International recognition which lies at the heart of many contemporary political conflicts
(Nagorno-Karabakh Ukraine ISIS Palestine Libya to name a few) has generally been discussed
from the point of view of international law and only as concerning modern history. This volume
adopts a much broader perspective by tracing the history of recognition back to the ancient
world. It approaches the issue of recognition as a political process where law features as only
one of several resources at the disposal of the decision makers. The contributors explore the
pivotal moments in the history of recognition on both a European and a world scale: the making
of the Roman and Carolingian empires the Peace of Westphalia Latin American independence
decolonization and the Cold War. The comparison brings to light the continuities and
discontinuities of recognition within and beyond the historical limits of the modern state.
