BOOK: David KENNEDY & Martti KOSKENNIEMI, "Of Law and the World: Critical Conversations on Power, History, and Political Economy" (HUP, 2023)

Image: HUP

Description:

A searching dialogue between two leading legal scholars exploring the place of law in global affairs.

The modern world is legalized: legal language, institutions, and professionals are everywhere. But what is law’s power in global life? What does all this legality have to do with hegemony, with hierarchy and inequality, and with the diversity of human experience? What is its history and how does that history matter in world affairs? Above all, what does it mean to think “critically” about law and global affairs? In this poignant and iconoclastic book, two leading scholars take us to the heart of the matter, examining law’s relationship with history, power, and political economy.

David Kennedy and Martti Koskenniemi have often inspired each other and are both considered “critical” voices in international law, but they have never explored their similarities and differences as deeply as they do here. Of Law and the World takes the form of a conversation, as the authors reflect on the study of international law, the motivations underlying their research, and the payoffs and limitations of their investigations into law’s role in global affairs. They revisit and renew debates about the past and future of the many legalities that shape our world.

Erudite, open-minded, and informed by decades of experience and observation, Of Law and the World is an unflinchingly honest confrontation with humanity’s struggle to live together.

Preface

Conversation 1: What Is Critique?

Conversation 2: What Is International Law?

Conversation 3: International Law and Power

Conversation 4: Many International Legalities: Hegemony and Differentiation

Conversation 5: International Legal History as Critique

Conversation 6: Law in the Political Economy of the World

Conversation 7: Concluding Thoughts, Open Questions

Authors’ Works Cited

See HUP website for more information.

BOOK: Lauren BENTON, "They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence" (Princeton University Press, 2024)

Image source: PUP

Description:

Imperial conquest and colonization depended on pervasive raiding, slaving, and plunder. European empires amassed global power by asserting a right to use unilateral force at their discretion. They Called It Peace is a panoramic history of how these routines of violence remapped the contours of empire and reordered the world from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries.

In an account spanning from Asia to the Americas, Lauren Benton shows how imperial violence redefined the very nature of war and peace. Instead of preparing lasting peace, fragile truces insured the easy return to war. Serial conflicts and armed interventions projected a de facto state of perpetual war across the globe. Benton describes how seemingly limited war sparked atrocities, from sudden massacres to long campaigns of dispossession and extermination. She brings vividly to life a world in which warmongers portrayed themselves as peacemakers and Europeans imagined “small” violence as essential to imperial rule and global order.

Holding vital lessons for us today, They Called It Peace reveals how imperial violence of the past has made perpetual war and the threat of atrocity endemic features of the international order.

About the author: 

Lauren Benton is the Barton M. Biggs Professor of History at Yale University and recipient of the Toynbee Prize for significant contributions to global history. Her books include A Search for Sovereignty: Law and Geography in European Empires, 1400–1900 and (with Lisa Ford) Rage for Order: The British Empire and the Origins of International Law, 1800–1850.

More information with Princeton University Press.

BOOK: Mlada BUKANOVSKY, Edward KEENE, Christian REUS-SMIT & Maja SPANU, "The Oxford Handbook of History and International Relations" (OUP, 2023)

Image source: OUP

 Description:

Historical approaches to the study of world politics have always been a major part of the academic discipline of International Relations, and there has recently been a resurgence of scholarly interest in this area. This Oxford Handbook examines the past and present of the intersection between history and IR, and looks to the future by laying out new questions and directions for research.

Seeking to transcend well-worn disciplinary debates between historians and IR scholars, the Handbook asks authors from both fields to engage with the central themes of 'modernity' and 'granularity'. Modernity is one of the basic organising categories of speculation about continuity and discontinuity in the history of world politics, but one that is increasingly questioned for privileging one kind of experience and marginalizing others. The theme of granularity highlights the importance of how decisions about the scale and scope of historical research in IR shape what can be seen, and how one sees it. Together, these themes provide points of affinity across the wide range of topics and approaches presented here.

The Handbook is organized into four parts. The first, 'Readings', gives a state-of-the-art analysis of numerous aspects of the disciplinary encounter between historians and IR theorists. Thereafter, sections on 'Practices', 'Locales', and 'Moments' offer a wide variety of perspectives, from the longue durée to the ephemeral individual moment, and challenge many conventional ways of defining the contexts of historical enquiry about international relations. Contributors come from a range of academic backgrounds, and present a diverse array of methodological and philosophical ideas, as well as their various historical interests.

The Oxford Handbooks of International Relations is a twelve-volume set of reference books offering authoritative and innovative engagements with the principal sub-fields of International Relations.

The series as a whole is under the General Editorship of Christian Reus-Smit of the University of Queensland and Duncan Snidal of the University of Oxford, with each volume edited by specialists in the field. The series both surveys the broad terrain of International Relations scholarship and reshapes it, pushing each sub-field in challenging new directions. Following the example of Reus-Smit and Snidal's original Oxford Handbook of International Relations, each volume is organized around a strong central thematic by scholars drawn from different perspectives, reading its sub-field in an entirely new way, and pushing scholarship in challenging new directions.

Table of Contents:

Part I. Introduction
1:Modernity and Granularity in History and International Relations, Mlada Bukovansky and Edward Keene
Part II. Readings
2:Origins, Histories, and the Modern International, R. B. J. Walker
3:Historical Realism, Michael C. Williams
4:Liberal Progressivism and International History, Lucian M. Ashworth
5:Historical Sociology in International Relations, Maïa Pal
6:Global History and International Relations, George Lawson and Jeppe Mulich
7:International Relations and Intellectual History, Duncan Bell
8:Gender, History, and International Relations, Laura Sjoberg
9:Postcolonial Histories of International Relations, Zeynep Gulsah Capan
10:International Relations Theory and the Practice of International History, Peter Jackson and Talbot Imlay
11:Global Sources of International Thought, Chen Yudan
Part III. Practices
12:State, Territoriality, and Sovereignty, Jordan Branch and Jan Stockbruegger
13:Diplomacy, Linda S. Frey and Marsha L. Frey
14:Empire, Martin J. Bayly
15:Barbarism and Civilization, Yongjin Zhang
16:Race and Racism, Nivi Manchanda
17:Religion, History, and International Relations, Cecelia Lynch
18:Rights, Andrea Paras
19:The Diplomacy of Genocide, A. Dirk Moses
20:War and History in World Politics, Tarak Barkawi
21:Nationalism, James Mayall
22:Interpolity Law, Lauren Benton
23:Regulating Commerce, Eric Helleiner
24:Development, Corinna R. Unger
25:Governing Finance, Kevin L. Young and Signe Predmore
26:Revolution, Eric Selbin
Part IV. Locales (Spatial, Temporal, Cultural)
27:The 'Premodern' World, Julia Costa Lopez
28:Modernity and Modernities in International Relations, Ayse Zarakol
29:The 'West' in International Relations, Jacinta O'Hagan
30:The Eighteenth Century, Daniel Gordon
31:The Long Nineteenth Century, Quentin Bruneau
32:The Pre-Colonial African State System, John Anthony Pella, Jr.
33:The 'Americas' in the History of International Relations, Michael Gobat
34:'Asia' in the History of International Relations, David C. Kang
35:The 'International' and the 'Global' in International History, Or Rosenboim
Part V. Moment
36:The Fall of Constantinople, Jonathan Harris
37:The Peace of Westphalia, Andrew Phillips
38:The Seven Years War, Karl W. Schweizer
39:The Haitian Revolution, Musab Younis
40:The Congress of Vienna, Jennifer Mitzen and Jeff Rogg
41:The Revolutions of 1848, Daniel M. Green
42:The Indian 'Mutiny', Alexander E. Davis
43:The Berlin and Hague Conferences, Claire Vergerio
44:World War One and Versailles, Duncan Kelly
45:Sykes-Picot, Megan Donaldson
46:World War Two and San Francisco, Daniel Gorman
47:The Bandung Conference, Christopher J. Lee
48:Facing Nuclear War: Luck, Learning, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Richard Ned Lebow and Benoît Pelopidas
Part V. Conclusion
49:History and the International: Time, Space, Agency, and Language, Maja Spanu and Christian Reus-Smit

BOOK: Olivier DESCAMPS, Teodolinda FABRIZI & Catherine KESSEDJIAN (eds.), "Au service du droit international/To the benefit of international law - Les 150 ans de l'association de droit international/150 years of the international law association" (Paris, 2023)

 Abstract:

Faire le bilan de 150 ans au service du droit international relève d’une gageure probablement insurmontable. Pourtant, il paraissait important de porter un regard rétrospectif, notamment sur ces femmes et ces hommes qui ont écrit les grandes heures de l’Association de droit international (ADI), apportant une contribution intellectuelle, à maints égards décisive, au droit international. Dans un monde en crise, à nouveau polarisé, il est urgent de retracer l’histoire et les apports de l’ADI au droit international. Le livre a été conçu en trois parties. La première partie présente l’état du monde en 1873 pour tenter de comprendre le contexte dans lequel les fondateurs de l’ADI ont conçu cette société savante. La deuxième partie présente l’organisation et les personnalités qui l’ont fait vivre. La troisième partie analyse l’influence des travaux de l’organisation sur le développement du droit international. — Taking stock of 150 years of service to international law is probably an insurmountable challenge. Nevertheless, it seemed important to look backwards, notably on the women and men who made the highlights of the International Law Association (ILA), thus providing for an intellectual contribution, in many respects decisive, to international law. In a world in crisis, once more polarised, it is urgent to recount the history of the ILA and its valuable inputs to international law. The book was conceived in three parts. The first part presents the state of the world in 1873 in order to understand the context in which the Founders of the ILA conceived this learned society. The second part presents the organisation and the personalities that have brought it to life. The third part analyses the influence of the organisation’s work on the development of international law.

On the editors:

Catherine Kessedjian est professeur émérite de l’Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas. Elle centre ses activités sur l’arbitrage, la médiation et la conciliation ainsi que sur le conseil dans le cadre de contentieux économiques transnationaux ou de la vigilance (due diligence). Elle est la présidente honoraire de la Branche française de l’ILA. Olivier Descamps est professeur à l’Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas et directeur du Centre d’Étude d’Histoire Juridique. Il est intéressé par les questions d’histoire du droit du commerce international, mais aussi par histoire le droit international public et le droit international privé. Teodolinda Fabrizi est doctorante en droit international public à l’Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas. Elle s’intéresse à la théorie du droit international, au droit de l’environnement, au droit de l’eau et aux droits de l’homme.

More information here. 

JOURNAL: Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international, Volume 25 (2023), Issue 2 (Jun 2023)

Image source: JHIL

 

Articles

Petro-States’ Shaping of International Law

Author: Lys Kulamadayil

Pages: 161–188

Planning for the Aftermath. Longue Durée Histories for a New International Legal Order in Kelsen, Lauterpacht and De Visscher

Author: Jacob Giltaij

Pages: 189–217

A History of Double Criminality in Extradition

Author: Neil Boister

Pages: 218–257

The Alaskan Fur-Seal Crisis: Science, Capital, and Multilateralism in the Settlement of International Biodiversity Disputes

Author: James Hickling

Pages: 258–295

Book reviews

The Invention of Custom. Natural Law and the Law of Nations, ca. 1550–1750 , written by Francesca Iurlaro

Author: Alain Wijffels

Pages: 297–303

More info with Brill.

BOOK: Peter JACKSON, William MULLIGAN & Glenda SLUGA, "Peacemaking and International Order after the First World War" (CUP, 2023)

 

Source: CUP

:

Description:

The Paris peace settlements following the First World War remain amongst the most controversial treaties in history. Bringing together leading international historians, this volume assesses the extent to which a new international order, combining old and new political forms, emerged from the peace negotiations and settlements after 1918. Taking account of new historiographical perspectives and methodological approaches to the study of peacemaking after the First World War, it views the peace negotiations and settlements after 1918 as a site of remarkable innovations in the practice of international politics. The contributors address how a wide range of actors set out new ways of thinking about international order, established innovative institutions, and revolutionised the conduct of international relations. They illustrate the ways in which these innovations were merged with existing practices, institutions, and concepts to shape the international order that emerged out of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.

Table of Content:

1 - Introduction pp 1-34

By Peter Jackson, William Mulligan, Glenda Sluga

Part I - Ordering Concepts pp 35-176

2 - Vocabularies of Self-Determination in 1919 pp 37-64

The Co-Constitution of Race and Gender in International Law

By Sarah C. Dunstan

3 - Recasting the ‘Fabric of Civilisation’ pp 65-90

The Paris Peace Settlement and International Law

By Marcus M. Payk

4 - State Sovereignty pp 91-113

By Leonard V. Smith

5 - The Crisis of Power Politics pp 114-150

By Peter Jackson, William Mulligan

6 - The Challenge of an Absent Peace in the French and British Empires after 1919 pp 151-176

By Martin Thomas

Part II - Institutions pp 177-286

7 - A ‘New Diplomacy’? pp 179-201

The Big Four and Peacemaking, 1919

By Alan Sharp

8 - The League of Nations pp 202-226

The Creation and Legitimisation of International Civil Service

By Karen Gram-Skjoldager

9 - The Treaty of Versailles, German Disarmament and the International Order of the 1920s pp 227-245

By Andrew Webster

10 - Planning for International Financial Order pp 246-265

The Call for Collective Responsibility at the Paris Peace Conference

By Jennifer Siegel

11 - Raw Materials and International Order from the Great War to the Crisis of 1920–21 pp 266-286

By Jamie Martin

Part III - Actors and Networks pp 287-378

12 - The Great Conversation pp 289-312

A Discussion on Peace after the First World War

By Carl Bouchard

13 - An Alternative International Relations pp 313-336

Socialists, Socialist Internationalism and the Post-War Order

By Talbot Imlay

14 - The Paris Peace Conference and the Origins of Global Feminism pp 337-360

By Mona L. Siegel

15 - Colonial Nationalists and the Making of a New International Order pp 361-378

By Erez Manela

Part IV - Counterpoint pp 379-414

16 - The Persistence of Old Diplomacy pp 381-406

The Paris Peace Settlement in Perspective

By T. G. Otte

Afterword

Afterword pp 407-414

New Histories of International Order

By Glenda Sluga

See CUP for more information.

BOOK: Priyasha SAKSENA, "Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia", Series: The History and Theory of International Law (CUP, 2023)

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Description:

What constitutes a sovereign state in the international legal sphere? This question has been central to international law for centuries. Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia provides a compelling exploration of the history of sovereignty through an analysis of the jurisdictional politics involving a specific set of historical legal entities.

Governed by local rulers, the princely states of colonial South Asia were subject to British paramountcy whilst remaining legally distinct from directly ruled British India. Their legal status and the extent of their rights remained the subject of feverish debates through the entirety of British colonial rule. This book traces the ways in which the language of sovereignty shaped the discourse surrounding the legal status of the princely states to illustrate how the doctrine of sovereignty came to structure political imagination in colonial South Asia and the framework of the modern Indian state.

Opening with a survey of the place of the princely states in the colonial structures of South Asia, Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia goes on to illustrate how international lawyers, British politicians, colonial officials, rulers and bureaucrats of princely states, and anti-colonial nationalists in British India used definitions of sovereignty to construct political orders in line with their interests and aspirations. By invoking the vernacular of sovereignty in contrasting ways to support their differing visions of imperial and world order, these actors also attempted to reconfigure the boundaries among the spheres of the national, the imperial, and the international. Throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, debates and disputes over the princely states continually defined and redefined the concept of sovereignty and international legitimacy in South Asia.

Using rich material from the colonial archives, Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia conveys an understanding of the history of sovereignty and the construction of the modern Indian nation-state that is still relevant today. A riveting read, this book will be of considerable interest and importance to scholars of international law and South Asia, legal historians, and political scientists.

• Places the princely states of colonial South Asia at the heart of debates over the boundaries of international law
• Examines debates over the legal status of the princely states to analyse the relationship between colonialism and international law in South Asia
• Draws on extensive archival research to present legal arguments made by international lawyers, British politicians, colonial officials, rulers and bureaucrats of princely states, and anticolonial nationalists in British India
• Explores the changing meaning of sovereignty in colonial South Asia

Table of Contents:

1:Introduction

2:Setting the Stage: The Legal Construction of British Paramountcy

3:Jousting Over Jurisdiction: Sovereignty Debates in the Aftermath of the 1857 Rebellion

4:The Controversy Over Divisible Sovereignty: The Princes and the Indian States Committee

5:Political Negotiations: The Princes in the Federation Debates

6:Building the Nation: The Princely States in the Age of Decolonization

7:Epilogue

Author Information:

Priyasha Saksena, Lecturer in Law, University of Leeds

Priyasha Saksena is a lecturer at the School of Law, University of Leeds, UK. Her research focuses on the historical development of legal concepts and institutions within the British empire and their contemporary effects. She is particularly interested in exploring how legal doctrines such as sovereignty have shaped the relationship between international law and colonialism.