Backlinks
1 Diplomacy, Kissinger
The Document: KBe20hist201srcKissingerAnnotated
CLAIM: European balance of power system emerged after medieval collapse
1.1 European Power Balance
Development into model of "universality" => one emperor, one church
1.1.1 The Holy Roman Empire
1.1.2 System of Raison De 'Etat
As a mean to fend off an every-growing HRE threatening France, Cardinal Richaleu came up with a system named KBhHIST201RaisonDeEtat that promises to be a better system of government.
1.2 England, the Mediator
1.3 Kissinger's Take Home Messages
And I quote:
““”
- Power is difficult to access
- Equilibrium best achieved if they are in common interest
- Balance of power inhibits capacity to overthrow order
- Agreement on shared values inhibits desire to overthrow order
- Power without legitamacy tempts dangerous strength tests
- Legitimacy without power tempts empty power tests
““”
Kissinger sees himself as American Richlieu.
End result of Raison d'etat
- Others form a coalition against the ruthless nation => balance of power is eventually achieved
- Unipolar dominance of a world system/world hegemony => too dominant to fight back against
McNeill
- Consolidation for political power (310-311)
- Administrative centralization: italian city-state strategies to govern countries
- Seizing Church power and property during the Reformation: Catholics trade away political power to re-affirm their religious
- Development of military technology becomes too expensive to do rurally to larger factories in a city: standing army cannot be tracked in a local level
The renessance brings two things: either harness renissance energy to do innovation or harness reformation energy to unify Europe — if someone has the ability to have warfare.