Globalization refers to shrinking distances among the continents, a wider geographic sense of vulnerability, and a worldwide interconnectedness of important aspects of human life, including religion, migration, war, finance, trade, diseases, drugs, and music. Globalization implies a significant and obvious blurring of distinctions between the internal and external affairs of countries and the weakening of differences among countries. (Payne, 2016).

Pieterse (2012) lists phases of globalization as Eurasian Globalization, Afro-Eurasian, Oriental globalization 1, Oriental globalization 2, Multicentric, Euro-Atlantic, 20th Century globalization, 21st Century globalization

In 1492, with the expedition of Christopher Columbus to India through western route practiced for the first time, sponsored by Isabella I of Castile, “The Age of
Discovery” emerged

Although states were conservative when it comes to the customs and trade, the feudal order of Europe has slowly been transformed into more centralized type of government. Besides, a new social class, bourgeoisie, has arisen; as a powerful
opponent and challenger of the aristocracy of the dynasties itself. The “bourgeoisie” derived from the word “bourg” (means citizen, or people of the
city).

The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) started as a conflict between Protestant and Catholic principalities in the former Holy Roman Empire territories. But in a short time, it evolved into inter European conflict, the main power struggle of France and Habsburg Dynasty.

The Treaty of Utrecht (1713) signed during the last period of the War of the
Spanish Succession (1702-1714), was a cornerstone of this determination of making the order permanent. The treaty prevented rising influence of the French Empire on Europe, with alliance of Britain, United Provinces (Netherlands),
Portugal, and Sardinia.

Since the beginning, the world history has witnessed the correlation of many symbols, values, emotions, and norms that function as a glue holding societies together. We can call them “umbrella concepts” which have generally been abstract, inclusive, collective, and regulative. Ancestor cult, religion, imperial/royal commitment, ethnic bonds, nation, and ideologies could be classified as examples of that.

The World War I (WWI) lasted more than four years (from July 1914 to November 1918). There were two opposing alliances: the Allied Powers versus the Central Powers. Ironically, regional or national politics turned into global issues through a world war at the first hand. The Allied Powers won the WWI. The period between 1919-1939 was named as “the inter-war period”.

The Allied Powers: France, United Kingdom, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Italy,
Japan, Portugal, Romania, China, United States, Greece

In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was founded.
Joseph Stalin, the successor of the leader of revolution Vladimir Lenin, was in charge until his death in 1953 for almost 30 years

Bolshevik is the name of faction in Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in early 20th century, literally meaning “one of the majority”. Bolsheviks have struggled with Mensheviks in the party. Bolsheviks became dominant component of the party and led the revolution of 1917 under the leadership
of Vladimir Lenin, the founding leader of Soviet Union

German Empire, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria.

The early 20th century witnessed the decline of liberalism in Europe. On the other hand, ideologies such as Fascism, Nazism, Marxism, and Communism have arisen. 

We should underline the United Nations (UN) which was founded during 1945. But during WW2, Allied Big Four (China, USA, USSR, UK) accepted the document of Declaration by United Nations in 1942.

Being convinced that complete victory over their enemies is essential to defend life, liberty, independence and religious freedom, and to preserve human rights and justice in their own lands as well as in other lands, and that they are now engaged in a common struggle against savage and brutal forces seeking to subjugate the world.

League of Nations was another organization, founded in 1920, after WW1. But USA’s withdrawal, made it dysfunctional before its foundation.

Bipolar system dominated world politics from 1945 to 1991, until fall of USSR.

“Proxy wars” is a concept used for Cold War conflictsin which peripheral states or
groups clashed with each other in peripheral regions with support from the leaders of the blocs. Several examples are : Greek Civil War (1946-49), Korean War (1950-53), Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War (1955-1975), Lebanese Civil War (1975, and-1990), etc.

Mikhail Gorbachev, who took the USSR presidency in 1985, had a policy agenda to reform the country in a liberal way to overcome economic crises in the country.

Fall of USSR signified the standardization of ideologies and value sets all over the world, which was Western type of democracy, human rights, and liberalism