The History of the Study of International Relations

The study of international relations as a discipline is ancient if we bear in mind that writers centuries ago performed analyses of the wars of Greek city-states, the relations of Italian city-states, and the ties of tribute states to the Chinese empire. The modern study of international relations began in the early twentieth century as an interest of diplomatic historians and a specialty of international lawyers.

While American political science began in the 1880s, political scientists specializing in the subject of international relations appeared in the United States with the advent of the World War (1914-1918) and the formation of the League of Nations (1919-1939). These events heightened attention on international affairs in the English-speaking countries. The First World War involved American troops in Europe for the first time, and the League, in a bold departure from historical practice, became an institutional effort to prevent war. New scholarly fields come into being in response to either a social or a technical need. Hence, after the First World War, the desire to avoid war in the future determined the initial direction of the international relations field.

European immigrant scholars helped to emerge in the United States, and some of the early, important American scholars also studied in Europe. Today associations of international specialists continue to communicate and influence one another on a transnational basis.

Although many political scientists view international relations as a subfield of political science, the study of international relations took clearer form with the development of specialized journals. Some of the primary journals that focus on international relations are Foreign Affairs (1922), International Organization (1947), World Politics (1948), the Journal of Conflict Resolution (1956), Orbis (1957), International Studies Quarterly (1963), and the Journal of Peace Research (1964)

Task 3.Answer the following questions.

1. Who are nonstate actors? What is their role in political affairs?

2. What are the main targets in the study of International Relations?

3. What instruments are available for actors?

4. Scholars often don’t contract international relations with domestic politics of states, do they?

5. What are the main distinctive features between domestic & international politics?

6. What can lead to disorder & violence? What way can it be avoided?

7. Do sometimes the internal affairs turn to anarchy or democracy?

8. When did the American political science begin?

9. After the First World War the desire to avoid war in future determined the initial direction of the international relations field, didn’t it?

10.What model is diplomacy helping to move the world from?

11.Today associations of international specialists continue to communicate and influence one another on a transnational basis, don’t they?

12.Is the orientation of diplomacy towards cooperation & avoidance of conflict cleared or blurred nowadays?

13.What is the interaction of the world? How can you understand this notion?

Task 4. Form the Singular or Plural form of the following nouns and give the translation of each:

History, methods, countries, churches, activity, force, propaganda, aid, diplomacy, politics, outcomes, science, anarchy, collapse, definition, lawyers, troops, authority, consensus, issues, community, turbulence, culture, tool, level.

Task 5. Here you have got five sentences. You have to put as many questions as possible. They must be of various types.

1. The orientation of diplomacy is clearly towards cooperation and the avoidance of conflict.

2. Most actors today much prefer diplomacy over force.

3. Differences in national cultures, interests and diplomatic styles can still occur and create turbulence in diplomatic relations.

4. Lines between domestic and international politics have blurred recently.

5. Countries frequently choose to avoid war and follow the norms and rules of international law.

Task 6. Translate the following phrases and words into English using the texts and learn them by heart:

Развивать литературу и историю, заниматься предметом изучения дипломатических отношений, в дополнение, ассоциации, представляющий этнические группы, продолжительная активность, широкий ряд средств, отличительный характер международных отношений, условие анархии, случай войны как позитивный исход, урегулирование внутренней политики, более стабильные и мирные условия, тем не менее, живой и ясный, различие, в сущности, приводить к беспорядку и насилию, избежать войны, определить поле изучения, закончить задание, международное сообщество, создавать турбулентность.

Task 7. Complete the following sentences according to the text:

1. International relations……………………..crossing national boundary lines.

2. Differences in national cultures, national interests, and diplomatic styles can…………………………………….relations.

3. A wide range of instruments is available,……………………………………….

4. …………, often facilitating cooperation among the more primary state actors.

5. The interaction of the world is now one of interdependence created through the sharing of multiple…………………………………. level of multilateralism.

6. Traditionally, the distinctive character of international relations……………….., a legal and coercive centre that can control the actors in a given political arena.

7. They see the central government of a country as regulating domestic politics and producing ………………………………………..in international politics.

8. …………………………………., and the League, in a bold departure from historical practice, became an institutional effort to prevent war.

9. European…………………………………, and some of the early, important American scholars also studied in Europe.

10. Although many ………………………………………form with the development of specialized journals.

Task 8. Translate last two passages in writing from the text titled “What is the study of International Relations?”

Task.9.Find synonyms and antonyms to the following words or phrases:

Body of knowledge, field of study, to offer, discipline, to provide, goal, to achieve, alive, robust, to response, to avoid, to determine, collapse, join in, take place, war, state, distinctive, numerous, sharp, to operate, order, violence, anarchy, domestic, active, understanding, to appear, primary.