Sogang University

GISE002, Introduction to International Relations

Reading Summary
Li Nianwei(I38028)
A Summary of "The Evolution OF International System And Society"
by Li Nianwei

The article "The Evolution of International Society" by David Armstrong. The

author elaborate the Pre-Westphalian international society: Islam, medieval feudalism,
and Roman law, etc and their characteristics, quality and contradictions existed in
social phenomenon. Then author probes into the state system of international society:
non-intervention and sovereign equality, if these states are really equal or just in the
form of treaty? Diplomacy, the balance of power and international law are also treated
as the important modern national major factors and separately described from the
historic views. In he end author discussed the concert of Europe as an exercise in joint
hegemony, the League of Nations and the case of collective security.
The article International History 1900-1990 by Len Scott. Firstly, the author
analyzed the rise of total war: what does this war mean, and why does it refer to
WWI/ WWII, but not to most other wars. Then he turns into the end of empire and
(direct) colonialism about contrasting the British and French experiences with
decolonization. Finally the Cold War and the case of nuclear proliferation as the topic
are discussed from the two factors: Containment, dtente and rapprochement and the
'second cold war', glasnost, and perestroika.
The article From the Cold War to the World Economic Crisis by Michael Cox. The
author considers the globalization is from a bipolar world to a multipolar world. From
various aspects, the author utilizes the historic events to prove the international
process. For example, the USA after 1989: From superpower to hyper-power, Europe
and the EUs appearance, Russia since 1989-from Yeltsin to Putin and Medvedev, The
war on terror: 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan and the world economic crisis. From these
events,

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