The Beginning of IR with the Sumerian City States

International Relations began in the center of Mesopotamia with the union of the Sumer and Akkad states in the 5.000 BCE. Due to the closeness of the city-states, conflict and the desire for power led to the increasing role of war and politics. As a result, trade, social, and technological development became more relevant among neighboring societies. Therefore, Sumerian city-states emerged from a multicausal phenomenon that allowed the evolution of the first international system. Authors: Valentina Carratu, Emma Di Paolo and Marta Lladó