NATION STATE RISE IN THE WEST

The Renaissance and the Birth of the Nation-State

The Renaissance marked the beginning of the nation-state in Europe. Freedom and enlightenment characterized this time era. The bulk of people were not concerned about nationhood prior to the establishment of this system of governance. The only connections between people were with their original tongue, village, or communities. They were not considering the question of unifying all people under the concept of a country. (Murry, 2016). By that time, the majority of the population had achieved autonomy in their various villages, which made them less concerned with the cohesion of different communities under a single government. A nation-state is a place where all of its residents share a similar language, ancestry, or set of values. Before the establishment of the nation-state, feudal lords were in charge of the local governance units. They were very powerful. However, this was short lived because monarchs sought to overthrow the feudal lords with an aim of establishing powerful kingdoms. This was not easy because it called for confrontation which to some extent led to violence. The purpose of this shift was to consolidate people under one commanding authority or power. The leaders of this new order encouraged their people to be more loyal to their centralized units of governance. This gave rise to the nation-state which begun in Europe in the nineteen century. Many people began to develop nationhood consciousness moving away from the old way of governance.

The Decline of Feudalism and the Catholic Church

Apart from the decline in feudalism, the contribution of the Catholic Church in the area of political power also declined. The longtime dominance of the political power by the Catholic Church came to an end during the Renaissance. The reformation that swept through Europe during this period weakened the powers of the church. The church had to relinquish some powers and this power was channeled to a centralized system of governances. The unity that was enjoyed by the church was cut short and this gave room for the development of nation-state (Bibowen, 2014). People started disregarding the Roman culture and developed an interest in nationhood. The use of Latin begun to fade away and the majority of the people begun to use vernacular as a sign of identity. The position of the papacy was no longer a unifying factor because the power thereof had been transferred to the state. This implies that the new units of government were gaining popularity.

1648: The Treaty of Westphalia and the Birth of Independent Sovereign States

The most significant time in the birth of nation-state is in 1648. This is the year of the treaty of Westphalia that ended the war between the Catholics and the Protestants. The leaders of German were at liberty during this time to decide which religion was the most preferable for the state (Bibowen, 2014). This time was critical in the history of the nation-state because it marked the beginning of independent sovereign states in Europe. Countries like Spain, England, and France began to function without the control of the church. This was a sign of success for the nation-states.

International Relations and its Relationship with Nation States

International relations is a field of study in academia that mainly focuses on the area of international issues or affairs. It was begun shortly after the world war one. With the purpose of enlightening people concerning international matters. The people who begun wanted to avoid another war in the world. International relations works hand in hand with nation states to ensure that war among states is eliminated (Eventon, 2009). However, this is not easy because, despite the effort of International relations, the vice still remains.

The Role of Nation States in International Relations

International relations is very important for the proper function of the different state around the globe. Nation states, on the other hand, work hand in hand with international relations to improve and build state and interstate relations. States play a key role in the establishment of international relations (Murry, 2016). The events that happen within borders and across the bounders of different states is the major concern of international relations.

The Changing Focus of International Relations in the 21st Century

In view of the fact that international relation is dependent on states to achieve its goal; it is therefore evident that in the 21 century it will not succeed. The primary focus of international relations has always been the states but in the 21st century, this will not be the case. It is important to realize that each state is sovereign. This follows that all the activities within the state and outside the state are geared towards protecting the state sovereignty. No state can stripe too low or agree to compromise on its sovereignty in order to please or meet international relations standards. This will force the international relations to change their focus because they are dealing with entities who poses ultimate power. This is well understood by the proponents of realism theory (Stanford, 2017). This theory holds that states are always focused on their own interest which includes security and power. No state can give out these two in the name of international relations. All states are determined to do what they can to continue enjoying their sovereignty without interference. That is why the focus of international relations in the 21st century must change.

The Conflict between Liberalism Theory and Nation States

Liberalism theory holds that International law together with international organizations such as international relations should foster cooperation. This theory goes ahead to propose that all states must ensure that they pursue morality at both the local level and international level. This, however, cannot be practical. This is because nation-state are independent and their major goal is not morality but what is beneficial to them. This is why international relations should change focus. The reason for changing focus is that their main purpose is to ensure that tranquility and morality are upheld; but this is not the main purpose of states. Liberalisms theory cannot be applicable to many nation states all over the world. The interest and focus of the state and international relations differ greatly. States only cooperate with other states when all their interests are prioritized but in the absence of this cooperation between states is a nightmare.

Conclusion

The emergence of the nation-state in the world was a milestone as far as centralization of power is concerned. There is nothing that matters in any given nation like power. The sovereignty of any nation is always guarded above the individual citizens. The role played by the international relations is excellent in trying to ensure that there is peace and harmonious coexistence among states. This role, however, is depended on the position of the individual state. If there is cooperation from the nation states then international relations agenda of cooperation succeeds but if there is no cooperation then it is deemed to collapse. This is why the focus of international relations should change in the 21st century.

Reference

Bibowen, (2014). The rise of the nation state, Retrieved from: https://owlcation.com/humanities/nation-state.

Eventon, R. (2009). The purpose of international relations, Rose Eventon. London

Murray, R. (2016). An introduction to the English school of international relations, Retrieved from: http://www.e-ir.info/2016/01/05/an-introduction-to-the-english-school-of- international-relations/.

Stanford, (2017) Political realism in international relations, retrieved from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/realism-intl-relations/