I.

MODULE 3 – A History of Global Politics: Creating An International Order

III. Pre-assessment:

1. Research/read about the life and achievements of Giuseppe Mazzini, Woodrow

Wilson, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

Giuseppe Mazzini was an Italian activist and a leader devoted his life to achieving liberty and
unity for Italy. He placed the skill of his pen at the service of a vigorous republicanism. At a
young age, Mazzini had developed an interest in politics and literature. Educationally, he had
excellent learning ability which explains his early entry at the University at the age of 14. Fast
forward, between the fall of the Roman Empire and the middle 1800s, Italy had never been a
unified country.  It had been made up of various city-states and small countries. In the early
1800s, Italians started to become more nationalistic.  Mazzini, who was born in 1805, was part of
this movement.  He was one of its main intellectual leaders, calling for both Italian unity and for
a republican form of government rather than a monarchy. Mazzini initiated the Young Italy
organization, which was aimed at promoting Italian unification. It attracted Italian political exiles
from across the continents. Unlike other revolutionaries and activist, Mazzini did not aim for
Italian national unity alone. He even aimed for Italian unity, republicanism, democracy, and the
liberation of all oppressed peoples. In 1848, forces from this movement were able to eject the
pope from Rome (which was then the capital of the Papal States) and set up a republic with
Mazzini as its leader. Mazzini was a legendary hero of his country during his earlier years,
though this republic did not last long, but it was a major stepping-stone on the road to Italian
unification. Thus, his most important accomplishment was helping Italy become a united
country.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. Led America through World War
I and crafted the Versailles Treaty's "Fourteen Points,” He is famous for bringing about a
reformation in America through his antitrust laws, establishing the Federal Reserve System and
winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the international organization League of
Nations. Wilson was rigorously trained by his father in oratory and debate, which became a
particular passion for the boy. He spent two years as governor of New Jersey before being
elected in 1912 to the presidency of the United States. Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal
Trade Commission Act in September 1914 which established the Federal Trade Commission, a
five-member board, to regulate questionable business practices. Woodrow Wilson signed
the Federal Trade Commission Act in September 1914 which established the Federal Trade
Commission, a five-member board, to regulate questionable business practices. Thus through
Wilson’s legacy are the creation world peace, women’s rights and labor reform is exemplary,
His legacy includes sweeping reforms for the middle class, voting rights for women and precepts
for world peace and the creation of league of nations.
Vladimir Lenin founded the Russian Communist Party, led the Bolshevik Revolution and was
the architect of the Soviet state. School was a central part of Lenin’s childhood. His parents, both
educated and highly cultured, invoked a passion for learning in their children, especially
Vladimir. In time, Lenin focused more of his energy on revolutionary politics. He argued that a
real and complete revolution, one that could lead to the Socialist Revolution that could spread
outside of Russia, must be led by the workers, the country’s proletariat. Lenin’s ideas really
paved the way for a one-man dictatorship over the people he claimed he wanted to
empower. Determined to win at any cost, Lenin showed himself to be ruthless in his push to
secure power. He launched what came to be known as the Red Terror, a vicious campaign Lenin
used to eliminate the opposition within the civilian population. He was the posthumous source of
"Leninism," the doctrine codified and conjoined with Marx's works by Lenin’s successors to
form Marxism-Leninism, which became the Communist worldview. He has been regarded as the
greatest revolutionary leader and thinker since Marx. Some of his other significant works that
promoted ‘Marxism-Leninism’ are ‘Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism,’ ‘The State
and Revolution,’ ‘April Theses,’ and ‘Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder.’.
Additionally, one of Lenin’s greatest works was the ‘New Economic Policy,’ which was
established to revive the Russian economy by means of foreign trade, nationalization, and
agriculture produce requisition.

2. What is nationalism according to Karl Marx and Giuseppe Mazzini?

Karl Marx was deeply opposed to nationalism and urged workers to identify only as
workers and reject nationalism, which meant siding with their own rulers against their working-
class brethren in other lands. He believed that any true form of internationalism should
deliberately reject nationalism, which rooted people in domestic concerns instead of global ones.
Marx and Engels claim that the creation of the modern nation state is the result of the
replacement of feudalism with the capitalist mode of production.

Given his commitment to nationalism, Mazzini was strongly opposed to Marxism due to
its doctrinaire stance on class struggle and social solidarity. He believed in a Republican
government. As with many other nationalist figures, he viewed the inherent individualism of
liberal notion as contrary to the goal of creating a coherent national identity. According to
Mazzini, every thought must be followed by action. He believes that free, unified nation-sates
should be the basis of global cooperation. His worldview was shaped by a concept known as
thought and action, in which both terms were joined together to create an independent Republic
of Italy.

3. Who advocated the creation of the League of Nations?

- President Woodrow Wilson became the most vocal and notable advocate for the
creation of the League of Nations. Wilson’s vision for the post-war world was hugely influential
in the founding of the League of Nations The League of Nations was established at the end of
World War I as an international peacekeeping organization Wilson believed that affairs between
nations should be conducted in the open, on the basis of sovereignty, self-determination (the idea
that all nations have the right to choose their own political identity without external interference),
and the disapproval of military force to settle disputes.

4. Who was the Russian revolutionary who founded the Comintern to spread socialist revolutions
across the world?
- Vladimir Lenin was the founder of the organization known as Comintern (Communist
International). He had called on revolutionaries to form Communist parties that would
emulate the example of the Bolshevik Revolution in all countries.

VII. Summary/Generalization

Note: Generate your own generalization at least:

1. Sovereignty is an important part of a nation state's government. It both grants and

limits power inside its territory. It gives the states a complete control over
their own territory, at the same time restricting other states to intervene and pass on
their rules to other states. . Without it, the rights and liberties of its citizens are not
fully protected by national or international standards.

2. International organization/groups play a crucial role in the international system. They

are the central part of international relations and important aspect in peace keeping,
international politics and dispute resolution. They help to facilitate the coordination
and cooperation among its nation member. A prominent example of this is the WHO,
GATT and United Nations and such.

VIII. Post – learning Assessment

a. True or false: Write the word True of the statement is correct and write False if the
statement is incorrect.

True 1. The league was the concretization of the concepts of liberal internationalization.
True 2. One of Mazzini’s biggest critics was German socialist philosopher Karl Marx.
True 3. The Comintern served as the central body for directing communist parties all over the
world.
True 4. Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin dissolved the Comintern in 1943.
True 5. Internationalization does not equal globalization.
True 6. Not all states are nations and not all nations are states.
True 7. The nation according to Benedict Anderson, is an “imagined community.”
True 8. Nations often limit themselves to people who have imbibed a particular culture.
True 9. Sovereignty is one of the fundamental principles of modern state politics.
True 10. The desire for greater cooperation and unity among states and people is called
 Internationalism.

b. Answer the following questions:

1. What remnants of the Westphalian system can still be felt at this day and age? In what
sense has the world gone beyond the Westphalian system?

The remnants of Westphalian system were still dominant up to this day and this is the
concept of sovereignty. Sovereignty was generally effective in maintaining peace amongst nation
states. Despite the challenges it faced and when Napoleon Bonaparte challenged this system,
Westphalian system still remains, and holds a significant influence in the world. Until now,
states are considered sovereign. Thus, the creation of the United Nations that helps achieve
international co-operation in solving international problems.

In the recent century, there has been a profound shift in the development of
communication between nation states, enabling a systemic and globalized outlook on
international affairs. This Westphalian system divided the world into separate, sovereign entities.
There have been attempts to transcend it that results in heightened interaction between various
sovereign states, particularly the desire for greater cooperation and unity among the states and
people.

2. What are the differences between liberal and socialist internationalism? What are their
strength and weaknesses?

Liberal internationalism defined progress as movement toward increasing levels of

harmonious cooperation between political communities. They believe in the power of
cooperation and interdependence. Where in the states should cooperate through diplomacy and
focus, where all countries work together on an issue that affects them to reach a solution. It
enshrines the norms of sovereignty and self-determination. Its strengths are that, nations can
pursue a strong sense of global citizenship, resulting in peace and security in a variety of ways,
and with open borders trade flourishes, bringing in large sums of wealth into the country. Its
weaknesses are that they are so flexible and so willing to change that they end up being prone to
undermine their own liberal nature and their openness can give way to imperialist countries to
control its boarder because of the free trade.

Socialist internationalism was based thus on the concept of working class solidarity. The
socialist movement was formed originally as a movement for “the self-emancipation of the
working class” from the capitalist regime. Socialist internationalism is a concept of worldwide
socialism achieved through revolutions. Just as capitalism spread throughout the world, socialists
also believe socialism will spread throughout the world. Its strengths are, it can improve labour
productivity, the economy can become more efficient under the supervision and since the
government controls almost all of society’s functions, it can make better use of resources,
labours and lands. Its weaknesses are, unions can exist in socialist countries to create divides
between workers and owners, too much government intervention, and less entrepreneurial
opportunity and competition.
 3. Do you think internationalization erodes the sovereignty of states?

For me NO, a state does not lose its sovereignty by being a member of a world body or a
signatory to various conventions. Each states still has its own governing bodies, policies and
rules. Internationalization is a set of standard which can be applied and helps assist in
harmonizing laws and procedures for the benefit of international trade, assistance, economic
growth of a country. A country that’s adapted well in the internationalized environment, this
country’s power will grow and the economic situation will be more prosperous than before.
Hence, internationalization does not erode the sovereignty of states.