Abstract

I endeavor to demonstrate the evolving conceptualization of Westphalian sovereignty in the Anglosphere during the 20th century. Particularly, the aim of my research is to connect shifting ideas of Westphalia to particular periods throughout the century. This work attempts to fill a troubling gap in contemporary understandings of Westphalian systems and elucidate the myriad ways in which the term Westphalian has been applied to disparate elements in international relations and beyond. This extended meditation on Westphalianism functions as qualitative conceptual history and expanded historiography. This research relies on the expansive canon of English-language work published primarily in international relations and political science literature, occasionally necessitating archival work inasmuch as direct reference to Westphalian ideas in governmental documents profits the work as a whole. It will likely be organized by period into pre-War, inter-War, Cold War, and post-War (and/or 21st century) sections emphasizing circumstances in the United States and United Kingdom.

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