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Peace of Westphalia
Establishing principles of diplomacy?
Key Insights
The Peace of Westphalia, signed in the German cities of Münster and Osnabrück, ended the 30-Year War. Some scholars have argued that the treaty established the principles of legal equality and states having exclusive sovereignty over their territories. However, critics have doubted whether these principles were ever widely accepted and whether they originated from the Peace of Westphalia.
By Pablo Mathis
27 February 2023 · 00:00 CET· Updated 21 June 2026 · 18:25 CET
Cite this brief
Mathis, P. (2023). Peace of Westphalia. EPIS Insight · International Relations & Diplomacy.
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