Challenges for the Westphalian Statehood in the Twenty First Century
Abstract
The Treaty of Westphalia is a major hallmark of the modern history of nations. It not
only covers the Europeans but also encompasses the foreign policies and diplomatic
conduct of all the modern nation states. Over the centuries, nations followed the
Westphalian peace model to run the international system/order smoothly. However,
with the rise of globalization in 20th century, the changing political and economic
landscape posing challenges to the Westphalian narrative once again. The questions on
the validity of the Westphalian model of state sovereignty have initiated a debate on the
expected new World Order long ago. How states could deal with the globalization
related challenges facing the state sovereignty and supreme authority in decision
making is yet to be answered. This paper is a descriptive study to understand the
challenges to the old system in the Globalization related World Order of 20th and 21st
century.