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What Conditions Explain The Creation Of The Westphalia Treaty

Decent Essays

Part 1) What conditions explain the creation of the Westphalia treaty in 1648?
The Westphalia treaty of 1648 which ended the Thirty Years War, can be described as one of the prominent milestones that shaped the principle of state sovereignty. These treaties, both signed in the western cities of current day Münster and Osnabrück, Germany. This paper will describe the conditions that made it necessary for a co-existing agreement in Europe at the time, which would later become the basis of a state’s self-determination and existence. It will also include the implications that the treaty had upon Europe, and the world today. The many political principles deriving from the Westphalian treaty would become apparent in modern-day society, whether embraced fully or used as a stepping stone to considering other principles, it would influence the way that international law, politics, and diplomacy would be determined. A state is defined as a legal entity with a permanent population, a well-defined territory, and a government capable of exercising sovereignty. The definition becomes important during this time period of the signing of the Peace Treaty, and for the overall international law for years to come.
Gregory Raymond’s 2005 Westphalia excerpt describes the events and characteristics of the 1648 Westphalia Treaty by stating that, “[U]nder the terms of the peace agreements, the power of the Hapsburgs was weakened, with the Holy Roman Empire limited in its sphere of influence to

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