From the Westphalian state to European integration : European politics in the interwar period (1918-1939)

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to see how the Westphalian state was subject to continuous instabilities and crisis and how it evolved up to the outbreak of the Second World War. Hence, it looks into various treaties which marked the end of a number of wars eventually leading various thinkers to propose projects for lasting peace in the continent. This study seeks to analyse the theories of functionalism and neo-functionalism explaining European Integration which emerged as a result of the First and Second World War. Moreover, it shows that the establishment of a new form of regional cooperation which marked the start of a new era in international relations devoid of wars was not a recent idea but had its roots in the politics of the interwar period with the League of Nations, the Pan-Europa Movement and the Briand Memorandum. It is in this context that these initiatives are compared to early writings on European unity such as those of John Bellers and Abbe de Saint-Pierre. This study concludes that the traditional state as established by Westphalia is not equipped to govern in a world of interdependent ties. However, the Westphalian concept of sovereignty should not be disregarded, as historical events show that it has been transformed not eroded, shared not abolished.