Westphalian sovereignty
Also called: Westphalian system · Topic: Nationalism and National Self-determination · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Westphalian sovereignty is the rule that each state has full control over its own land and its own internal matters. It comes from the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe. It has three parts. First, a state alone rules inside its borders. Second, all states are legally equal, big or small. Third, outsiders should not interfere in a state's internal affairs. Article 2 of the UN Charter states these rules today, and they remain the basis of the modern system of states.
Example
The rule is being stretched today. The European Union pools sovereignty, which means its member states share some powers they would otherwise use alone. The Responsibility to Protect (2005) also limits the rule of non-interference when a state fails to protect its own people.
Don't confuse with
- Nation-state: Westphalian sovereignty is about a state's legal authority over its territory. A nation-state is a state that claims its borders also mark one people with a shared culture and history, an idea that arose with the French Revolution (1789).