The ‘long nineteenth century’ (1776–1914) was a period of political,economic, military and cultural revolutions that re-forged both domesticand international societies. Neither existing international histories norinternational relations texts sufficiently register the scale and impact ofthis ‘global transformation’, yet it is the consequences of these multiplerevolutions that provide the material and ideational foundations of moderninternational relations. Global modernity reconstituted the mode of powerthat underpinned international order and opened a power gap betweenthose who harnessed the revolutions of modernity and those who weredenied access to them. This gap dominated international relations for twocenturies and is only now being closed. By taking the global transformationas the starting point for international relations, this book repositions the rootsof the discipline and establishes a new way of both understanding andteaching the relationship between world history and international relations.
barry buzan is Emeritus Professor in the Department of InternationalRelations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, a SeniorFellow at LSE IDEAS and a Fellow of the British Academy. Among hisbooks are International Systems in World History (2000, with RichardLittle); Regions and Powers (Cambridge, 2003, with Ole Wæver); FromInternational to World Society? (Cambridge, 2004, with Ole Wæver); TheEvolution of International Security Studies (Cambridge, 2009, with LeneHansen); and An Introduction to the English School of InternationalRelations (2014).
george lawson is an Associate Professor of International Relationsin the Department of International Relations at the London School ofEconomics and Political Science. His research focuses on the interfacebetween International Relations and Historical Sociology, and on processesof radical change, most notably revolutions. He is the author ofNegotiatedRevolutions (2005) and editor of The Global 1989 (Cambridge, 2010, withChris Armbruster and Michael Cox).
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Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication dataBuzan, Barry.The global transformation : history, modernity and the making of internationalrelations / Barry Buzan, George Lawson.
pages cm. – (Cambridge studies in international relations ; 135)ISBN 978-1-107-63080-2 (paperback)1. International relations – History – 19th century. 2. Worldpolitics – History – 19th century. I. Lawson, George, 1972– II. Title.JZ1318.B894 2015327.090034–dc23
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Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
Introduction 1The Global Transformation and IR 1Establishing the Argument: Six Assumptions and Two Claims 6Structure 10
Part I: The Global Transformation and IR 15
1 The Global Transformation 17Introduction 17The General Nature of World Historical Transformations 17The Nineteenth-Century Global Transformation in Close-Up 24The Impact of the Global Transformation on InternationalRelations 43
2 IR and the Nineteenth Century 46Introduction 46Understanding the Nineteenth Century in IR 46Three Approaches to the Nineteenth Century in IR 48Why IR has Neglected the Nineteenth Century and Whythis is a Problem 61
Part II: The Making of Modern International Relations 65
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
5 The Transformation of Political Units 127Introduction 127Imperialism and the Transformation of Political Units 130The Revolutionary Challenge 138States and Markets 147Conclusion 165
6 Establishing a Core–Periphery InternationalOrder 171Introduction 171Political and Legal Inequality 172Military Inequality 180Economic Inequality 185Demographic Inequality 190Conclusion 195
7 Eroding the Core–Periphery InternationalOrder 197Introduction 197Political and Legal Catch-Up 198Military Catch-Up 213Economic Catch-Up 220Demographic Catch-Up 227Conclusion 235
8 The Transformation of Great Powers, Great PowerRelations and War 240The Impact of the Global Transformation 240The New Pace of Technological Innovation and Change 245Permanent Qualitative Arms Racing 255Great Power Relations 263Undermining the Functionality of War 265Conclusion 269
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
9 From ‘Centred Globalism’ to ‘Decentred Globalism’ 273Introduction 273The Material Conditions of Decentred Globalism 275The Ideational Conditions of Decentred Globalism 280The Challenges Facing Decentred Globalism 293The Four Principles of Decentred Globalism 297Conclusion 304
10 Rethinking International Relations 305Introduction 305Implications for Thinking About Power 306Implications for Thinking About Security 309Implications for Thinking About Globalization 311Implications for Thinking About Ideational Structure 315Implications for Thinking About Periodization 317Implications for Thinking About IR and History 319Implications for Thinking About IR as a Discipline 326
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
7.1 Average GDP of core, BRICs and peripheral states(2012 US$ billion) page 225
7.2 OECD share of global GDP, 1980–2018 2267.3 World population distribution by region, 1800–2050 2288.1 The technological development of naval weapons,
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
1.1 GNP/GNP per capita, 1750–1913 page 275.1 Structural employment in the core (%) 1496.1 World population, regional totals (thousands) 1916.2 Share of world population (% of total) 1917.1 Bilateral migrations from periphery to core, 1970–2010 2307.2 Countries with the highest numbers of international
migrants, 2010 2327.3 International migrants by region, 1990–2010 2328.1 Comparing the Dreadnought and Yamato 257
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Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
This project originated in our shared interest in modernity and ourshared frustration at the lack of awareness of its importance inInternational Relations (IR). Working together at the LSE gave usthe opportunity to talk about the book’s main ideas, and both of uswere in different ways guided towards this project by the influence ofFred Halliday and Justin Rosenberg. Fred always made a big deal ofthe nineteenth-century disjuncture, even though most people in IRwere resistant to his promptings. Justin’s work on both modernityand uneven and combined development provided another sharedstimulus. We dedicate this book to both of them, and hope that itmight stand as a vindication of Fred’s campaign to turn the IRsupertanker.
We would like to thank Carmen Gayoso, Mark Kersten and LucaTardelli for their extremely helpful research assistance, and for alwaysdelivering more than we asked for. Luca in particular has worked on anumber of different parts of the book, providing both materials andinsights that have greatly strengthened our argument. Kirsten Ainleygave us good advice on the history of International Law. Especially bigthanks to Mathias Albert, Tarak Barkawi, Pinar Bilgin, AndrewLinklater, Richard Little, Jeppe Mulich and Justin Rosenberg forreading the whole manuscript and providing comments on it, and toVivien Barr and Harvey Chisick for comments on particular aspects ofour argument. Thanks also to the Cambridge University Pressreviewers who commented on the proposal and the manuscript.Whether or not we agreed with all the comments we received, ourcommunity of scholars made us think hard about what we wanted tosay, and we are deeply grateful for their collegial insight and support.Our gratitude also to Cambridge University Press, particularly CarrieParkinson for being extremely helpful with the production process,and John Haslam for his encouragement, and sometimes tolerance, ofour project.
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
Along the way the research for this book spun off three journalarticles: Barry Buzan and George Lawson (2013) ‘The GlobalTransformation: The Nineteenth Century and the Making ofModern International Relations’, International Studies Quarterly,57(3): 620–34; Barry Buzan and George Lawson (2014a) ‘RethinkingBenchmark Dates in International Relations’, European Journal ofInternational Relations, 20(2): 437–62; and Barry Buzan and GeorgeLawson (2014b) ‘Capitalism and the Emergent World Order’,International Affairs, 90(1): 71–91. Readers familiar with these articleswill find arguments from them scattered throughout this book. Duringthe course of writing the book, we presented parts of the argument atLSE, Sussex University, Copenhagen University, the University ofBritish Columbia, Korea University and Zhejiang University, plusvarious conferences, including those held by the International StudiesAssociation, the American Political Science Association, the EuropeanInternational Studies Association, the British International StudiesAssociation and the Social Science History Association. We thankcolleagues who took part in these events – the book is much richer fortheir engagements.
Our hope is that this is one of those books where the argument isso obvious that people will react by saying: ‘Of course!’ But if ourargument is unlikely to be quite as easy a sell as that, we do at leasthope to convince our IR colleagues to take modernity more seriously.Lest we forget, IR owes its origins to the global transformation, as doesthe term ‘international’, which Jeremy Bentham coined in 1789 to referto the legal transactions between sovereigns. We also hope that sociol-ogists and historians find that the book has something to offer theirdebates. Neither sociologists nor historians have done sufficient justiceto the global features of modernity. This mutual neglect providesthe opportunity for a productive conversation to take place betweenIR specialists, historians and sociologists around the subject of ‘globalmodernity’. Our aim is for this book to contribute to just such aconversation.
This is not one of those books where we have carved out discretespheres of influence. Although some parts of the text bear the hallmarksof one of us more than the other, everything in the book is the result ofextensive discussion, collaboration and co-authorship. Both of us wrotewith the other ‘on their shoulder’, and the back and forth we had on themanuscript made writing it an enjoyable, if sometimes exhausting,
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
process.We offer our heartfelt thanks to our families for putting upwithus as we worked long hours and mused to the point of obsession overthe global transformation. We would like to say that Deborah, Kirsten,Jake and Xavi have been patient. But we’re not sure we’d love them asmuch if they had been.
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
ABM anti-ballistic missileASEAN Association of Southeast Asian NationsAU African UnionBRIC Brazil, Russia, India, ChinaCIS Commonwealth of Independent StatesCPI Consumer Price IndexDPT Democratic Peace TheoryECOWAS Economic Community of West African StatesETA Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Freedom)EU European UnionFDI foreign direct investmentG7 Group of SevenG8 Group of EightG20 Group of TwentyG77 Group of Seventy-SevenGATT General Agreement on Tariffs and TradeGDP gross domestic productGEG global economic governanceGNP gross national productICBM intercontinental ballistic missileICJ International Court of JusticeICSU International Council of Scientific UnionsIFI international financial institutionIGO intergovernmental organizationILO International Labour OrganizationIMF International Monetary FundINGO international non-governmental organizationIPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeIPE International Political EconomyIR International Relations
Cambridge University Press978-1-107-03557-7 - The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Makingof International RelationsBarry Buzan and George LawsonFrontmatterMore information
IRA Irish Republican ArmyISI import substitution industrializationIT information technologyIUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Natural ResourcesIWA International Workingmen’s AssociationNAFTA North American Free Trade AssociationNSA non-state actorOECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
DevelopmentOPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting CountriesOxfam Oxford Committee for Famine ReliefPCIJ Permanent Court of International JusticeR&D research and developmentRMA revolution in military affairsRMB renminbiRPG rocket-propelled grenadeSADC Southern African Development CommunitySARC South Asian Regional CooperationSCO Shanghai Cooperation OrganizationSOE state-owned enterpriseTNC transnational corporationTPP Trans-Pacific PartnershipTTIP Transatlantic Trade and Investment PartnershipUCD uneven and combined developmentUDHR Universal Declaration of Human RightsUN United NationsUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
OrganizationUPU Universal Postal UnionWMD weapons of mass destructionWTO World Trade OrganizationYMCA Young Men’s Christian Association
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