A Review on the Shift in Liberalism From Classical Liberalism to Institutional Liberalism A Case Study of the Gulf War I (1990-1991)

Even though realism has been viewed as the mainstream theory of International Relations (IR), liberalism has been also an important theory for understanding international system after World War I. During the nineteenth century, the main idea of classical liberalism was that free trade would establish a more pacific global order. Nevertheless, the core assumptions of liberalism underwent a profound shift from classical liberalism to international institutionalism after the World War I. In this context, President Wilson argued that collective security could be promoted with institutions such as the League of Nations. Thus, the first Gulf War has been viewed as an evidence of the longevity and continued presence of Wilsonianism. However, although many IR scholars argue that the Gulf War I was an appropriate example to examine institutional liberalism, it in-fact resulted in establishing an American hegemony in the Middle East.

Classical Liberalism, Institutional Liberalism, Wilsonianism, the Gulf War I.