Small states in international relations: Some theoretical aspects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu06.2022.301Abstract
One of the important trends in the development of international relations in the second half of the 20th — early 21st centuries is the growing importance of small states in international relations. From passive “pawns” in the big political games of the great powers, they are turning into active players capable of pursuing their own national interests in the international arena. During the Cold War period, European neutral states acquired an unique experience of fruitful cooperation in international organizations, peaceful mediation and peacemaking. Multilateral diplomacy, renunciation of the use of force, striving for a peaceful political resolution of conflicts predetermine, to a certain extent, interest in studying the experience of small countries. The decline in the ability of the leading great powers to resolve conflicts effectively on the periphery of the international system, on the other hand, the capability of small countries to generate new ideas and norms in international relations create preconditions for a further increase in the role of small countries in international relations. It is necessary to study not only the great powers, but also the small countries that make up the vast majority of states, if we want to understand the nature of international relations in general, the formation and behavior of modern coalitions and alliances in particular. This article aims to identify the main stages of the study of small states in international relations, to analyze the main approaches to the definition of the concept of “small state”, to consider the factors of formation of the foreign policy of small states through the prism of some theories of international relations, to find out the features of the foreign policy behavior of small countries in international relations.
Keywords:
small states, realism, neo-realism, liberal neo-institutionalism, social constructivism
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References
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Aguis, C., and Devine, K. (2011), Neutrality: A Really Dead Concept? A Revise, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 265–284.
Devine, K. (2008), Stretching the IR Theoretical Spectrum on Irish Neutrality: A critical Social Constructivist Framework, International Political science review, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 461–488.
Goetschel, L. (2011), Neutrals as Brokers of Peacebuilding Ideas?, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 312–333.
Björkdahl, A. (2008), Norm Advocacy: A Small State Strategy to Influence the EU, Journal of European Public Policy, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 135–154.
Ingebritsen, C. (2002), Norm Enterpreneurs. Scandinavia’s Role in World Politics, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 37, no. 1, p. 11–23.
Aguis, C. (2006), The Social Construction of Sweden Neutrality: Challenges to Sweden sovereignty and neutrality, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Pedersen, R. B. (2012), Danish Foreign Policy Activism: Differences in Kind or Degree?, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 331–349.
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References
Kjellen, R. (1917), Studien zur Weltkrise, München: H. Bruckmann.
Waltz, K. (1979), Theory of International Politics, New York: McGraw Hill.
Corbett, J., and Veenendaal, W. (2019), Why Small States are Beautiful, Political Insight, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 4–8.
Neumann, I. B., and Gstöhl, S. (2004), Lilliputians in Gulliver’s World? Small States in International Relations, Centre for Small State Studies, Institute for International Affairs, University of Iceland.
Keohane, R. (1969), Lilliputians’ Dilemmas: Small States in International Politics, International Organisation, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 291–310.
Baker Fox, A. (1959), The Power of Small States: Diplomacy in the World War II, Chicago: Chicago University Press.
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Höll, O. (1983), Small States in Europe and Dependence, Wien: W. Braumüller.
Frei, D. (1975), Strategien zum Umgang mit Abhängigkeit: Kleine Studien zur Politischen Wissenschaft, Zürich: Forschungsstelle fuer Politische Wissenschaft an der Universitaet.
Vogel, H. (1979), Der Kleinstaat in Weltpolitik: Aspekte der schweizerischen Aussenbeziehungen in internationalen Vergleich, Freuenfeld: Huber.
Vital, D. (1971), The Survival of Small States: Studies in Small Power/Great Power Conflict, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Handel, M. (1981), Weak States in the International System, London: Frank Cass.
Katzenstein, P. (1985), Small States in World Markets: Industrial Policy in Europe, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
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Karsh, E. (1988), Neutrality and Small States, New York: Routledge.
Aguis, C. (2011), Transformed Beyond Recognition? The Politics of Post-Neutrality, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 370–395.
Thorhallson, B. (2000), The Role of Small States in the European Union, Aldershot: Routledge.
Gstöhl, S. (2002), Reculant Europeas: Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland in the Process of Integration. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Zibrandt von Dosenrode-Lynge, S. (1993), Westeuropäische Kleinstaaten in der EG und EPZ, Zürich: Verlag Rüegger.
Björkdahl, A. (2002), From Idea to Norm: Promoting Conflict Prevention, Lund: Lund Political Studies.
Ingebritsen, C. (2002), Norm Entrepreneurs: Scandinavia’s Role in World Politics, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 11–23.
Novikova, I. (2007), Transformation of Finland’s Policy towards Russia in the Post-Cold War Period, in: Katsy, D. (ed.), International Relations: from Local Changes to Global Shifts, St Petersburg: St Petersburg University Press, pp. 94–106.
Braberoy-Wagner, J. (2010), Opportunities and limitations of the exercise of foreign policy power by a very small state: the case of Trinidad and Tobago, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 407–427.
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Trundle, A., Barth, B., and McEvoy, D. (2018), Leveraging endogenous climate resilience: urban adaptation in Pacific Small Island Developing States, Environment and Urbanization, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 53–74.
Jesse, N. G., and Dreyer, J. R. (2016), Small States in the International System: at Peace and at War, Lanham: Lexington Books.
Browning, С. (2006), Small, Smart and Salient? Rethinking Identity in the Small States Literature, Cambridge Review of International Relations, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 669–684.
Сhong, A. (2010), Small state soft power strategies: virtual enlargement in the cases of the Vatican City State and Singapore, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 383–405.
Сlarke, C., and Payne, T. (1987), Politics, Security, and Development of Small States, London: Allen & Unwin.
World Bank. Data and Statistics. 2000. URL: http://www.worldbank.org/data (дата обращения: 25.12.2020).
Fazal, T. (2007), State Death: The Politics and Geography of Conquest, Occupation and Annexation, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Pace, R. (2000), Small states and the Internal balance of the European Union: the perspective of Small States, in: Gower, J., and Redmond, J. (ed.), Enlarging the European Union: The Way Forward, Burlington, VT: Ashgrate, pp.107–109.
Vital, D. (1967), The inequality of States: A study of small power in international relations, Westport, CT: Greenwood press.
Mouritzen, H., and Wivel, A. (2005), The geopolitics of Euro-Atlantic integration. Introduction, London: Routledge.
Mearsheimer, J. (2001), The tragedy of great power politics, New York: Norton.
Elman, M. F. (1995), The foreign policies of small states: challenging neorealism in its own backyard, British journal of political science, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 171–217.
Jesse, N. (2006), Choosing to Go it Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative Perspective, International Political Science review, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 7–28.
Dreyer, J., and Jesse, N. (2014), Swiss Neutrality Examined: Model, Exception or Both?, Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 60–83.
Wendt, A. (1999), Social Theory of International Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Löden, H. (2012), Reaching a Vanishing Point? Reflection on the Future of neutrality Norms in Sweden and Finland, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 47, no. 2, p. 271–284.
Aguis, C., and Devine, K. (2011), Neutrality: A Really Dead Concept? A Revise, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 265–284.
Devine, K. (2008), Stretching the IR Theoretical Spectrum on Irish Neutrality: A critical Social Constructivist Framework, International Political science review, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 461–488.
Goetschel, L. (2011), Neutrals as Brokers of Peacebuilding Ideas?, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 312–333.
Björkdahl, A. (2008), Norm Advocacy: A Small State Strategy to Influence the EU, Journal of European Public Policy, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 135–154.
Ingebritsen, C. (2002), Norm Enterpreneurs. Scandinavia’s Role in World Politics, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 37, no. 1, p. 11–23.
Aguis, C. (2006), The Social Construction of Sweden Neutrality: Challenges to Sweden sovereignty and neutrality, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Pedersen, R. B. (2012), Danish Foreign Policy Activism: Differences in Kind or Degree?, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 331–349.
Bergmann, E. (2014), Iceland: A Postimperial Sovereignty Project, Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 33–54.
Novikova, I. N. (2006), “Between the Hammer and the Anvil”: Sweden in the German-Russian confrontation on the Baltic during the First World War, St Petersburg: St Petersburg University Press. (In Russian)
Vihavainen, T. (2006), Does History Play a Role in Finnish-Russian Relations?, in: Smith, H. (ed.), The Two-Level Game: Russia’s Relations with Great Britain, Finland and the European Union, Aleksanteri Series, vol. 2, pp. 27–47.
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