The Birth of the Modern Nation-State and Sovereignty
Fundamentally, The Treaty of Westphalia established in 1648 AD, which was believed to have ended the thirty-year war in Europe, carved out a critical milestone moment in International Relations, as it eventually formed the principles of sovereignty of a state and non-interference in internal affairs. The quintessential characteristics of this concept, later shaped the modern nation-state system.
A Landmark in European Diplomacy and Religious Pluralism
It has been reiterated that the Treaty of Westphalia, in reality two treaties, of Osnabrück und Münster, was a landmark in European history. It was considered to be the first peace in which every continental power participated. It set boundaries and political alignments which were accepted as fundamental for the next century and a half. During that era, the treaties of the Pyrenees, of Utrecht, of Paris in 1763, were regarded as modifications of the broad lines drawn at the Peace of Westphalia. The religious issues having its origins in the war during 1618, carried over from the errors of the Peace of Augsburg which was itself an attempt to introduce some political order out of the cataclysm of reformation. Despite efforts, it was partially settled. But they were not disregarded, and a ‘modus vivendi’ was worked out, acceptable to the vast majority of the population in an age which had become more secular than a century before. Men were commencing to live with differences in religious expression, of itself a great step toward a free and vital society.
Territorial Shifts and the Realignment of European Power
The Peace of Westphalia stopped the German civil war. By this the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire became a shadow with no power. France took a big slice, Alsace; to keep it for over two hundred years, and then to be forced to give it back to a new Germany; and again, to take it back after the Great War of 1914-1918.
France, therefore, profited by this peace. But another power arose in Germany which gradually became a thorn in the side of France. This was Prussia ruled by the House of Hohenzollern. The Peace of Westphalia recognized the republics of Switzerland and Holland.
Rescuing a Ruined Germany from the Thirty Years’ War
The Treaty of Westphalia was indeed an apt reply or response to the terrible civil war between 1618 and 1648. It was between Catholic and Protestant, and the little princes and electors of Germany fought each other and the Emperor; and the Catholic King of France had a look in on the side of the Protestants just to add to the confusion; and ultimately the King of Sweden, Gustavus Adophus – the “Lion of the North” he was called. He came down and defeated the Emperor, and thereby saved the Protestants. But Germany was a ruined country. The mercenary soldiers were like brigands. They went about looting and plundering.
Even generals of armies, having no money to pay their soldiers or even to feed them, took to looting. This massacre lasted for thirty years. There could be little or no trade. There could be hardly any cultivation.
As a result, there was less and less food, and more and more starvation. And this of course resulted in more brigands and more looting and destruction. It is said that the war came to an end when there was nothing left to plunder. Moreover, Germany took a very long time to recover and pull herself together again. In fact, the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, can be viewed as an attempt to rescue Germany as it wanted to put an end to the German civil war.
Stability, Industrial Advancement, and the Hierarchical Legacy
History states that after centuries of feudal wars between empires, an era of relative and enduring peace was established in Europe through the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The treaty created political stability and diminished regional insecurity, thereby encouraging or permitting European nations to focus on industrial and economic advancements.
The legacy of treaty made it a crucial moment as it laid the foundation for modern international relations. Its principles, values and notions continue to have numerous far-reaching implications. Many of the modern geopolitical and power struggles continued to be shaped by the consequences of selective application of its principles of territorial sovereignty, mutual recognition and non-interference that categorized states into a hierarchal order of superior colonizers, subordinate states and colonies; and created lasting inequalities.
Globalization of the Westphalian Model and Indigenous Displacement
As I conclude, I would like to mention that the Treaty of Westphalia established the modern system of sovereign states in Europe- a system that western scholars argue originated in the West and later spread globally during the scientific and industrial relations. As the model globalized, it supplanted numerous indigenous political, cultural and economic institutions. In the centuries that followed, it became the basis of global political order.
Defining Civilizational Dichotomies and Colonial Domination
The treaty also played an important role in shaping global hierarchies. It recognized the European states as sovereign entities and created a dichotomy between “civilized” sovereign states. It was meant for those adhering to the European model “uncivilized” societies that operated under different political, cultural and social systems. The non-European societies were excluded from the international order, and their territories were subjected to colonial domination by European powers.
From Transatlantic Hegemony to a Challenged Global Order
The treaty was viewed as the beginning of a period dominated by transatlantic powers- initially European colonizers, and later, the United States’ rise to supremacy and global hegemony. Numerous modern international institutions of the Liberal International Order (LIO), such as the United Nations and European Union, that have helped highlighting West global dominance. It reflected the principles and framework that was arranged in the Treaty of Westphalia. For centuries, the Western dominated order and political landscape created by the treaty continued. But, nowadays it is being increasingly challenged by emerging global powers in the East, and scholars of International Relations.
