History of international relations
IMPORTANT INFORMATION OF THE COURSE
Information on the exam
- You are allowed to bring a dictionary that translates the words directly.
- The exam may be completed in English or Dutch, but it must be entirely in the chosen
language.
Sample exam questions
1. First type of question
→ 5 questions
→ You have 3 to 4 lines, so focus on the essentials
§ When
→ Place in the century, no exact date
§ Significance
§ Who/what
Example question: Shortly situate the following events, concepts and people in their historical
context and shortly explain their historical significance.
→ Zheng He
→ Benin bronze
2. Second type of question
→ You get 4 questions, but you only need to answer 3.
Example question: Choose three from the four questions in section B. Do not answer all the four
questions. If you answer all the four questions, I will only grade questions 1-2/3.
→ Why was the Warring States period such a culturally dynamic period in Chinese history?
3. Third type of question: essay question
→ For the essay question, you need to draw evidence from various lectures. Weigh the
evidence for and against, use analytical language, present the evidence, then weigh it, and
conclude.
→ 2 pages long.
→ Analytical (ppt) → argue (book) → reflect (articles)
Example question: What has been the role of religion in international relations? And how has that
role developed?
Handy tip
At the end of the textbook, there are questions, some of which he includes on the exam.
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, LECTURE 1: Introduction
1. History of international relations: why?
WHY IS IT USEFUL FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO STUDY HISTORY?
1. Historical legacies
→ Historical legacies refer to the lasting influence of past events, systems, or structures on a
society, even after those events or systems have officially ended. These legacies shape
behaviors, norms, institutions, etc. Often continuing to affect a society for many years.
→ Example: Poland, having experienced decades under communist rule, continues to feel
the effects of that period even after transitioning to a democratic system.
2. The politics of historical memories
→ You can’t know the other, but you can try to get to know the other by learning their
history. So, you can understand their political and diplomatic behavior. You don’t have to
accept them; you must know what they are motivated by to understand their behavior.
→ Example: Kiev and Russian foreign policy claims
3. The contingency of moral ideas and social arrangements
→ When you study the past and organizations, you get confronted with different social
arrangements and moral ideas.
→ Examples: Gender equality, natural slavery and sovereignty
4. (Lessons from history)
→ Some may say that history repeats itself, but other will say that we must be careful
because we don’t know if it is the same situation.
Political memories
- All memories are selective
→ You may forget things on purpose, because you don’t want to remember them. It’s a
choice.
- Governments and activists will tell their own story
2. History of international relations: what?
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AS A SCHOLARLY DISCIPLINE IS ‘PRESENTIST’
Presentist means that researchers and academics often use current circumstances or perspectives to
analyze historical events, without sufficiently considering the specific context of that time.
Presentists believe that international relations began with events like the First World War. However,
this perspective is not right, as international relations existed long before that conflict. International
relations are not limited to wartime; they also encompass diplomatic, economic, and cultural
interactions that have occurred throughout history.
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,INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AS A SCHOLARLY DISCIPLINE IS ‘EUROCENTRIC’
Eurocentric means that the theories and analyses often stem from a European perspective, using
the history, politics, and economy of Europe as the norm or standard to understand other regions
and their development.
We must be mindful that there are both European and non-European experiences. It’s important to
recognize that there are two types of experiences, and not just the European perspective should be
considered.
IS IT A PROBLEM THAT INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AS A DISCIPLINE BETRAYS A
‘PRESENTIST’ AND A ‘EUROCENTRIC BIAS’?
1. Non-European powers are re-asserting themselves
→ Historical legacies
→ Historical memory
2. What is the logic of the international system?
→ Contingency of present arrangements: Basic unit (sate), social practices (borders, flags),
rules and norms (equality) and implications (violence)
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, LECTURE 2: China and east Asia
It was possible for Japan to isolate itself from China, it was possible for geographic reasons.
1. Introduction: what is China?
WHAT IS CHINA AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IDENTIFY A ‘CHINESE’ INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM?
- What China is not: a nation-state
§ Imperial dynasties with pretence of being the ‘middle kingdom’ (zhongguo)
→ There were a number of imperial dynasties, they all claimed to be the ‘middle
kingdom’. They didn’t refer to themselves as Chinese, they all had names and called
themselves the ‘middle kingdom’.
§ A civilizational zone sharing in a set of ritual practices
→ Within that geography space with different dynasties they all shared a set of ritual
practices, also there was a shared political vocabulary and how a political system
should be ruled. It remains a Mandat only. A dynasty could fall, and it would allow
the citizens to work for another dynasty. Confucianism was used by many imperial
dynasties as the official ideology, but not all dynasties were originally of Chinese
origin (such as the Manchu dynasty). These dynasties adopted Confucian practices to
strengthen their legitimacy.
- What is does not mean to identify a Chinese international system: encompassing,
unchanging, unquestionably Confucian
§ Overland system
→ Organized relations between China and Mongol tribes or the West and North. It
adopted little from Confucianism.
§ Tribute system
→ Organized relations between China and South and East. It adopted much from
Confucianism.
China was not dominant, there would be times China did dominate, but on the other hand China
was also dominated by other. Confucianism did influence some rules and cultures, but not
constantly.
2. The ‘warring states period’
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