POSC 2200

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POSC 2200 Nationalism, Nation States and
Foreign Policy

• Russell Alan Williams
• Department of Political Science

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Unit Three Nationalism, Nation States and
Foreign Policy

• Nationalism and States in the International
  System
• Required Reading
• Globalization of World Politics, Chapter 24.
• Strobe Talbott, Self-Determination in an
  Interdependent World, Foreign Policy, No. 118
  (Spring, 2000), pp. 152-163. (Available through
  e-journals, or from the instructor.)
• Outline
• Introduction
• Nationalism
• Civic
• Ethnic
• Self Determination and Sovereignty in the 20th
  Century
• For Next Time . . . .

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1) Introduction

• Unit goal Explore nationalism,
  nation-states and the challenges of self
  determination for modern politics
• Problem Concepts and their implications poorly
  understood, and yet . . . development of
  nation-states is the largest cause of modern
  warfare
• Terminology Problem Nation and State used
  interchangeably, but they are not the same thing
  . . . .
• Conceptual problem Sovereignty versus
  self-determination . . . .
• Foreign policy problem . . . .

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2) Nationalism a brief history

• Conventional account
• Modern states grew from nations which fought
  for sovereignty and self determination
• nation-states became basis of all political
  organization
• Globalization now challenges nations-states
• Question Whats wrong with this story?

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2) Nationalism a brief history

• Whats wrong with this story?
• Nationalism is a modern ideology?
• Nationalism has spread at the same time as
  globalization?
• Most states are not nation-states in this sense
  they often have multiple nations?
• This story has had dangerous implication ? War!

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• Key Concepts
• State The institutions of government and
  sovereign authority over a country or
  territory.
• Nation A group of people who recognize each
  other as having a shared identity and normally a
  defined territory, or homeland.
• Nationalism The belief that the world is
  organized into nations based on ethnic and
  cultural identities forms the basis of
  political identity.
• Generates demands for national self
  determination and statehood
• Strong sense of primordialism and founding
  myths
• Nation-state A state which claims legitimacy
  based on representing the sovereign authority of
  a particular nation from a nationalism
  perspective
• However, most nation-states do not really fit
  the definition

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• In practical terms nationalism comes in different
  forms reflects the modern invention of
  nationalism
• a) Civic Nationalism A form of nationalism in
  which identity is based on belonging to an
  existing state national identity is
  indistinguishable from citizenship.
• E.g. United States
• Canada
• France (!)

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• France Often used as an illustration of a modern
  nation-state, but . . . .
• France was not always the nation it is today.
  Until the existence of the modern French state
  and the promotion of French nationhood as a civic
  culture France was a multi-ethnic,
  multi-linguistic and multi-religious monarchy

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• In practical terms nationalism comes in different
  forms reflects the modern invention of
  nationalism
• b) Ethnic Nationalism A form of nationalism in
  which people articulate a national identity
  separate from, or prior to, their citizenship in
  a particular state often the key aspect of
  ethnic nationalism is the demand for statehood.
• E.g. Eastern Europe and the Balkans

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• Eastern Europe, before and after WWI
• New states were created in accordance with
  ethnic nationalism and self determination

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• Meanwhile . . . in the middle east
• New states were not created in accordance with
  ethnic nationalism and self determination

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• Meanwhile . . . in the middle east
• Uh oh . . . What about the Kurds?
• An ethnic nation, but no state?
• Continuing nationalism and demand for self
  determination conflict with sovereign states
  created after WWI which claim the territory of
  Kurdistan
• E.g. Iraq and Turkeys sovereignty is in direct
  contradiction with the Kurds self determination

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• Meanwhile . . . in Africa
• Uh oh . . . What about Sudan?
• Again "sovereignty is in direct contradiction
  with self determination and Sudan has an
  interest in the status quo . . . .

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• Key point
• Ethnic nationalism is often seen as the basis
  of self determination, but there are more
  ethnic nations than states . . . .
• Source of longstanding, and irreconcilable civil
  wars
• E.g. UN system protects the rights of existing
  sovereign states, not those seeking self
  determination

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3) Self Determination Sovereignty in the 20th
Century

• System of statehood created after World War I has
  created many of the problems that dominate
  international headlines
• 1) Failed states
• 2) Humanitarian crises
• 3) Non-state actors terrorism, crime, cross
  border violence facilitated by ungovernable
  regions

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• 1) Failed states A state where the government
  has ceased to effectively govern its territory
  it can no longer provide services or basic order
  normally as a result of persistent internal
  conflict.
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Afghanistan
• Rwanda
• Yugoslavia

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• Yugoslavia

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• Yugoslavia
• Ethnic nationalists claimed same territory as
  part of their state
• System of self determination sovereignty
• Creates incentives for
• Ethnic cleansing
• Genocide
• Creates unclear rules for international
  institutions and foreign policy pressure is to
  respect the sovereign status of the existing state

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• Yugoslavia
• Argument part of the problem with state failure
  is that international initiations and foreign
  powers insist on keeping unworkable states
  together . . . .
• However Kosovo War 1998-1999
• Erosion of Westphalian sovereignty?

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3) Self Determination Sovereignty in the 20th
Century

• 2) Humanitarian crises Many failed or weak
  states suffer humanitarian problems.
• E.g. Somalia (UNOSOM II 1993-1995) - UN mission
  was not accepted by local authorities did not
  go well . . . .
• Emerging principle of humanitarian
  intervention Sovereignty of a state incapable
  of dealing with a humanitarian crisis need not be
  respected.

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3) Self Determination Sovereignty in the 20th
Century

• 3) Non-state actors in contested border regions .
  . . .
• Ethnic nationalist secessionist movements often
  create ungovernable regions, generating cross
  border crime, trafficking, terrorism . . .
• E.g. Pushstun Region
• Kashmir
• Chechnya

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Strobe Talbott and the Challenges of Self
Determination

• Former U.S. Deputy
• Secretary of State
• Argument Solution to ethnic nationalism and
  secessionism is not to create new states it is
  too difficult reflects official policy of all
  major states and the U.N.
• Solution More democracy and globalization(!)
• Removes reasons for ethnic nationalism . . . .
• Increases ability of states to accommodate
  national minorities

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5) For Next Time . . .

• Unit Three Nationalism, Nation States and
  Foreign Policy
• States as Actors Foreign Policy
• Required Reading
• Robert Jervis, Hypotheses on Misperception,
  World Politics, 20 (3), (April 1968), Pp.
  454-479. (Available through e-journals, or as an
  excerpt from the instructor.)