International relations: exploring territorial divisions

Introduction

Different forms of international division remain at the heart of some of the most pressing issues of interest to International Relations (IR) today. Figure 1 below shows how two former empires (in this case the British and Russian Empires) expanded across Asia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and demonstrate how the practices of former imperial powers have left a lasting imprint on global politics. A quick glance at a political map of the world shows us how the world is divided along territorial lines. Looking at the roots of such division helps us understand how they came about and how they can be understood in terms of their impact on contemporary international relations.

There are many factors that influence international division in its myriad forms, from basic geographic and climatic divides to the many varied pathways to development chosen by different states and leaders that have led to very different outcomes, and along with it, forms of inequality and division. The current international system, made up of a range of actors including states and international organisations, is only one form of how international relations are organised and understood. Throughout history, what we now see as the ‘international system’ has been organised, understood and experienced in other ways. Indeed, for much of history, different kinds of empire have predominated. The legacy of these historical antecedents continues to influence contemporary international relations between these different actors.

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Figure 1 European empires in Asia, 1914

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An early 20th Century map of Asia showing the extent of the British and Russian empires in the region as of 1914. The map has a key in the bottom left corner which indicates what the different colours of various territories refer to. Russian imperial possessions encompass a swathe of territories from Ukraine in the west, across the Caucasus and Central Asia in the middle of the map, and up into Siberia in the north.British imperial territories include India and modern day Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the south.

Figure 1 European empires in Asia, 1914

This course will look at how the world is divided territorially and how certain parts of the modern state system came into being. It will then explore the impact of Great Power rivalries and imperialism on the development of the state system we see today, and finish with a case study exploring the development of modern Middle East.

Before you start, take a moment to note down a state with contested or interesting borders that you want to learn more about.

You will return to this question at the end of the course to see if there are any aspects that you might want to explore further.