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Les traités de Westphalie HGGSP - Faire la guerre, faire la paix 3 - Thème 2 bac 2026 — Transcript

by La Boîte à Bac · 2,638 words · 430 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:05Hi, it’s Manon from La Boîte à Bac,
0:06and today we’re back for the third
0:08video on the theme of making war and
0:09making peace. We’ve already made two
0:14videos on the evolution of war since
0:16the Clausewitz model, which I invite
0:17you to watch before this one if you are
0:19currently studying this topic. If you
0:21want to be sure not to miss the release
0:22dates of our next videos, I invite you
0:24to subscribe and turn on notifications.
0:25And as usual, you can always like,
0:27share, and comment if you want to
0:29support our work. You can also come
0:31follow us on Instagram, where you can
0:32find all our latest updates. So today,
0:34we’re going to look at the other side
0:36of armed conflict: the making of peace.
0:38In the first part, we analyzed war and
0:40its evolution since the 18th century.
0:42Today, what we’re going to do is look
0:44at how to put an end to conflict and
0:45what happens once the conflict is over.
0:47How do we achieve a cessation of
0:49hostilities, and how do we ensure that
0:50this end to the war is lasting? And
0:53finally, what are the different methods
0:54of peacebuilding between the 17th
0:56century and the 21st century? For that,
0:58we’re going to look together at the
1:00two major international peace systems
1:01that have been built since the 17th
1:03century. In this first video, the
1:05Westphalian peace system through the
1:07balance of power, which begins with the
1:08drafting of the Peace of Westphalia. It
1:11is the first milestone of your course
1:12on peace. Then in a second video, the
1:14second milestone: the collective
1:16security system through supranational
1:17organizations since the beginning of
1:19the 20th century. We will then ask
1:21ourselves the following questions. In
1:23what context were the Treaties of
1:24Westphalia signed? How did these
1:26treaties establish a new religious and
1:28political peace in the 17th century?
1:30And how did the Treaties of Westphalia
1:32set up a new international order that
1:34would last until the 20th century? In
1:39what context were the Treaties of
1:41Westphalia signed? The Treaties of
1:45Westphalia are the origin of what is
1:47called Westphalian peace, therefore
1:48based on the balance of power. These
1:50treaties form a set of norms that
1:51governed international relations from
1:53the 17th century until the beginning of
1:55the 20th century. They were signed in
1:561648 to put an end to the wars that had
1:58been ravaging Europe for nearly a
2:00century, namely the Eighty Years 'War,
2:02but above all the Thirty Years' War.
2:04The Eighty Years 'War is a war with
2:06religious causes. It is said to have
2:08lasted from 1568, the first revolt, to
2:101648, at the Treaty of Westphalia. But
2:13there were truces. It is a war of a
2:14smaller scale than the Thirty Years'
2:16War. It began in 1568 due to religious
2:18conflicts between, on one side, the
2:20Protestant provinces, which were
2:22located in the territories of
2:23present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and
2:25the Netherlands, and on the other, the
2:27Kingdom of Spain to which these
2:29provinces belonged. The problem is that
2:31the Spanish monarchy was Catholic, and
2:33religious differences were not
2:35tolerated. That is what the United
2:37Provinces were fighting for: trying to
2:38obtain more religious freedoms, which
2:40they would achieve in 1648. The Thirty
2:42Years 'War began in 1618 and took place
2:44primarily in Central Europe. It pitted
2:47the Habsburg dynasty against others; a
2:49very powerful Catholic family that
2:51ruled over Europe and controlled both
2:52the Holy Roman Empire and the Spanish
2:54monarchy. On the other side were
2:57majority-Protestant countries: England,
2:59Denmark, and the United Provinces, with
3:01the addition of France, which, despite
3:03being mostly Catholic, decided to fight
3:04alongside the Protestants to weaken the
3:06Habsburgs. The trigger for this war is
3:09quite memorable. It is called the
3:11Defenestration of Prague. This event
3:13took place on May 23, 1618, at Prague
3:15Castle, in the present-day Czech
3:17Republic. It was a meeting between the
3:20Protestant lords of Bohemia and the
3:21representatives of Matthias, the
3:23Catholic Holy Roman Emperor and King of
3:25Bohemia. The goal of this meeting was
3:27to discuss the Bohemian lords' demands
3:29regarding religious freedom. Indeed, at
3:31that time, the Holy Roman Empire was
3:33divided between Catholics and
3:34Protestants, like all of Europe since
3:35the Reformation. A solution had been
3:37found, however: the Peace of Augsburg,
3:39which established the principle of "
3:41cuius regio, eius religio." A principle
3:43according to which rulers of provinces,
3:44but not empires, could choose the
3:46religion of the populations they
3:47governed. Thus, the Holy Roman Emperor
3:50could not impose his faith on the many
3:52lords who directed the various
3:53provinces of this empire. However,
3:55Matthias I, Holy Roman Emperor from
3:581612, wished to backtrack on this
4:00agreement by imposing the Catholic
4:02religion on the entire Empire.
4:04Obviously, this decision did not please
4:06the Protestant lords of Bohemia, who
4:07decided to meet with the Catholic
4:09representatives to try and renegotiate.
4:11Unfortunately, the meeting degenerated
4:12into an argument, and the Catholic
4:13representatives ended up being thrown
4:14out the window. Legend even has it that
4:16they survived thanks to excrement that
4:18was located under the window, which
4:20cushioned their fall. This almost
4:22anecdotal episode was nevertheless the
4:23spark that set the powder keg off,
4:25pushing all of Europe into a bloody war
4:27. The war thus began in 1618 following
4:30this event. Between 1620 and 1635, most
4:32European countries entered the war on
4:34one side or the other. The Kingdom of
4:37Denmark, England, and the Spanish
4:38United Provinces went to war against
4:40the Habsburgs to support the
4:41Protestants. France also entered the
4:44war in 1635, on the side of the
4:46Protestants. As a Catholic country,
4:47this was a strategic decision, as Louis
4:49XIII feared the rise of the Habsburgs
4:51and the expansion of the Holy Roman
4:53Empire. France thus entered the war for
4:55political reasons, and in that sense,
4:57the Thirty Years 'War was both
4:58religious and political. Together,
5:00these two wars resulted in over 5
5:02million deaths. I know that compared to
5:03the world wars of the 20th century,
5:04that doesn't seem like much. But in
5:06reality, 5 million deaths was
5:07equivalent to the entire population of
5:09England at the time and 20%of the total
5:11population of Europe. These wars were
5:13therefore highly lethal and left a deep
5:14impression on people's minds. To
5:16prevent Europe from tearing itself
5:17apart again and to give it time to
5:19rebuild, there was a desperate need to
5:21establish a lasting and stable peace
5:23system. And it was at this moment that
5:25the famous Peace of Westphalia treaties
5:27were signed to end the war. So, what
5:29you need to remember is that the Peace
5:30of Westphalia treaties were signed to
5:32end two highly lethal 17 th-century
5:34European wars. These were the Thirty
5:36Years' War and the Eighty Years 'War.
5:38Wars with both religious and political
5:40causes that pitted Catholics against
5:42Protestants. If you need help reviewing
5:44all of this, you can find in our
5:46upcoming HGGSP kit, as well as in our
5:48app available from January 2023, all
5:50the course videos accompanied by
5:52mini-quizzes, which you can use to test
5:54your knowledge and ensure you've
5:56remembered everything well. The app
5:58also contains revision sheets,
5:59methodology videos, quizzes, monthly
6:01challenges, and many other surprises.
6:04Meanwhile, my HGGSP kit, coming soon,
6:06will offer you access to the app as
6:08well as over 350 flashcards for
6:10effective and fun learning. You will
6:12find more information on our website,
6:14laboite.fr. How did these treaties
6:19establish a new religious and political
6:21peace in the 17th century? The Peace of
6:25Westphalia treaties were signed during
6:26the year 1648. Now, let's take a closer
6:28look at how it all unfolded. The great
6:30powers struggled to negotiate to
6:31restore peace. However, as early as
6:331641, the need to begin international
6:35negotiations was already being
6:36discussed. Nevertheless, the idea of
6:38sitting down at a table to negotiate
6:39while soldiers were dying on the front
6:41was not self-evident. So, the process
6:43was slow and complex. Negotiations
6:45began in 1644 in Westphalia, a
6:47historical region of Germany. It was
6:49decided to hold them in two cities.
6:51Münster, a majority-Catholic city for
6:53negotiations between France and the
6:55Holy Empire, and Osnabrück, a
6:56majority-Protestant city for
6:58negotiations between Sweden and the
6:59Holy Empire. Every country in Europe
7:02sent hundreds of representatives during
7:04these negotiations, called
7:05plenipotentiary ministers, which means
7:07these diplomats had full powers. They
7:09could therefore negotiate everything,
7:11buy, exchange, promise gifts, marriages
7:13, and so on. The process was complex.
7:15It was the first time that such a large
7:16number of different actors had been
7:18sent to make peace. There were 16
7:19states and therefore numerous
7:20delegations linked to them. In total,
7:22France sent more than 400 diplomats to
7:24negotiate, and it was around 150 for
7:26the other great powers, namely Sweden,
7:28Spain, and the Holy Empire. Fortunately
7:31, the process proved successful, as
7:33three agreements were signed during the
7:35year 1648. On January 30, 1648, the
7:37Peace of Münster was signed, through
7:38which Spain finally recognized the
7:40independence of the United Provinces.
7:42Then, on October 24, 1648, the
7:44negotiations resulted in the Treaty of
7:45Münster, which established peace
7:47between France and the Holy Empire, and
7:49the Treaty of Osnabrück, a peace
7:51between Sweden and the Holy Empire.
7:53Politically, the Holy Roman Empire was
7:55fragmented in order to weaken it. It
7:58was divided into 350 small states,
7:59principalities that saw their power
8:01strengthened, contrary to the federal
8:03structure of the empire, which was
8:05weakened. Certain regions were annexed
8:07by Sweden, which now extended into
8:09Central Europe, and by France, which
8:11expanded its territory to the Rhine.
8:13Meanwhile, the Holy Roman Empire, which
8:14had great ambitions before the war, was
8:16severely weakened. These treaties also
8:18represented an upheaval from a
8:19religious point of view. From then on,
8:21the three major religious denominations
8:23of the era were recognized on a
8:24European scale. These were the
8:26Catholics, the Calvinists, and the
8:27Lutherans, who are branches of
8:29Protestantism. The principle of "cuius
8:31regio, eius religio" was reiterated;
8:32remember, it dated back to the Peace of
8:34Augsburg in 1555. This meant that
8:36princes could choose the religion of
8:38their principality. Some princes were
8:40tolerant and accepted that a subject
8:42might not follow the decreed religion.
8:44However, in the majority of cases, if
8:45the religion did not suit them, the
8:47subject was forced to exile themselves
8:48to a province with a religion that
8:50suited them. There was therefore a
8:51certain religious tolerance, but not
8:53yet freedom, since the populations were
8:55not able to choose the religion that
8:56suited them; instead, the princes made
8:58the decisions. What you need to
9:00remember for this part is that the
9:01Treaties of Westphalia led, politically
9:03, to the fragmentation of the Holy
9:05Roman Empire, which was divided into
9:07350 states to the benefit of Sweden and
9:08France, both of which expanded their
9:10territories. Religiously, the principle
9:12of "cuius regio, eius religio"—whose
9:13realm, his religion—was reiterated.
9:15Thus, we see a first form of religious
9:17tolerance. How did the Treaties of
9:19Westphalia establish a new
9:21international balance that would last
9:22until the 20th century? The Treaties of
9:26Westphalia established a new era
9:28through the political and religious
9:29restructuring they generated. In
9:32Westphalia, the leaders of the era's
9:33powers laid the foundations for an
9:35international system that would last
9:36much longer than they anticipated,
9:38remaining in place until the early 20th
9:39century. First, the creation of these
9:42treaties opened a new era in diplomatic
9:44history. Never before had such a
9:45European congress been held, a kind of
9:47international summit where all the
9:49leaders were brought together. It was
9:51from this moment on that academic
9:53training dedicated to diplomacy was
9:54created, becoming a true profession
9:56requiring both knowledge and experience
9:58. Next, the Treaties of Westphalia
10:00established a number of principles that
10:02founded a new international order. It
10:04was the first time that the sovereignty
10:05of states was established, a principle
10:07that lies at the heart of this new
10:08system. Sovereignty is the state's
10:10quality of being bound or determined
10:12only by its own will, within the limits
10:14of the law and in accordance with the
10:16collective goal it must achieve. This
10:19means that within those borders, the
10:21state is the central structure, and
10:22other states cannot dictate its conduct
10:24within its own territory, as
10:26sovereignty is exclusive. Only the
10:28state is legitimate within its own
10:29territory. To this principle, we must
10:31necessarily add the idea of territorial
10:33integrity. The borders drawn in 1648
10:35serve as the new standard, and it is
10:37within these that the state exercises
10:39its sovereignty. These new principles
10:41gave rise to a new international
10:43equilibrium, a peace based on the
10:45balance of power. According to this
10:47theory, the urge to wage war inevitably
10:49arises when a country gains power and
10:51its ambitions exceed its borders.
10:54Indeed, in the 17th century, the desire
10:55to conquer new territories was one of
10:57the most frequent reasons for declaring
10:59war. Through this new principle of
11:00balance of power, the goal was to
11:02prevent the emergence of empires that
11:03were too large, too vast, or too
11:05powerful. By keeping countries of more
11:07or less equivalent size, there is no
11:09supposed incentive to declare war,
11:10since the bellicose state would face
11:12several states of similar power and
11:14would have much more to lose than to
11:16gain. This model turns a new page in
11:18the history of international relations.
11:20We shift from peace guaranteed by
11:22superior moral powers, in this case the
11:24church, to an international system that
11:26places the state at the center. It is
11:28this balance of power system that will
11:30guide international relations until the
11:31beginning of the 20th century. After
11:331648, wars continued in Europe. However
11:36, the Treaties of Westphalia produced
11:38an essential element. This is the
11:40distinction between a state of war with
11:42battles and fronts and a state of peace
11:44with congresses, negotiations,
11:46diplomacy, and treaties. From this time
11:49on, wars had to be declared and no use
11:51of armed force could occur in peacetime
11:54, which protected civilian populations.
11:57The fact that this new system remained
11:58dominant until the 20th century does
12:00not mean that peace ceased to be
12:01theorized by thinkers, especially
12:03during the Age of Enlightenment. Indeed
12:05, at the time of the French Revolution
12:07and therefore the revolutionary and
12:09Napoleonic wars, the idea of perpetual
12:11peace theorized by the German
12:12philosopher Immanuel Kant emerged. This
12:15perpetual peace was to follow the
12:16following conditions. First, the
12:18establishment of a supra-state
12:19mechanism for conflict resolution, that
12:21is to say, the creation of an entity
12:22above states that could settle their
12:24disputes. Next, a pact concluded
12:26between all states whereby they commit
12:28to settling their differences through
12:30negotiation or through recourse to an
12:32outside arbitrator. And finally, the
12:34universal citizenship of men, meaning
12:36that all men should benefit from the
12:38same rights as citizens when they were
12:40in a foreign state. However, this
12:43utopia never materialized in historical
12:45reality. After the Napoleonic wars, the
12:47great European powers met at the
12:48Congress of Vienna in order to restore
12:50peace in Europe. At this congress, the
12:52vision of the European Concert was
12:53reiterated as an international balance
12:55where every state has its place. Again
12:57in the 19th century, we find this idea
12:59of a balance of power stemming from the
13:00Treaties of Westphalia. These
13:02principles then endured, and Europe
13:04experienced relative peace throughout
13:05the 19th century until the eve of the
13:07First World War. But after 1918, the
13:09scale of such a conflict forced the
13:11countries involved to rethink a new
13:12model since the Westphalian peace
13:14seemed to have failed. It was at this
13:16moment that a certain Woodrow Wilson
13:18presented his new idea, inspired in
13:20part by the perpetual peace theorized
13:21by Kant. But for that, I'll let you go
13:23watch our next video on collective
13:25security. In the meantime, don't forget
13:27to subscribe and I'll see you soon. Oh.

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