Van Creveld. Fate of the State - Essay Example

This however, changed when in the rise of modernity; monarchs emerged and slowly took over power and authority from the local lords. The emergence of the monarchs therefore, laid a foundation for nation-states. In the 19th-Century, the modern nation-state, which is integrated, was established first in the European world. However, the 1648 peace of Westphalia is the most important aspect in the establishment of the nation-state, as it allowed for the sovereignty of the nation-state. The nation-state today is on the verge of decline, because of the forces of globalization and devolution, which have reduced its sovereignty.

The nation-state was considered the dominant social entity in the world starting the mid-19th Century, as the state and society were virtually merged to become one entity. However, many changes happening in the world have led to changes in the dominance of the nation-state as the most influential social entity. The cultural revolution that began in the West had a great influence on the nature of the nation-state. Other important factors that affected the nation-state include the international communist movements, increased freedom of capital transfer across international borders, and political, social, and economic dysfunction in former colonies of Asia and Africa.

By the beginning of the 1990’s, the role of the nation-state was reduced due to different global forces (Creveld, 1999). The future of the nation-state is uncertain today. There are different factors that have been responsible for the diminishing importance of the nation-state. These are globalization and transnationalism, and devolution. Globalization has led to the breaking down of national boundaries, as different countries can now interact economically, socially, and politically. Globalization has paved way for transnationalism, and it is anticipated that in future, there might be a transnational government.

Transnationalism today occurs at the political level. International organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations are responsible for transnationalism, as they provide economic security and military protection to a variety of vulnerable countries. On the other hand, the European Union has broken down all national boundaries in its member states, paving way for high levels of interaction (Creveld, 1999). Devolution has been adopted by various nations today. This grants power and authority to the local government and not the central government.

This is why the process is called devolution, as power is taken away from the central government, and given back to the local government. When the central government, which is core of the state, loses power, the sovereignty of the state reduces. If these trends of globalization and devolution persist, there are possibilities that a transnational government will replace the nation-state. However, only time will tell what the future holds for the nation-state (Creveld, 1999). According to Creveld (1996), the capability of the state to fight others for self-defence is on the decline.

This is a proof that the function of the nation-state is slowly fading. Initially, defence was among the main reasons for the formation of the nation-state. Failure to perform that today is a clear indication of its decline. The events of French Revolution in the 18th Century and industrial revolution sparked transnationalism, which is responsible today for the decline of the nation-st