The Law of Nations and Declarations of War after the Peace of Utrecht
In: History of European Ideas. Pergamon Press: Oxford. ISSN 0191-6599, more
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De kust
Institutionele en Politieke Geschiedenis > Internationale aangelegenheden
Oostenrijkse Tijd (1713-1789)
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Legal history; history of international law; international relations; Peace of Utrecht; Polish succession; Quadruple Alliance |
| Abstract |
The history of the law of nations is generally seen as a synonym for the history of the laws of war. Yet, a strictly bilateral perspective can distort our interpretation of early modern diplomacy. The Peace of Utrecht (11 April 1713) inaugurated an era of relative stability in the European state system, based on balance-of-power politics and anti-hegemonic legal argumentation. Incidental conflicts ought to be interpreted against this background. Declarations of war issued in 1718, 1719 and 1733 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance and the Polish Succession should not be read as doctrinal surrogates for trials between two parties, but as manifestos in a European arena. |
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