usable and unusable power, between legitimate and illegitimate power.» (Morgenthau, H, p.31)
Secondly, the author gives three basic patterns of politics, either domestic or international – to keep power, to increase power or to demonstrate power. Hence, three types of international policies follow: policy of the Status Quo – to keep power, policy of Imperialism – to acquire more power and policy of Prestige – to demonstrate power.
Thirdly, the author claims that «nation» is an abstractive term and can not be empirically observed. Therefore, power and foreign policy of a nation is reflected by its representatives in international affairs – politicians or statesmen – «they wield the power and pursue the policies of their nation» (Morgenthau, Hans. p.116).
Kenneth Waltz В«Man, the state andВ warВ»
Kenneth Waltz is the first political scientist who begins toВ develop systemic approach inВ IR and further was recognized as the founder ofВ В«neo-realismВ». InВ the book В«Man, the state and warВ» (1959) he makes aВ theoretical analysis on three images toВ International Conflict. Thus, the roots toВ conflict lie inВ Human Behavior, Structure ofВ States and International Anarchy.
The main philosophers who devoted their works to Behavioural approach are Saint Augustine, Spinoza, Neibuhr and Hans Morgenthau. Two tendencies arise from first image analysis. The first is that potential for conflict is found in human nature – men are born seekers of power. The second tendency – as far as human beings behave differently in different situations, they need restraints imposed by government – otherwise they may slaughter each other. Based on these two ideas the assumption on change in political and social structures of state and government proceeds. Social-political institutions are easier to change than nature of humankind.
The second image focuses on internal organization ofВ states. InВ many ways, political and social relations within state reflect its foreign policy. Most often, war against an external enemy contributes toВ unity ofВ state. People feel themselves united, and instead ofВ fighting civil wars and ofВ turning their attention toВ internal defects, they cast their aggression toВ aВ foe inВ the face ofВ other state.
The second image is represented by liberal and socialist revisionists’ view. Liberals believe that individual initiatives and liberty contribute to development of peaceful state (Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill). They argue that man living in public society has constantly been improved, and, consequently, all society has been improved. In addition, government should intervene less, giving way to «invisible hand» and free market. The role of government should be limited to the issues of external defense and internal justice. This liberal view is known as «noninterventionist» liberalism. Contrary to the previous view, «interventionist» liberals believe that state should decide affairs of nations. They are more realistic about war and consider that «Wars undertaken on a narrow calculation of state interest are almost certain to be less damaging than wars inspired by a supposedly selfless idealism.»
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