Whitham, B. and Heywood, A. (2023). Global Politics. 3rd Edition. London:
Bloomsbury UK. (Chapter 2). GV 324 HEYWOOD
The History of Global Politics
Introduction
• Politics is a struggle over the best way for societies to live
together, intertwined with history.
• Politics represents the present, while history encapsulates the past.
Key Issues
1. Developments Before the 20th Century
• Understanding world history before the 20th century.
2. Causes and Consequences of the First World War
• Analyzing the causes and outcomes of World War I.
3. Factors Leading to the Second World War
• Examining the factors that triggered World War II.
4. The 'End of Empire'
• Investigating the reasons behind the decline of colonial empires.
5. Emergence and End of the Cold War
• Understanding why the Cold War began after 1945 and how it
concluded.
6. Post-Cold War History and Its Impact on World Order
• Analyzing the impact of post-Cold War history on the global
order.
The Making of the Global World
• Recent discoveries suggest the existence of Homo sapiens in Africa over
300,000 years ago.
• Transition from small, simple societies to the complex global world of
the 21st century is explored.
The Growth of Ancient Civilizations (3500 BCE - 1500 BCE)
• Emergence of early civilizations marked by agriculture, urbanization,
and writing.
, • Mesopotamia as the 'cradle of civilization' and its influence on
Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations.
• The civilization of ancient Egypt along the Nile River.
• The Indus River Valley civilization in South Asia.
• The rise of Chinese civilization, starting with the Shang Dynasty.
• Expansion of Greek settlements in the eastern Mediterranean.
• The foundation of the Roman Republic and the birth of ancient Rome.
Classical Antiquity (1000 BCE - 5th Century CE)
• Growth of various civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea.
• Development of Etruscan and Phoenician cultures.
• Emergence of ancient Greece as a foundational culture of Western
civilization.
• Expansion of the Roman Empire across Europe, North Africa, and the
eastern Mediterranean.
The 'Dark Ages' and Invasions (5th - 10th Centuries CE)
• Invasion of mounted nomadic peoples into established civilizations,
leading to the 'Dark Ages.'
• Impact on Europe with invasions from Germanic, Slavic, Viking, Magyar,
and Saracen peoples.
• The profound influence of the Mongol Empire on world history, altering
political organizations and ethnic landscapes.
This chapter provides a historical context for understanding global politics,
emphasizing the interconnection between politics and history throughout human
civilization. It highlights key events and transitions that have shaped the
world order up to the present day.
The Dawn of the Age of Sail
Introduction
• The Age of Sail, spanning from the late 15th century to the 19th
century, marked significant global changes.
• New maritime technology revolutionized trade, contact, and cultural
exchange among Africa, Europe, and Asia.
• Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas were emblematic of this
era.
,The Age of Discovery (Late 15th to 16th Century)
• The Age of Sail emerged due to technological innovations in
shipbuilding.
• Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage led to the first contact between
Europeans and the Americas.
• Columbus's approach set a precedent for European colonialism.
• European colonialism exhibited an extractivist attitude toward native
resources and people.
Early European Colonization
• Spain and Portugal took the lead in colonizing parts of the Americas.
• Spain, under Columbus, colonized parts of the Caribbean and South
America, extracting resources and enslaving natives.
• Portugal similarly colonized areas in South America, including Brazil.
• Other European powers like England, France, and the Netherlands
followed Spain and Portugal in colonization.
Globalization in the Age of Sail
• The Age of Discovery and early colonialism is considered an early form
of globalization.
• Trade and colonialism initiated connections between societies across
continents, marking the emergence of a global world.
Colonialism and the Rise of the West
• European colonialism played a central role in shaping the "West" as a
global entity.
• Sovereign states with strong central governments emerged in the 16th
and 17th centuries.
• The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 marked the end of the Thirty Years' War
and established the concept of state sovereignty.
• Political stability in Europe favored technological innovation and
economic development.
• The Enlightenment of the 18th and 19th centuries contributed to a shift
from religious dogmatism to rationalism.
• Immanuel Kant, an Enlightenment thinker, was associated with early
international relations theory.
• A Western identity developed, characterized by cultural superiority
towards non-European societies (Orientalism).
, The Transition to Capitalism and Industrialization
• Europe transitioned from feudal modes of production to capitalism in
the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Capitalism stimulated industrialization, beginning in Britain in the
mid-18th century.
• Industrialization expanded to North America and Western and Central
Europe in the 19th century.
• Technological advancements led to improved diets, higher living
standards, and population growth.
Slavery and Colonialism
• Slavery persisted as part of the capitalist world economy for over 300
years.
• Forced labor from Africa and the Americas complemented the emergence of
wage labor in Europe.
• Millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas in
conditions of enslavement.
Challenging Eurocentrism
• Eurocentric narratives have often depicted the rise of the West as an
internal, European achievement.
• Critics argue that external factors, including colonial encounters,
international trade, and non-Western influences on Western thought,
played a central role in shaping the modern world.
Global Centers of Power
• Independent centers of political thought and economic development
existed outside Europe.
• China's Qing Dynasty controlled vast territories in Inner Asia, with a
thriving economy and political power.
• China's market economy developed separately from Europe, guided by
Confucianism rather than Enlightenment rationalism.
Confucius (551–479 BCE)
Introduction
• Confucius was an influential politician and thinker during his
lifetime.
Bloomsbury UK. (Chapter 2). GV 324 HEYWOOD
The History of Global Politics
Introduction
• Politics is a struggle over the best way for societies to live
together, intertwined with history.
• Politics represents the present, while history encapsulates the past.
Key Issues
1. Developments Before the 20th Century
• Understanding world history before the 20th century.
2. Causes and Consequences of the First World War
• Analyzing the causes and outcomes of World War I.
3. Factors Leading to the Second World War
• Examining the factors that triggered World War II.
4. The 'End of Empire'
• Investigating the reasons behind the decline of colonial empires.
5. Emergence and End of the Cold War
• Understanding why the Cold War began after 1945 and how it
concluded.
6. Post-Cold War History and Its Impact on World Order
• Analyzing the impact of post-Cold War history on the global
order.
The Making of the Global World
• Recent discoveries suggest the existence of Homo sapiens in Africa over
300,000 years ago.
• Transition from small, simple societies to the complex global world of
the 21st century is explored.
The Growth of Ancient Civilizations (3500 BCE - 1500 BCE)
• Emergence of early civilizations marked by agriculture, urbanization,
and writing.
, • Mesopotamia as the 'cradle of civilization' and its influence on
Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations.
• The civilization of ancient Egypt along the Nile River.
• The Indus River Valley civilization in South Asia.
• The rise of Chinese civilization, starting with the Shang Dynasty.
• Expansion of Greek settlements in the eastern Mediterranean.
• The foundation of the Roman Republic and the birth of ancient Rome.
Classical Antiquity (1000 BCE - 5th Century CE)
• Growth of various civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea.
• Development of Etruscan and Phoenician cultures.
• Emergence of ancient Greece as a foundational culture of Western
civilization.
• Expansion of the Roman Empire across Europe, North Africa, and the
eastern Mediterranean.
The 'Dark Ages' and Invasions (5th - 10th Centuries CE)
• Invasion of mounted nomadic peoples into established civilizations,
leading to the 'Dark Ages.'
• Impact on Europe with invasions from Germanic, Slavic, Viking, Magyar,
and Saracen peoples.
• The profound influence of the Mongol Empire on world history, altering
political organizations and ethnic landscapes.
This chapter provides a historical context for understanding global politics,
emphasizing the interconnection between politics and history throughout human
civilization. It highlights key events and transitions that have shaped the
world order up to the present day.
The Dawn of the Age of Sail
Introduction
• The Age of Sail, spanning from the late 15th century to the 19th
century, marked significant global changes.
• New maritime technology revolutionized trade, contact, and cultural
exchange among Africa, Europe, and Asia.
• Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas were emblematic of this
era.
,The Age of Discovery (Late 15th to 16th Century)
• The Age of Sail emerged due to technological innovations in
shipbuilding.
• Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage led to the first contact between
Europeans and the Americas.
• Columbus's approach set a precedent for European colonialism.
• European colonialism exhibited an extractivist attitude toward native
resources and people.
Early European Colonization
• Spain and Portugal took the lead in colonizing parts of the Americas.
• Spain, under Columbus, colonized parts of the Caribbean and South
America, extracting resources and enslaving natives.
• Portugal similarly colonized areas in South America, including Brazil.
• Other European powers like England, France, and the Netherlands
followed Spain and Portugal in colonization.
Globalization in the Age of Sail
• The Age of Discovery and early colonialism is considered an early form
of globalization.
• Trade and colonialism initiated connections between societies across
continents, marking the emergence of a global world.
Colonialism and the Rise of the West
• European colonialism played a central role in shaping the "West" as a
global entity.
• Sovereign states with strong central governments emerged in the 16th
and 17th centuries.
• The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 marked the end of the Thirty Years' War
and established the concept of state sovereignty.
• Political stability in Europe favored technological innovation and
economic development.
• The Enlightenment of the 18th and 19th centuries contributed to a shift
from religious dogmatism to rationalism.
• Immanuel Kant, an Enlightenment thinker, was associated with early
international relations theory.
• A Western identity developed, characterized by cultural superiority
towards non-European societies (Orientalism).
, The Transition to Capitalism and Industrialization
• Europe transitioned from feudal modes of production to capitalism in
the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Capitalism stimulated industrialization, beginning in Britain in the
mid-18th century.
• Industrialization expanded to North America and Western and Central
Europe in the 19th century.
• Technological advancements led to improved diets, higher living
standards, and population growth.
Slavery and Colonialism
• Slavery persisted as part of the capitalist world economy for over 300
years.
• Forced labor from Africa and the Americas complemented the emergence of
wage labor in Europe.
• Millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas in
conditions of enslavement.
Challenging Eurocentrism
• Eurocentric narratives have often depicted the rise of the West as an
internal, European achievement.
• Critics argue that external factors, including colonial encounters,
international trade, and non-Western influences on Western thought,
played a central role in shaping the modern world.
Global Centers of Power
• Independent centers of political thought and economic development
existed outside Europe.
• China's Qing Dynasty controlled vast territories in Inner Asia, with a
thriving economy and political power.
• China's market economy developed separately from Europe, guided by
Confucianism rather than Enlightenment rationalism.
Confucius (551–479 BCE)
Introduction
• Confucius was an influential politician and thinker during his
lifetime.
