In modern times while nations and people have come to understand the importance of International Relations as an activity among nations, there is not much awareness about the evolution of International Relations as an academic discipline. In this blog let us look into it

1. A Brief Insight into Evolution of International
Relations as an Independent Discipline
A Brief Insight into Evolution of International Relations as an
Independent Discipline
Introduction:
• In modern times while nations and people have come to understand
the importance of International Relations as an activity among
nations, there is not much awareness about the evolution of
International Relations as an academic discipline. In this blog let us
look into it.
• The ending of the First World War and the pivotal role played by the
then President of the United States Woodrow Wilson in the creation
of the League of Nations as an international organisation at the world
level had a great influence on the efforts that were made at the
academic level to institutionalise the study of International Relations.

2. • Thus, it was in 1919 that the first department of International
Relations was established in the University of Wales with the
Woodrow Wilson Chair
Different Stages of its Evolution: Professor Kenneth W. Thompson in his
essay “The Study of International Politics: A Survey of Trends and
Developments”, has referred to four stages in the development of the
discipline.
The First Stage –
• The first stage up to the end of the First World War was dominated by
the monopoly of Diplomatic Historians, who presented international
relations in a chronological and descriptive (not analytical) manner.
• They never bothered to explain how various events and situations
fitted into the general pattern of behaviour among nations.
• Diplomatic Historians, avoided the study of current events and
refrained from deducing any universal principles from their descriptive
study of events.
• Their study helped us in understanding events of the past, but
provided no clues as to how the present and future trends were to be
understood.
• As such that phase was not helpful in developing a general perspective
or theory of International Relations.
The Second Stage –
• The second stage in the development of International Relations began
with the end of the First World War with scholars emphasizing the
importance of studying current events and focusing their attention on
interpretation of the significance of current developments and
problems.

3. The Third Stage –
• The third stage in the development of the discipline of International
Relations which began during and after the inter-war period
emphasized the institutionalization of the institutionalization
international relations through law and organization.
• Such an emphasis was based on the belief that the international
community was able to create institutions which would help resolve
all international problems.
The Fourth Stage –
• Interestingly many scholars began emphasizing the need for studying
military strategy rather than peace-oriented studies.
• The sad and eventual failure of the League of Nations in preventing
the outbreak of the Second World War dealt a body blow as it were to
the severe limitations of the legal organizational approach and that
phase of the development of international relations, which was
associated with it.
• The fourth phase in the study of International Relations began with
the emphasis shifting from international law and organisation to the
study of forces and influences which shape and condition the
behaviour of States
GS-02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE GS-II