Shreya Ranjan
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
It is very recent, youngest discipline to come into existence. For quite a long time INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS or international Politics has been a sub discipline of history or political science. It became an independent entity only after the First World War.
Quincy Wright (1940’s and 50’s) said INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS is not only a discipline, but also a condition; as a discipline INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS looks into the formal relations of various govt. of the states. It’s a condition because INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS should actually tell the truth about the relations that the countries conduct and about relations apart from diplomacy.
Morgenthau and Hartman looked at INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS as “settling down your national interest” as for them national interest is supreme and going to any extent for national interest is justified. Morgenthau said “when we talk about INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, national interest and the likes, it depends upon the time and place.” Therefore there is no international definition of national interest.
Parner & Perkins (1930’s and 40’s) say “although INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS has emerged from its earlier status as a poor relation of political science and history, it is still far from being a well organised discipline.”
Alfred Zimmern (before Second World War) said “INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS is not a single subject but a bundle of subjects.”
NATURE AND SCOPE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PRIOR TO THE 20TH CENTURY: Earlier INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS was Eurocentric, now it is Global Politics. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS between two nations was formalised by signing a treaty or agreement. Modern era of INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS started with the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which comprised of two treaties – Treaty of Osnabruck (15th May, 1648) and Treaty of Munster (24th October, 1648). Some basic