HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SYSTEM
This module examines the introductory aspect of the course. Being an eye-opener to the students on learning about the formation, nature, and trend of the international political system, the course will familiarize the students with ample information on the subject matter.
3. Emergence of State Sovereignty
3.2. The Globalization of Sovereignty
While sovereignty emerged in Europe, its influence expanded globally through colonialism, revolution, and decolonization.
The Westphalian Model and Colonial Expansion
European powers exported their model of territorial sovereignty to the rest of the world through empire-building. Ironically, while proclaiming sovereign equality among themselves, they denied it to colonized peoples. The Westphalian system thus coexisted with imperial domination, creating a paradox of selective sovereignty.
The Rise of Nation-States and Decolonization
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the principle of national self-determination extended sovereignty beyond Europe. The American (1776) and French (1789) Revolutions declared the people as the source of legitimate authority, while the decolonization movements of the twentieth century invoked sovereignty as the right of nations to independence.
The United Nations Charter (1945) enshrined these principles in international law, affirming “the sovereign equality of all its members.” The Westphalian idea of sovereignty had thus become universal, forming the legal foundation of the modern international order.