You will often hear the term “sovereignty” in international politics. If you are unclear about its definition, origin, purpose, and connection to anarchy, continue reading!
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) was a chaotic time in Europe. Multiple overlapping and conflicting sources of authority existed.
Think of it like this:
A ruler would claim authority over an area and enforce it through its soldiers. One would find the most control of power at the center of the circle. However, as you walk outwards, there is less enforcement and no sense of state barriers. Thus, there was an unexpected middle ground for the two rulers. Individuals had no sense of state borders. With that came conflicts of territory.
The Treaty of Westphalia fixed this issue in 1648. It established state sovereignty by claiming the state is the highest authority within its own territory (called internal dimension), and no state can interfere in the affairs of another state (called external dimension). From then on, clear borders between states eliminate any confusion about legal influence.
State sovereignty is acquired through mutual recognition due to anarchy (if states are sovereign, there is no “world government.” No one can tell a state what to do.) Without recognition, a state will do as it wants to with no consequence. On the bright side, states are smart and have self-interest. They recognize that order is needed to benefit the state in the long run.