The Westphalia Treaty

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ABSTRACT “Westphalia” is often used as shorthand for a system of equal and sovereign states; and the peace treaties of Westphalia, concluded in 1648 at Munster and Osnabruck and ending the Thirty Years’ War, are sometimes said to have established the modern concept of sovereign statehood. This paper discusses the background of 1648 Westphalia Treaty and its implications on International Relations Criteria. CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. The Pre-Westphalia Era 3. Westphalia Treaty 3.1 Peace of Westphalia - Doctrine 4. Implications on International Relations 5. Conclusion 6. References Introduction The Peace of Westphalia or The Westphalia Treaty refers to the pair of treaties (the Treaty of Munster and the Treaty of Osnabruck) signed in October and May 1648 which ended both the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War. The treaties were signed on 24 October 1648 and 15 May 1648. The Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, the German princes, Spain, France, Sweden and representatives from the Dutch republic involved in signing of the Treaty. The Treaty of the Pyrenees, signed in 1659, ending the war between France and Spain, is also often considered part of the treaty. The peace of Westphalia as a whole is often used by historians to mark the beginning of the modern era. Each ruler would have the right to determine their state's religion thus, in law, Protestantism and Catholicism were equal. The texts of the two treaties are largely identical and deal with the internal affairs of the Holy Roman Empire. The Peace of Westphalia continues to be of importance today, with many academics asserting that the international system that exists today began with Westphalia. Both the basis and the result of this view have been attacked by revisionist academics and politicians alike, with revisionists questioning the significance of the Peace,
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