Inhoud
1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 History of International Relations: Why?....................................................................3
1.2 History of International Relations: What?...................................................................3
1.3 History of International Relations: How?....................................................................4
2 CHINA AND EAST ASIA..................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Introduction: what is China?......................................................................................6
2.2 The ‘warring states period’........................................................................................6
2.3 The development of the Chinese state......................................................................7
2.4 The overland system................................................................................................. 9
2.5 The tribute system..................................................................................................... 9
2.6 A Japanese international system..............................................................................10
3 INDIA AND INDIANIZATION............................................................................................. 11
3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 11
3.2 Vedic India............................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Classical India.......................................................................................................... 13
3.4 Indianization............................................................................................................ 14
3.5 The Mughal Empire.................................................................................................. 15
3.6 India as an international system..............................................................................15
4 THE MUSLIM CALIPHATES............................................................................................... 17
4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 17
4.2 The Arab expansion................................................................................................. 17
4.3 The Umayyads and the Abbasids.............................................................................18
4.4 The Arabs in Spain................................................................................................... 19
4.5 An international system of caliphates......................................................................20
4.6 The Ottoman Empire................................................................................................ 20
5 THE MONGOL KHANATES............................................................................................... 22
5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 22
5.2 From Temüjin to Gengis Khan..................................................................................23
5.3 A nomadic state....................................................................................................... 23
5.4 How to conquer the world........................................................................................24
5.5 Diving it all up.......................................................................................................... 26
5.6 An international system of khanates.......................................................................26
6 AFRICA........................................................................................................................... 28
6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 28
6.2 The Nile River Valley................................................................................................ 29
6.3 (North Africa)........................................................................................................... 30
6.4 The kingdoms of West Africa...................................................................................30
6.5 East Africa and the Indian Ocean.............................................................................32
1
, 6.6 An African international system?.............................................................................32
7 EUROPEAN EXPANSION.................................................................................................. 34
7.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 34
7.2 A sea route to India.................................................................................................. 35
7.3 Europeans in the ‘New World’..................................................................................36
7.4 A commercial world economy..................................................................................38
7.5 An industrial world economy....................................................................................39
7.6 The apotheosis of colonialism..................................................................................41
7.7 (decolonization)....................................................................................................... 42
8 BELGIAN COLONIALISM.................................................................................................. 43
8.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 43
8.2 The Congo Free State (1884-1908)..........................................................................44
8.3 Belgian Congo (1908-1960).....................................................................................46
8.4 Ruanda-Urundi (1916-1962)....................................................................................47
8.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 48
9 GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IN THE 19TH CENTURY................................................................49
9.1 Prehistory: the system of sovereign states..............................................................49
9.2 19th century: the Congress of Vienna (1815) and the Concert of Powers.................51
9.3 19th century: the disintegration of the Conert system..............................................53
10 THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS AND ITS FAILURE.................................................................54
10.1 introduction........................................................................................................... 54
10.2 The league of Nations: origin.................................................................................56
10.3 The League of Nations: organization form.............................................................58
10.4 The ‘failure’ of the League of Nations....................................................................59
11 UNITED NATIONS AND DECOLONIZATION....................................................................61
11.1 Introduction: the Second World War......................................................................61
11.2 The establishment of the United Nations...............................................................64
11.3 Human rights in the UN charter.............................................................................67
11.4 Decolonization and the Bandung Conference........................................................68
12 ARMENIA – EU RELATIONS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS by HE ambassador of Armenia, Dr.
Tigran Balayan.................................................................................................................. 71
13 SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS........................................................................................... 72
13.1 People, events and concepts.................................................................................72
13.2 Some short questions............................................................................................ 72
2
,1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 History of International Relations: Why?
Why is it useful for social scientists to study history?
- Historical legacies:
e.g., ‘post-communist societies’: Poland: the experience of communism had
such an effects, that it still has an impact on their current situation
the post-colonial relationship between BE en Congo, the legacy of this still
lingers, even though the colonial relationship doesn’t exist anymore
it shouldn’t be the sole explanation for everything that happens!
Danger of essentialisation: attribute an essence f.e. it was deeply rooted
in Russia that they wanted to expand their land, but it was actually still flux
and it had to be put into context
- The politics of historical memories:
e.g., Kiev and Russian foreign policy claims you have to know where the others
are motivated by
Memorie wars: when we think about the conflict we have to remember the history
of it properly
Political memories:
Propagated by ‘memory activists’: political memories are made relevant, all
kinds of political groups will come up with their own interpretation of
political memories
Based on ‘selection and exclusion’: political memories are always selective,
includes an element of forgetting
Depends on the ‘efficiency of political pedagogy’
Show a high degree of ‘homogeneity’
Relies on symbols and rites that ‘enhance emotions of empathy and
identification’
- The contingency (= things could be different) of moral ideas and social
arrangements e.g., ‘gender equality’ or ‘natural slavery’ or ‘sovereignty’:
When you study history you are confronted with different ways of thinking,
organisation
Opposite of contingency: god-given of naturally-given
- Lessons from history: BUT be critical, and try to find multiple situations to base
things on. History teaches us how to respond to situations.
1.2 History of International Relations: What?
IR as a scholarly discipline is ‘presentist’:
IR as a scholarly discipline is ‘eurocentric’: if you only study international relations on the
European continent, you will make hasty conclusions, we also need to focus on non-
European experiences
Is it a problem that IR as a discipline betrays a ‘presentist’ and a ‘eurocentric bias’?
- Non-Western powers are re-asserting themselves, we need to know them and their
history
3
, historical legacies that are rooted in the past
historical memory: historical memories that are activated
- What is the logic of the international system? contingency of present
arrangements
- What is an ‘international system’? What is ‘the logic’ of the international system?
Basic unit: state, sovereign state
Social practices: borders, flags, anthems
Rules & norms: sovereign equality
Implications: anarchy (states are in permanently insecure and war is a
constant threat), security dilemma, violence
But this is an inadequate portrayal that generalizes too readily from European
experience.
Five sessions about non-European international societies, which functioned rather
differently from the ideal-typical portrayal of European international experience
- Differences within ‘non-European experience’ too
- Relatively little consideration for ‘stateless societies’
Two sessions about how Europe came to rule the world
Three sessions about the evolution of ‘European-Global international society’ since the
nineteenth century
1.3 History of International Relations: How?
- Weekly sessions, maximum of 3 hours each; recorded but only briefly available
- Course syllabus (on blackboard) specifies the topic and the study material for each
session
Study material:
- Textbook: Erik Ringmar. 2019. History of International Relations: A Non-European
Perspective. Cambridge: OpenBookPublishers.
https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/228
http://ringmar.net/irhistorynew/
- Additional readings: listed in course syllabus arguments and historical
illustrations are important, you don’t have to know all its details
- Your lecture notes
- Recordings will be available for one week only
Your grade will be based on how well you perform on a written exam (closed book):
Answers can be in EN of (completely in) NE, but be consistent!
Always mention what, when and why it was important
You can bring and use a (translation) dictionary with you to the exam
- Persons, concepts and events (5/20)
Situate in historical time and indicate the historical significance
What, when, why important?
- A set of more substantive questions (9/20): only 3 of the 4 questions has to be
answered (each 3 points)
e.g., “What is the role of memory activists in fostering historical memories?
Illustrate with an example.”
4
1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 History of International Relations: Why?....................................................................3
1.2 History of International Relations: What?...................................................................3
1.3 History of International Relations: How?....................................................................4
2 CHINA AND EAST ASIA..................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Introduction: what is China?......................................................................................6
2.2 The ‘warring states period’........................................................................................6
2.3 The development of the Chinese state......................................................................7
2.4 The overland system................................................................................................. 9
2.5 The tribute system..................................................................................................... 9
2.6 A Japanese international system..............................................................................10
3 INDIA AND INDIANIZATION............................................................................................. 11
3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 11
3.2 Vedic India............................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Classical India.......................................................................................................... 13
3.4 Indianization............................................................................................................ 14
3.5 The Mughal Empire.................................................................................................. 15
3.6 India as an international system..............................................................................15
4 THE MUSLIM CALIPHATES............................................................................................... 17
4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 17
4.2 The Arab expansion................................................................................................. 17
4.3 The Umayyads and the Abbasids.............................................................................18
4.4 The Arabs in Spain................................................................................................... 19
4.5 An international system of caliphates......................................................................20
4.6 The Ottoman Empire................................................................................................ 20
5 THE MONGOL KHANATES............................................................................................... 22
5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 22
5.2 From Temüjin to Gengis Khan..................................................................................23
5.3 A nomadic state....................................................................................................... 23
5.4 How to conquer the world........................................................................................24
5.5 Diving it all up.......................................................................................................... 26
5.6 An international system of khanates.......................................................................26
6 AFRICA........................................................................................................................... 28
6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 28
6.2 The Nile River Valley................................................................................................ 29
6.3 (North Africa)........................................................................................................... 30
6.4 The kingdoms of West Africa...................................................................................30
6.5 East Africa and the Indian Ocean.............................................................................32
1
, 6.6 An African international system?.............................................................................32
7 EUROPEAN EXPANSION.................................................................................................. 34
7.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 34
7.2 A sea route to India.................................................................................................. 35
7.3 Europeans in the ‘New World’..................................................................................36
7.4 A commercial world economy..................................................................................38
7.5 An industrial world economy....................................................................................39
7.6 The apotheosis of colonialism..................................................................................41
7.7 (decolonization)....................................................................................................... 42
8 BELGIAN COLONIALISM.................................................................................................. 43
8.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 43
8.2 The Congo Free State (1884-1908)..........................................................................44
8.3 Belgian Congo (1908-1960).....................................................................................46
8.4 Ruanda-Urundi (1916-1962)....................................................................................47
8.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 48
9 GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IN THE 19TH CENTURY................................................................49
9.1 Prehistory: the system of sovereign states..............................................................49
9.2 19th century: the Congress of Vienna (1815) and the Concert of Powers.................51
9.3 19th century: the disintegration of the Conert system..............................................53
10 THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS AND ITS FAILURE.................................................................54
10.1 introduction........................................................................................................... 54
10.2 The league of Nations: origin.................................................................................56
10.3 The League of Nations: organization form.............................................................58
10.4 The ‘failure’ of the League of Nations....................................................................59
11 UNITED NATIONS AND DECOLONIZATION....................................................................61
11.1 Introduction: the Second World War......................................................................61
11.2 The establishment of the United Nations...............................................................64
11.3 Human rights in the UN charter.............................................................................67
11.4 Decolonization and the Bandung Conference........................................................68
12 ARMENIA – EU RELATIONS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS by HE ambassador of Armenia, Dr.
Tigran Balayan.................................................................................................................. 71
13 SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS........................................................................................... 72
13.1 People, events and concepts.................................................................................72
13.2 Some short questions............................................................................................ 72
2
,1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 History of International Relations: Why?
Why is it useful for social scientists to study history?
- Historical legacies:
e.g., ‘post-communist societies’: Poland: the experience of communism had
such an effects, that it still has an impact on their current situation
the post-colonial relationship between BE en Congo, the legacy of this still
lingers, even though the colonial relationship doesn’t exist anymore
it shouldn’t be the sole explanation for everything that happens!
Danger of essentialisation: attribute an essence f.e. it was deeply rooted
in Russia that they wanted to expand their land, but it was actually still flux
and it had to be put into context
- The politics of historical memories:
e.g., Kiev and Russian foreign policy claims you have to know where the others
are motivated by
Memorie wars: when we think about the conflict we have to remember the history
of it properly
Political memories:
Propagated by ‘memory activists’: political memories are made relevant, all
kinds of political groups will come up with their own interpretation of
political memories
Based on ‘selection and exclusion’: political memories are always selective,
includes an element of forgetting
Depends on the ‘efficiency of political pedagogy’
Show a high degree of ‘homogeneity’
Relies on symbols and rites that ‘enhance emotions of empathy and
identification’
- The contingency (= things could be different) of moral ideas and social
arrangements e.g., ‘gender equality’ or ‘natural slavery’ or ‘sovereignty’:
When you study history you are confronted with different ways of thinking,
organisation
Opposite of contingency: god-given of naturally-given
- Lessons from history: BUT be critical, and try to find multiple situations to base
things on. History teaches us how to respond to situations.
1.2 History of International Relations: What?
IR as a scholarly discipline is ‘presentist’:
IR as a scholarly discipline is ‘eurocentric’: if you only study international relations on the
European continent, you will make hasty conclusions, we also need to focus on non-
European experiences
Is it a problem that IR as a discipline betrays a ‘presentist’ and a ‘eurocentric bias’?
- Non-Western powers are re-asserting themselves, we need to know them and their
history
3
, historical legacies that are rooted in the past
historical memory: historical memories that are activated
- What is the logic of the international system? contingency of present
arrangements
- What is an ‘international system’? What is ‘the logic’ of the international system?
Basic unit: state, sovereign state
Social practices: borders, flags, anthems
Rules & norms: sovereign equality
Implications: anarchy (states are in permanently insecure and war is a
constant threat), security dilemma, violence
But this is an inadequate portrayal that generalizes too readily from European
experience.
Five sessions about non-European international societies, which functioned rather
differently from the ideal-typical portrayal of European international experience
- Differences within ‘non-European experience’ too
- Relatively little consideration for ‘stateless societies’
Two sessions about how Europe came to rule the world
Three sessions about the evolution of ‘European-Global international society’ since the
nineteenth century
1.3 History of International Relations: How?
- Weekly sessions, maximum of 3 hours each; recorded but only briefly available
- Course syllabus (on blackboard) specifies the topic and the study material for each
session
Study material:
- Textbook: Erik Ringmar. 2019. History of International Relations: A Non-European
Perspective. Cambridge: OpenBookPublishers.
https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/228
http://ringmar.net/irhistorynew/
- Additional readings: listed in course syllabus arguments and historical
illustrations are important, you don’t have to know all its details
- Your lecture notes
- Recordings will be available for one week only
Your grade will be based on how well you perform on a written exam (closed book):
Answers can be in EN of (completely in) NE, but be consistent!
Always mention what, when and why it was important
You can bring and use a (translation) dictionary with you to the exam
- Persons, concepts and events (5/20)
Situate in historical time and indicate the historical significance
What, when, why important?
- A set of more substantive questions (9/20): only 3 of the 4 questions has to be
answered (each 3 points)
e.g., “What is the role of memory activists in fostering historical memories?
Illustrate with an example.”
4
