Globalisation and International Relations (Grade 12 NSC Matric History): Revision Notes
Globalisation and International Relations
The post-Cold War world and new beginnings
The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s marked a significant turning point in international politics. Many historians and political scientists argued that this represented a completely new beginning for how countries would interact with each other globally.
For four decades during the Cold War, people understood the world as being divided into two clear camps: East versus West, and Communist versus Democratic. However, when the Soviet Union broke apart and the Soviet Bloc collapsed, there was a widespread belief that the West had "won" the Cold War.
This victory created a fundamental question: What could replace this type of bipolar thinking after the Cold War?
Francis Fukuyama's vision for the future
An influential American-Japanese thinker named Francis Fukuyama offered a compelling solution to this question. He suggested that two key elements would become crucial for people around the world after the Cold War ended:
Fukuyama's Two Fundamental Rights:
The right to participate in a market-based economy
Fukuyama believed that an economic system which supported free markets had actually contributed towards the end of Communism. This meant that countries should embrace market-based economies rather than state-controlled ones.
The right to exercise democracy
He argued that citizens all over the world would want the fundamental right to elect the governments that would rule them. Democratic participation would become a universal desire.
Fukuyama's thinking proved to be remarkably influential, shaping the course of global events for more than ten years after the Cold War ended. His ideas reinforced what became known as the neo-liberal view - the belief that markets, rather than states, should be the primary factor in determining economic relationships between countries.
Understanding globalisation as a concept
While states remained important in organising the world politically, Fukuyama and others argued that another way of organising social relationships was necessary. This new system would work through the market and became known as Globalisation.
Definition of Globalisation: Globalisation represented the idea that "all social relationships could take place across the world" - meaning that economic, social, and cultural connections were no longer limited by national boundaries.
Globalisation represented several key changes in how the world operated:
- Global social relationships: All types of social relationships could now take place across the world, not just within individual countries
- Reduced state importance: States as political entities were no longer thought to be absolutely essential for organising economic activity
- Increased international trade: The end of the Cold War and the victory of the United States over the USSR led to increased trade between countries as trade restrictions were systematically removed
- Technological advancement: Electronic communication technologies became central to driving globalisation forwards
The impact of electronic communication
The development of electronic communication had far-reaching consequences that transformed how the global economy operated:
How Electronic Communication Changed Global Trade:
Step 1: Instant financial transactions Money could now be immediately transferred and traded between countries without any consideration of traditional working hours or time zones. This created a 24-hour global economy.
Step 2: Time limitations removed Time was no longer a significant limitation when it came to trading products, finance, or services between different countries. Businesses could operate continuously across multiple time zones.
Step 3: A "smaller" world These technological advances certainly made it seem like the world had become much "smaller" - distances and borders became less significant barriers to economic activity.
Changes in international relations after the Cold War
Following the Cold War's conclusion, the United States and its Western allies found themselves in a position of clear victory. This victory had profound implications for how international relations would develop.
The revival of NATO and US dominance
NATO's continued existence
While the Cold War's opposing alliance, the Warsaw Pact, was officially disbanded at a meeting of East European defence and foreign ministers in July 1991, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) did not disband.
NATO had originally been established in 1948 to defend the interests of North America and Europe against Soviet threats. Interestingly, many former members of the Warsaw Pact ended up joining NATO after the Cold War ended.
The new global balance of power
NATO's revival demonstrated how dramatically the global "balance of power" had changed:
The Shift from Bipolar to Unipolar World:
- The world was no longer caught in a "balance" of Cold War power between two superpowers
- Instead, it had become dominated by a single country - the United States
- All forms of power - political, economic, military, and cultural - effectively revolved around this one nation
Implications for the Third World
This American dominance had serious implications for Third World (also called Global South) countries. These nations had previously been able to play the two superpowers against each other during the Cold War, but now faced a world dominated by a single superpower.
The Non-Aligned Movement and its decline
Origins of non-alignment
Following the Bandung Conference of 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was formed. This movement suggested that despite the intensity of the Cold War divide, it was possible for countries to take a third position in international relations.
The term "Non-Alignment" captured this position perfectly - these countries "were not aligned either with Communism or Capitalism," but sought to chart their own independent course.
NAM's impact and limitations
Although the Non-Aligned Movement undoubtedly had some impact on the eventual ending of the Cold War, it faced significant challenges:
- A series of internal crises weakened the movement over time
- It failed to influence the nature of international relations after the Cold War ended
- The world remained essentially unipolar with the United States as the dominant power
Consequences for dispute resolution
The impact of American dominance was significant because it seemed that Third World countries began to settle their disputes differently, often with less independence than they had enjoyed during the bipolar Cold War era.
Key Points to Remember:
- Globalisation emerged as the dominant force shaping international relations after the Cold War, emphasising markets over states
- Francis Fukuyama's two key ideas - market-based economies and democratic rights - heavily influenced post-Cold War thinking
- Electronic communication revolutionised global trade by removing time and distance barriers, making the world seem "smaller"
- NATO's survival while the Warsaw Pact disbanded demonstrated the shift from bipolar to unipolar global power
- The Non-Aligned Movement lost influence in the new world order, leaving Third World countries with reduced bargaining power in international affairs