The Old Order: From the “Balance of Power” to the Oligarchs’ Club

Abstract

To understand the confused evolution or the indignities of the international system at the beginning of the twenty-first century one needs to first grasp what came before it and understand the way international relations have been configured throughout the modern era. This chapter will consider the issues of sovereignty, competition, and power as the fragile cornerstones of the Westphalian order, before turning to the strengths and weaknesses of the oligarchic governance.