International Military Alliances, 1648-2008 - Douglas M. Gibler

Map 1. 1648 The Peace of Westphalia, which consisted of two documents signed in May and October of 1648, ended the Thirty Years War in Germany and the Dutch Revolt againstSpanish rule that had lasted for eighty years. The agreements established the concept of state sovereignty, which collectively acknowledged the rights of rulers over theirdominions. In many ways, 1648 can be thought of as the year in which the international system of states began.