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'The Westphalian model and sovereign equality'

Stirk, Peter M.R.

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Authors

Peter M.R. Stirk



Abstract

Although the Westphalian model takes many forms the association of Westphalian and sovereign equality is a prominent one. This article argues firstly that sovereign equality was not present as a normative principle at Westphalia. It argues further that while arguments for sovereign equality were present in the eighteenth century they did not rely on, or even suggest, a Westphalian provenance. It was, for good reasons, not until the late nineteenth century that the linkages of Westphalia and sovereign equality became commonplace, and even then sovereign equality and its linkage with Westphalia were disputed. It was not until after the Second World War, notably through the influential work of Leo Gross that the linkage of Westphalia and sovereign equality became not only widely accepted, but almost undisputed until quite recently. The article concludes by suggesting that not only did Gross bequeath a dubious historiography but that this historiography is an impediment to contemporary International Relations.

Citation

Stirk, P. M. (2012). 'The Westphalian model and sovereign equality'. Review of International Studies, 38(3), 641-660. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210511000192

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jul 1, 2012
Deposit Date Apr 23, 2012
Publicly Available Date Jul 20, 2012
Journal Review of International Studies
Print ISSN 0260-2105
Electronic ISSN 1469-9044
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 38
Issue 3
Pages 641-660
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210511000192

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