The Rise of the Nation State - 1804 Words

1. ‘The growth of the nation-state, first in Western Europe and then elsewhere, has long been viewed as the key political development of this era [i.e. the sixteenth century].’ (Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks) Discuss with reference to at least two of the following: England, France, Spain. This essay examines how the growth of the nation-state was a key political development during this period. It was a hugely important process and a stepping stone towards the systems we have in place today. Although many of the aspects of state-building which will be addressed in this essay were already taking place before the sixteenth century, it is during this era that they truly develop and nation-states become extremely important in the political world†¦show more content†¦As a result, Henry VIII broke away from the church in Rome and by 1533; Archbishop of Canterbury had power to annul marriage. This was followed by the Act of Supremacy (1934) which made Henry, Supreme Head of the Church of England. This is another example of the growth in power of the state as Henry transferred power from Rome to his own state. This example in England shows just how key a development the growth of the state was. Further evidence of state-building and its importance during this era was also visible in Spain. It was united as a nation during this period using methods of state-building like those in England. Firstly, it was unified through marriage. Isabella, the heiress of Castile, married Prince Ferdinand of Aragon, thus uniting two of the main parts of Spain. This growth was further enhanced when Ferdinand and Isabella then invaded Granada in the South, enhancing their own state. This, along with the marriage of their children to various nobles across Europe, meant that Spain had grown into a major power with influence all over Europe. This shows just how key the development of the nation-state was. The monarchs continued to strengthen their power by undermining the power of the upper nobles. â€Å"They reorganized the main royal council, making it larger, stronger, and more professional, and filling it with lower-level nobility and educated non-nobles...members and officials appointed by the monarch, not inherited by virtue of a nobleShow MoreRelated The Rise Of A Nation: United States Becomes The Number One Super Power1133 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States experienced many different world events that helped propel it to becoming the world’s super power. From the Monroe Doctrine which would help the United States isolate itself from the Colonialism of the European nations and set itself as the super power of the America’s, to the Spanish American War which ended Spanish rule in the America’s as well as helped the United States acquire its own territories, to the first and second World Wars which ultimately bankrupted all of EuropeRead MoreThe United States : A Continuous Super Power877 Words   |  4 PagesThe United States is one of the strongest standing superpowers that have existed in the past few decades. Many people believe that the United States is declining from being a continuous super power; however according to Zakaria the Uni ted States is not declining. This is because they remain to have one of the strongest standing army, they have risen culturally, and economically the United States has been emerging enormously. According to Zakaria the United States has dominated the politics, and theRead MoreAmerican Intervention, Chile, And Augusto Pinochet1529 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Intervention, Chile, Augusto Pinochet After World War II, the United States emerged as a world power. However, with this new power and hegemony status, came the threat of being overtaken and being replaced as the dominant nation. One threat that the United States faced was the rise of Communism. The US feared the spread of Communism in other nations, even in Latin America. One country where the US intervened to stop the spread of Communism is Chile. In 1970, Salvador Allende, a MarxistRead MoreThe Rise Of China By Emerson Pyrke1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe Rise of China – By Emerson Pyrke Over the past couple decades, we have seen china on a fast rise and growing very quickly, in fact, China s economic growth and active diplomacy are already transforming east Asia and in future decades we will see even greater increases in Chinese power and influence just knowing this information raises a wide range of different questions ranging from What can western country’s do if anything to maintain their positions as china rises? Or even questions such asRead MoreThe Three Principles Of The People968 Words   |  4 Pagesto the actual definition of the term, but the way in which nation-states use it to further their social and political legitimacy. Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all humans belong to one global culture and community as global citizens. However, Sun Yat-Sen criticizes which country or nations form of government and sociocultural norms will be used as the basis for the global community. Sun Yat-Sen believes that the countries [or nations] that will establish the foundation for world government andRead MoreThe Rise Of World War II Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesa deadly war between nations is forgotten in the musk of death and power. The instability in Europe created by World War I, set stage for the rise of Hitler. Germany at the time was economically and politically unstable. Due to them being blamed for the first World War and the harsh consequences enforced by the Treaty of Versailles, it made it easier for Hitler to rise to power. World War II began in 1939, when Germany invaded Poland without properly declaring war. The rise of America as a superRead More Kyoto Protocol Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesin the atmosphere, many nations came together in 1992 to sign the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992). This voluntary agreement pledged that member nations would work to reduce greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. As it b ecame apparent that major nations such as the United States would not be able to meet these guidelines, the parties to the treaty decided in 1995 to start negotiations for a protocol that would legally bind nations to reductions and limitationsRead MoreThe Raise of China and India, Questions and Answers749 Words   |  3 PagesQ.Will the rise of Eastern Powers like China and India modify the liberal world order? What impact will this potentially have on the way International Relations have traditionally been studied? A. There has recently been a lot of talk in the Internal Relations community about the steep rise that the BRICS nations are making in terms of economic might and overall global importance. China and India are among the countries that have made the most improvement. The other pertinent question that has beenRead MoreThe Nazi Regime959 Words   |  4 PagesThe rise of the Nazi regime in Germany in the early part of the 20th century was an impressive, and nearly unforeseen incident that had long-lasting implications on the rest of the Western world. While the Nazi party was extreme in their ideologies, the circumstances in which they came to power were dire; Germany had been crippled by a massive depression and was being forced to pay reparations through the â€Å"Young Plan† which required Germany to pay the Allied forces â€Å"a series of annual payments extendingRead MoreClimate Change Is The Effect Of Global Warming936 Words   |  4 Pagessuch as the United States. An in crease in CO2 emissions is the leading cause of global warming. CO2 is one of the gases that is trapping the heat in the atmosphere and an increase can be due to deforestation, burning fossil fuels, production of electricity, and many more. Global warming causes the temperatures to rise which can cause an increase in the amount of glacial ice to melt and can ultimately cause the sea level to rise from excess water. Since the sea level would rise this means that land