Conclusion

In this short taster course, you have been introduced to the idea of territorial division as an enduring feature of international relations. In the discipline of IR, the focus is often, though not exclusively, on relations between the states that make up the international system. This course has used examples from the geopolitical competition of 19th Century ‘Great Powers’, and from the making of the modern Middle East, to show how certain forms of territorial division came about and how they continue to shape and influence the often contested international relations of the present day.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course D818 MA International relations part 1 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .